2D Plot Group and 3D Plot Group

) to combine one or more 2D plots, such as surface plots and contour plots, and visualize the plots simultaneously. Use a (

) to combine one of more 3D plots, such as volume plots and slice plots, into one to visualize the plots simultaneously. The datasets that you can use are solution datasets for 2D and 3D solutions, respectively, but also, for example, cut planes from a 3D model in a 2D plot group or a revolved 2D axisymmetric solution in a 3D plot group.

	The time-related settings only display for time-dependent models.

Select a . From the lists below select the solution to use. For studies, select, for example, a as needed. For time-dependent problems, select a . For eigenvalue and eigenfrequency analyses, select an or . For solutions that contain multiple eigenvalues, the list includes entries such as and for selecting either of the two eigenmodes associated with the same eigenvalue. You can step through time, eigenvalues or eigenfrequencies, or parameter values using the (

) and (

) buttons at the top of the plot group nodes and their plot nodes. You can also use the F6 and F7 keyboard shortcuts to step to the previous or next solution, respectively. To move to the solution associated with the first or last time, eigenvalue, or parameter value, click the (

) or (

) button. For models with multiple levels of parameters and time, for example, use the list to the right of the button to choose the level for which you want to step through the solutions (see the figure below).

If you have defined a compatible configuration (see Configurations), which is typically a Single-Select Solution, the you can choose from the list (the default is ). With , choose a compatible configuration from the list to use its settings for the solution parameters such as the time, eigenvalue, or parameter value to use.

By default, the plots in the plot group are active in the entire geometry. Using a selection defined in this section, you can limit the plots to some geometric entities (parts of the geometry). From the list, choose (the default), , , (3D only), or .

For all levels except , you can choose a selection of entities at that level from the list:

The following settings are also available for all levels except :

By default, the check box is selected. If you clear it, only plots defined on the selected entity level will appear (for domains, a surface plot would then not appear, for example).

Select the check box to only display dataset edges for the chosen selection of entities instead of for the entire geometry.

	The selection made in the Settings window for the plot group can be overridden by Selection subnodes for the individual plot nodes in that plot group.

This section is only available if at least one physics or multiphysics interface in the model includes a phase.

From the list, choose (the default, with the angle from the dataset added) or , to add a user-defined phase (in degrees) in the field below.

Select to save the plot data in the model. This section only appears for the manual setting of the option for saving plot data. See Saving Plot Data in the Model.

The is automatically generated by default. Select , , , or as needed. See Plot Titles for Plot Groups and Plot Types for more information.

From the list, choose to define a custom color for the title, or choose one of the predefined colors (the default is ).

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Select a . The default is , which picks a view automatically. You can also choose any applicable view that is defined under or under . It is also possible to choose . The plot then uses that new view, which appears as a (

) or (

) node under .

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(2D only) The and check boxes are cleared by default, indicating that empty axis labels are used by default. Select the check boxes to enter labels for the x-axis and the y-axis. This can be useful for scatter plots, for example, where the axes represent quantities other than the x and y directions.

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By default, the plot does not include hidden entities (geometric entities that are hidden in the selected ). To include such hidden geometric entities in the plot, select the check box. To make the hiding also apply to lower dimensions (for example, when hidden 3D domains affect faces where all adjacent domains are hidden), select the check box.

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The check box is selected by default. Click to clear if required. Otherwise, select a ( is the default) or select to click the button and choose a different color from a color palette. Select a : (the default), , , , or .

You can control the appearance of the color legends (color scales) for the plots for this plot group using the following settings:

To turn off the display of the color legends, clear the check box. If the check box is selected, you can control the look and feel and position of the color legend using the settings below.

You can show or hide the maximum and minimum values for the plotted quantity that appear above and below the color legend using the check box. Turning off the maximum and minimum values can save screen space in the vertical direction.

To display a unit for the values of the color legend, select the check box. The unit appears above the color legend.

Specify the location of the color legends (color scales) for the plots for this plot group. The list contains the following positions for the color legends:

From the list, choose to define a custom color for the text in the color legend, or choose one of the predefined colors (the default is ).

	The default precision for the color legend labels is 5 digits. You can change the precision in the Preferences dialog box, using the Color legend field on the Display Format page under Graphics.

In this section you can override the automatic formatting of the numbers used in the color legend and the axes of the grid:

To override the automatic formatting of the numbers in the color legend, select the check box. Then adjust the formatting using the following settings:

From the list, choose to let the program choose decimal notation or scientific notation (E-notation) depending on the values of the displayed numbers. Choose to use engineering notation, or choose to only use scientific notation.

Select the check box (selected by default) to use a common exponent above the color legend. Clear this check box to instead display the full numbers, including the exponents, next to the corresponding levels in the color legend. One of these formats may be better suited to display the color legend if the plot window is small, for example.

Select the check box to display all numbers based on the precision used, including trailing zeros (for example, 5 is then displayed as 5.00 when the precision is set to 3).

In the field, enter a positive integer (default: 3) for the numerical precision (number of digits displayed).

To override the automatic formatting of the numbers on the grid axes, select the check box (2D) or (3D). Then adjust the formatting using the following settings:

Select the check box (selected by default) to use a common exponent at the end of each axis. Clear this check box to instead display the full numbers, including the exponents, next to the corresponding axis tick. One of these formats may be better suited to display the grid if the plot window is small, for example.

Select the check box to display all numbers based on the precision used, including trailing zeros (for example, 5 is then displayed as 5.000 when the precision is set to 4).

In the field, enter a positive integer (default: 3) for the numerical precision (number of digits displayed).

Use the settings in this section to create an array of plots for comparing or showing multiple solutions or quantities and for presentation purposes, for example.

Select the check box to activate the plot array functionality. All plot subnodes under the plot group node then get a section (see Plot Array Settings for Plot Nodes), and by default its check box is selected, so that all plots in the plot group are included in the plot array.

From the list, choose (the default) or . By default, the size of the square array is the smallest square that the number of plots (which belong to the array) in the plot group would fit into. For example, with four plot subnodes, selecting yields a 2-by-2 array. With five plot subnodes, selecting yields a 3-by-3 array. For a linear plot array, choose an array axis (such as , , or in 3D) from the list. For a square plot array, instead choose an array plane (3D only), such as , from the list. You can also choose, from the list, if the ordering of the plots in a square plot array should be a row-major (the default) or column-major order. Choose (the default) to first fill the available rows, or choose to first fill the available columns. The order of the plots reflects the order of the plot nodes in the plot group, unless you have used a manual indexing for any of the plots. If you change the order, the plot array will reflect the new order when it is replotted.

From the list, choose (the default) to use a relative padding (see below)), or choose to enter absolute displacements in the field (SI unit: m), if the is set to , or the Row displacement and Column displacement fields (SI unit: m), if the is set to . The option can be useful with animations, to make sure that a position change between the frames does not occur.

If you have set list to , then from the list, choose (the default) or to control the padding between the plots in the plot array. The default relative padding length is 0.3 (that is, 30% of the plot size). For a linear array, enter the value in the field; for a square array, enter padding values in the and fields. The absolute padding length (SI unit: m) makes it possible to set a padding suitable to the overall absolute size of the plot array. For a linear array, enter the value in the field; for a square array, enter padding values in the and fields.

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Select the check box to enter a custom title (except for the window), which is then available in the list for all models. Click the button (

) to add a plot window to the list of available windows.