Results Commands
Animation
Create animations of plots, saved to a file or shown in a player in the COMSOL Desktop main window.
Syntax
model.result().export().create(<ftag>,"Animation");
model.result().export(<ftag>).set(property, <value>);
model.result().export(<ftag>).run();
Description
model.result().export().create(<ftag>,"Animation") creates an animation feature with the name <ftag>.
result().export(<ftag>).set("plotgroup", <ptag>) changes the source of the animation to the plot group named <ptag>.
The following properties are available:
Table 7-8: Valid Property/Value Pairs for Animation
Property
Value
Default
Description
allarray
integer array
All solutions
The solutions to use, chosen from all combinations of outer and inner. Applicable when both inner and outer solutions exist and solnumtype is all.
alwaysask
on | off
off
Always ask for filename when saving. This property is ignored when running without a user interface.
antialias
on | off
on
Enable/disable antialiasing.
avifilename
String
 
The name of the AVI file produced if movietype is avi.
aviqual
double in [0,1]
0.75
The quality of the AVI file if movietype is avi; higher is better.
axes
on | off
on
If options is on; enable/disable display of the coordinate axes. Used for 1D and 2D animations.
axisorientation
on | off
on
If options is on; enable/disable display of the axis orientation indicator. Used for 3D animations.
background
current | color | fromtheme | transparent
color
The background color.
bmpfilename
String
 
The name of the output file if imagetype is bmp.
const
String array of property/value pairs
Empty
Parameters to use in the expressions.
customcolor
double array
{1, 1, 1}
If background is set to color, the red, green, and blue components of the background color.
cycletype
fullharm | halfharm | linear
fullharm
The transformation of the solution that is performed if sweeptype is dde.
fontsize
integer
9
The font size.
fps
positive integer
10
The number of frames per second.
framesel
all | number
number
When sweeptype is solutions, framesel controls whether to look through all solutions or a specified number of frames.
frametime
positive double
0.1
The time in seconds that each frame is displayed when the target is set to player.
giffilename
String
 
The name of the GIF file produced if movietype is set to gif.
gifopen
on | off
off
Enable/disable opening of the generated GIF file in a browser if movietype is set to gif.
globalpstart
double
0
The parameter’s start value if sweeptype is globalparameter.
globalpstop
double
1
The parameter’s stop value if sweeptype is globalparameter.
globalpunit
String
 
The unit of the parameter if sweeptype is globalparameter.
grid
on | off
on
If options is on; enable/disable display of the coordinate grid. Used for 3D animations.
height
integer
480
The height in pixels of the frames of the animation, if size is manual.
imagefilename
String
 
The base name of generated images if type is movieseq; the generated images have names of the form base1.ext, base2.ext, and so on.
interp
double array
Empty
The times to use, for transient levels, that the multilooplevel property points to. Available when the underlying data is transient, looplevelinput is interp.
lockratio
true | false
false
If true, then the aspect ratio of the image is preserved when the width or the height is changed. Available if size is manual.
reverse
true | false
false
Enable/disable reversal in time of the animation.
iterations
positive integer
1
The number of iterations for the playing, if repeat is set to iterations.
legend
on | off
on
If options is on; enable/disable display of the legend.
logo
on | off
on
If options is on; enable/disable display of the logo.
looplevel
integer array
All solutions
The solutions to use. Applicable to the level that the multilooplevel property points to, when looplevelinput is manual.
looplevelindices
integer array or String
Empty
An alternative way to specify the solutions to use, allowing you to enter, for example, range(1,1,20). Applicable to the level that the multilooplevel property points to, when looplevelinput is manualindices.
looplevelinput
all | manual | manualindices | interp
all
How to input the solution to use, for the level that multilooplevel points to. manual indicates that looplevel is used for that level. manualindices indicates that looplevelindices is used for that level. interp indicates that interp is used for that level.
maxframes
integer >= 2
25
The number of frames.
movietype
gif | avi | webm
gif
The movie format to use if type is movie: GIF, AVI, or WebM.
multilooplevel
1<=integer<=3
1
The loop level to animate over. Only applied if solnumtype is pointing to the same level and solrepresentation is set to solutioninfo
options
on | off
off
Enable/disable optional components of the image.
outerinnertype
first | last | all
last
When solnumtype is outer, outerinnertype controls whether to plot all, the first or the last inner solution. Applicable only for parametric sweep models.
outersolnumarray
nonnegative integer array
1
The index of the outer solutions to use. Applicable only for parametric sweep models when solnumtype is set to outer.
outersolnumsingle
nonnegative integer
1
The index of the outer solutions to use. Applicable only for parametric sweep models when solnumtype is set to inner.
parameter
String
 
The model parameter that varies if sweeptype is parameter.
plot
String
 
The streamline plot to animate if sweeptype is set to streamline.
plotgroup
String
 
The name of the plot group to animate.
pstart
double
0
The parameter’s start value if sweeptype is set to parameter.
pstop
double
1
The parameter’s stop value if sweeptype is set to parameter.
punit
String
 
The unit of the parameter if sweeptype is set to parameter.
repeat
off | forever | iterations
off
Whether to repeat from the beginning when the end is reached when playing. If forever, iterate until stopped. If iterations, as many times as given in iterations.
resolution
integer
96
The frame resolution in dots per inch.
reverse
true | false
false
Enable/disable reversal in time of the animation.
showframe
positive integer
1
The shown frame when playing,
showgrid
on | off
on
Include a grid.
singleinterp
double array
Time corresponding to last selected solnum for transient levels.
The time to use, for transient levels with the level pointed to by multilooplevel exempt. Available when the underlying data is transient.
singlelooplevel
array of nonnegative integers and strings
First solution for each level.
The index of the solution to use, per level with the level pointed to by multilooplevel exempt, or interp, but only when the underlying data is transient.
size
current | hd | manual
manual
The size of the animation frames, if target is file. The current size, a high-definition size, or a manually specified size.
solnum
integer array
all
The solutions to animate if sweeptype is solutions.
solnumtype
level1 | level2 | level3 | all | inner | outer
all
Whether to sweep over a selected loop level or over all, inner or outer solutions, in a parametric sweep model.
sweeptype
solutions | parameter | globalparameter | dde | streamline
solutions
The parameter that varies during animation.
target
file | player
file
Save the animation in a file or show it in a player in a COMSOL graphics window.
timeinterp
on | off
off
Enable/disable sweep over interpolated times if sweeptype is solutions.
tint
double array
 
The interpolated times to animate if timeinterp is on.
title
 
on
If options is on; enable/disable display of the title.
type
imageseq | movie
movie
The kind of output that is produced.
webmadvanced
automatic | manual
automatic
Automatic or manual settings for advanced WebM settings.
webmcodec
vp8 | vp9
vp9
Codec, when movietype is webm.
webmcqlevel
0–1
0.6
Quality level, when movietype is set to webm.
webmdither
0–5
0
Use dithering for WebM format (0 means no dithering).
webmfilename
String
 
The name of the WebM file produced if movietype is webm.
webmlossless
on | off
off
Use lossless compression if movietype is webm.
webmparallelencoding
on | off
on
Parallel encoding for the WebM format.
webmparalleldecoding
on | off
off
Parallel decoding for WebM format (only available if parallel encoding is on).
webmquality
optimizeForQuality | optimizeForSpeed
optimizeForSpeed
Optimize the WebM quality for speed (faster encoding) or quality (slower encoding).
webmyuvmatrix
BT601Limited | BT601Full | BT709Limited | BT709Full
BT709Limited
YUV color space for WebM movies: BT.601 and BT.709 standards.
width
integer
640
The width in pixels of the frames of the animation, if size is manual
zoomextents
true | false
false
Zoom to the extents of the plot’s subject.
Example
Create a 2D animation of a surface and contour plot:
Code for Use with Java
ExportFeature anim = model.result().export().create("c2","pg1","Animation");
anim.set("plotgroup", "pg1");
anim.run();
Code for Use with MATLAB
anim = model.result.export.create('c2','pg1','Animation');
anim.set('plotgroup', 'pg1');
anim.export('c2').run;
Compatibility
As of version 6.1, the Flash format is no longer available for animations, and the flashfilename, flashinterp, and flashopen properties are no longer used.
See Also
Image (Export)