Graphical Data View Facility

Click the Data view icon on the toolbar to open the Graph Parameters screen.

First click the selection button for either a two-dimensional or three-dimensional graph. Then click the Channel 1 button to select the data you wish to view. This also includes selecting data for two- or three-dimensional graphs. A Special graph type is available for results of the Ultimate Load Cases calculation.

If required, make any changes to the format of the graph on the Graph Parameters screen. Then click the View Graph button to display the graph. The graph can then be printed if desired, using the Print button, or saved to a metafile or bitmap using the Save button. The metafile can then be inserted into a report. Alternatively, copy the graph to the clipboard using the Copy Metafile or Copy Bitmap button. Graphs default to a maximum of 6000 data points; the Preferences menu may be used to increase this limit if necessary.

The selected graph data may also be tabulated by clicking the Tabulated Data button. Select whether to view the tabulated data on screen or send it to an ASCII file, a WORD document or an EXCEL spreadsheet.

Click Stats to tabulate the mean, minimum, maximum and standard deviation of the selected datasets.

Graphs of Several Variables

In the case of two-dimensional graphs, it is possible to plot up to six datasets on one graph. Simply click additional channel selection buttons to define the data required. Click the Clear buttons to remove unwanted channels. Any channel may also be disabled temporarily by means of the check-box on the right hand side.

Graph Styles

Two-dimensional graphs may be displayed as line graphs, points or bar charts by clicking the appropriate Style button on the Graph Parameters screen. In the same way, three-dimensional graphs may be displayed as surface plots or column plots.

Grids and Logarithmic Axes

Use the check-boxes on the Graph Parameters screen to specify whether or not to add X and Y grids to the graph, and whether or not to plot on logarithmic axes in the X and/or Y directions. Logarithmic axes are only available on two-dimensional graphs.

The Darker grids option may be useful for printing the graph to some black and white printers. The feint grid lines may not always appear, depending on the printer driver.

Units

A units selection box to the right of each channel allows a choice of units for the variable being plotted, where appropriate. Two selection boxes are available for the case of cross-spectra and transfer functions with composite units.

Selection boxes in the lower part of the Graph Parameters screen give a choice of units for the X‑axis where appropriate, and for the Z‑axis in the case of three-dimensional graphs.

Axis Limits

The default axis limits shown in the lower part of the Graph Parameters screen may be changed if desired, to alter the limits on the X and Y axes, and also on the Z axis in the case of three-dimensional graphs. The default tick interval may also be changed.

Clicking on an entry with the Shift button depressed will freeze it so that it will no longer be updated automatically as channel selections and units are changed. A second shift-click will unfreeze the entry, so that it will be automatically updated.

Graph Titles

The default axis labels (X, Y and Z if appropriate) and graph titles (top and bottom) may be edited in the lower part of the Graph Parameters screen. Use a tilde (~) to start a new line in the graph title.

Graph Legends and Line Styles

For two-dimensional graphs, a legend may be added. This is useful for plots showing more than one dataset, as it allows the different datasets to be identified. Click Legends and styles to edit the default legend captions and to specify where the legend is to appear on the graph. One of five line thicknesses may be selected for each line of the graph.

If the default legend captions are too long, use the Legends and styles tab on the Graph Parameters screen to customise them.

Clicking on a legend entry with the Shift button depressed will freeze it so that it will no longer be updated automatically as channel selections and units are changed. A second shift-click will unfreeze the entry, so that it will be automatically updated.

Cross-Plots

Two dimensional graphs can be presented as cross plots if two or more channels with compatible independent variables have been selected. Use the X-axis selector to define which channel is to be plotted along the X axis. The other channels will then be plotted against this one.

Tabular Output of Results

Click the Tabulate button on the Graph Parameters screen to tabulate the current graph data. A dialogue box allows you to select the format:

Screen: the data can be viewed on the screen.
ASCII: to save the table as tab-delimited ASCII text.
Excel: to save the table as a Microsoft Excel workbook (Microsoft Excel must be installed)
Word: (the default) to save the table in a Microsoft Word document (Microsoft Word must be installed).

When viewed on the screen, the data may also be copied into the clipboard for transfer to another application. This is sometimes quicker than sending the table directly to EXCEL. For a large table, it is sometimes faster to send it to an ASCII file first and then read the file into EXCEL.

Refreshing graphs

Click Refresh Data to re-read any plot data which has changed since it was last read in, for example in the case of a plot of results from a simulation which is still in progress, or if a calculation has been repeated, overwriting the old results. Any channel can be forcibly re-read using the Data pull-down menu.

Select the Auto-refresh graph every... option to re-read the graph data at the specified time intervals. This is useful for a graph to update itself automatically as a simulation progresses. If the interval is set to zero, the graph will not update, the View button will now use the same graph window each time it is pressed rather that opening a new window each time.

From the pull-down menu, use Data > Change runs to read new graph data from one or more different runs, for the same variables.

Graph Configurations

The File pull-down menu allows you to save and load Graph Configurations (.bgc files) which contain all the necessary details to re-create a graph (the graph size, the channel definitions, styles, and also axis limits and graph annotation whether fixed or automatic). When loading a configuration, a prompt allows the run(s) and variable(s) to be changed. This provides a useful and flexible way of storing and re-using a particular graph configuration for different sets of results.

Multiple Plotting and Tabulation

Click the Multiple Plots button to bring up the Multiple Plotting screen. This feature allows a graph configuration file to be used as a template for a graph or table, with the variable in the graph or table being replaced from lists of variables and runs. Clicking the Start button will start the series of plots in the order specified by the sequence control.The graphs and tables may be viewed on screen and/or sent directly to a report.

Graph Configurations Setup

Add one or more graph configurations to the list, specifying whether any of the runs and/or variables defined in the graph configuration are to be replaced from the lists below.

Replacing variables

If any variables in the graph configuration(s) are to be replaced, they will be replaced by each item in the Variables list in turn. Add any desired variables to the list, or use Add Set to process complete sets of a specific type of graph or table. Clicking on the Add Set button will bring up a choice of the type of set required. All the data in a particular run that is part of the specified set will then be processed. The following sets are available:

Ultimate Loads (histogram output)
Rainflow Cycle Exceedance
Rainflow Cycle By Range
Lifetime Weighted Equivalent Loads

Replacing runs

If any runs in the graph configuration(s) are to be replaced, they will be replaced by each item in the Runs list in turn. Add any desired runs to the list; click Add Many to add all the runs in a directory or a directory tree.

Sequence Control

The sequence control allows the user to specify the order in which the plots or tables will be generated.

Tabulation of Ultimate Loads

Select the Tabulation of Ultimate Loads to tabulate the Ultimate Loads from each of the ultimate loads calculations specified in the Runs list. There is no graphical output available in this case.

Output

Use the options in the Output Requirements to specify what type of output is required, and where it should be sent. Graphs can be displayed on screen, stored as metafiles, and sent to a WORD document. Tabulated data and statistical data can also be sent to a WORD document or to an ASCII text file. If an output file is specified which already exists, data will be appended to the end of the file.

Last updated 15-11-2024

Table of Contents