This module generates particles (random, uniform or in a ring structure) in a user specified subvolume or probe of a given vector lattice field. It advects all the particles until they are out of the data domain. The calculation will always stop when a pre-set maximum number of iterations has been reached, or when the particle has reached a stationary position (i.e. the particle has zero velocity).
Integration is done by using the Runge-Kutta solver nag_ode_ivp_rk from the NAG C Library, and utilises the 4(5) formula pair. The size of the integration step is determined by the routine. A relative tolerance error of 0.001 is used, with threshold values determined by the velocity lattice, such that the local errors in direction i will not be greater than 0.001 * max(s, t[i]), where s is the average magnitude of the velocity over the time step, and t[i] = 0.001 * the minimum value of all components in the velocity lattice in direction i. Lattices with all data types may be connected to the module; the integration is always done in double precision.
You may specify the time interval at which the particle positions are sampled; smaller time intervals will lead to smoother particle trajectories, at the cost of increased sizes of geometry passed to the Render module. The sample frequency has no effect on the integration itself.
Vector values are interpolated either by using linear or nearest neigbour interpolation methods. For more information on the interpolation methods used you are referred to the man pages on cxLookupCreate and cxLookupInterp.
This module generates a sequence of geometry outputs on its port. The timing of placing these outputs on the module's output port depends on the mode in which the module is run.
In `normal' operation, an internal timer ensures that the module is fired as often as is required to output the complete sequence pertinent to the current widget settings. The module can also be placed in a loop, with the "Firing Done" output port on the Render module connected to its "Fire" port. In this case the module MUST be made the loop controller of the ensuing loop, and the module will fire as often as is required, and as soon as new output arrives on its "Fire" port, indicating that previous output has been dealt with by the Render module.
Note: the main differences between this module and the ncsa particle advection module lie in the integration method employed, and the fact that lattices of all types may be used. The calculation of the particle trajectories is done in double precision.
Acknowledgement
Portions of this module were developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS GIVES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, FOR THE SOFTWARE AND/OR DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY AND WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Other portions of this module were developed by H. Chiba, IECJ, Japan.
Port: Velocity
Type: Lattice
Constraints: 3..-D.
3..-vector.
Lattice describing the velocity vector. The first 3 channels will be used to define the three-dimensional velocity.
Port: Scalar Lattice
Type: Lattice
Optional: This port is optional
Scalar lattice for coloring the particles.
Port: Color Map
Type: Lattice
Optional: This port is optional
Constraints: 1-D.
1..4-vector.
uniform.
Color map for coloring the particles.
Port: Mode
Type: Option Menu
Menu Item: Build
Menu Item: Run
When the module is in "Build" mode, you may set the various widgets, but no particle trajectories will be calculated for these settings. In "Run" mode particle trajectories are calculated and displayed for each widget change.
Port: X Low
Type: Slider
Minimum value of the first coordinate of the probe volume. If this value does not allow a minimum size probe inside the velocity lattice domain, then the value will be moved accordingly (see below).
Port: Y Low
Type: Slider
Minimum value of the second coordinate of the probe volume. If this value does not allow a minimum size probe inside the velocity lattice domain, then the value will be moved accordingly (see below).
Port: Z Low
Type: Slider
Minimum value of the third coordinate of the proble volume. If this value does not allow a minimum size probe inside the velocity lattice domain, then the value will be moved accordingly (see below).
Port: X Size
Type: Slider
Size of the probe volume in the first dimension. The size will be restricted such that the probe will not extend beyond the velocity lattice domain, while the minimum size is restricted to 0.01 of the velocity lattice domain in this directio.
Port: Y Size
Type: Slider
Size of the probe volume in the second dimension. The size will be restricted such that the probe will not extend beyond the velocity lattice domain, while the minimum size is restricted to 0.01 of the velocity lattice domain in this directio.
Port: Z Size
Type: Slider
Size of the probe volume in the third dimension. The size will be restricted such that the probe will not extend beyond the velocity lattice domain, while the minimum size is restricted to 0.01 of the velocity lattice domain in this direction.
Port: Number
Type: Slider
Number of particles in the probe.
Port: Radius
Type: Dial
Radius of the particles to be displayed.
Port: Complexity
Type: Dial
The complecity of the spheres used to display the particles determines the speed with which the particle trajectories are rendered. A complexity value of zero will give the fastest result.
Port: Distribution
Type: Option Menu
Menu Item: Random
Menu Item: Uniform
Menu Item: Ring YZ Plane
Menu Item: Ring XZ Plane
Menu Item: Ring XY Plane
The particles in the probe may be generated randomly, uniformly, or in a ring structure inside the probe.
Port: Interpolation Method
Type: Option Menu
Menu Item: Nearest Neighbour
Menu Item: Trilinear
Trilinear or nearest neighbour interpolation can be used to determine the velocity at an arbitrary point in the lattice.
Port: Sample Time
Type: Text
The time interval at which particle positions are sampled. These positions determine the particle trajectory that is to be displayed.
The particle trajectory is constructed using straight line segments between the sampled positions. As such a smaller sample time (greater sample frequency) will have the effect of smoothing the particle trajectory, at the same time increasing the size of the geometry passed to the Render module.
Port: Max Steps
Type: Text
The calculation of the particle trajectories will continue until a particle leaves the domain of the lattice, has reached a stationary position (i.e., the particle has zero velocity), or when a maximum number of iteration steps, Max Steps, has been used.
It is possible that a particle may never leave the domain of the lattice, for example when the lattice would describe circular motion. In such cases it is important to be able to stop the calculation by imposing a maximum number of steps on the integrator.
Port: Streak Type
Type: Option Menu
Menu Item: Paths
Menu Item: Spheres
Menu Item: Animate Paths
Menu Item: Animate Paths, Spheres
Menu Item: Paths, Spheres
Menu Item: All
The setting of the streak type widget determines how the particle trajectories will be displayed:
.nf Paths The particle trajectories are displayed in a single firing.
Spheres The particle positions at the sampled times are drawn one by one.
Animate Paths, Spheres The particle trajectories are built up step by step, and the particle positions at the sampled times are then drawn one by one.
Paths, Spheres The complete particle trajectories are drawn, and the particle positions at the sampled times are then indicated one by one.
All The complete particle trajectories are drawn. Then the trajectories are retraced step by step, and the particle positions at the sampled times are drawn one by one. .fi
Port: Line Width
Type: Slider
This widget determines the line width of the particle trajectories.
Port: Color Type
Type: Option Menu
Menu Item: Default
Menu Item: W_Vector
Menu Item: W_Scalar
Menu Item: W_Time
Menu Item: Vector
Menu Item: Scalar
Menu Item: Time
The spheres and particle trajectories may be colored according to a number of criteria:
.nf Default Spheres are drawn in white. Complete particle trajectories are drawn in blue. Particle trajectories that are drawn step by step are colored green.
W_Vector Spheres are drawn in white. Particle trajectories that are drawn step by step are colored according to the particle velocity at the beginning of the step.
W_Scalar Spheres are drawn in white. Particle trajectories that are drawn step by step are colored according to the scalar lattice.
W_Time Spheres are drawn in white. Particle trajectories that are drawn step by step are colored according to the the time step.
Vector Spheres and particle trajectories that are drawn step by step are colored according to the particle velocity at the beginning of the step.
Scalar Spheres and particle trajectories that are drawn step by step are colored according to the scalar lattice.
Time Spheres and particle trajectories that are drawn step by step are colored according to the time step. .fi
Port: Distance
Type: Slider
Specifies the distance (in sample intervals) between repeated sets of particles.
Port: Nrepeat
Type: Slider
Specifies the number of times that the particle trajectories and/or spheres are to be displayed.
Port: Repeat
Type: Option Menu
Menu Item: No
Menu Item: Yes
Particle trajectories and/or spheres are to be displayed repeatedly only if the "Repeat" widget specifies yes.
Port: Animate Step
Type: Slider
The number of animation steps.
Port: Particles
Type: Geometry
Geometry representing either the probe and initial position of the particles (build mode), or the probe and particle trajectories and/or spheres indicating the particle positions at the sampled times (run mode).
When curvilinear coordinates are used for the vector lattice, the trajectories may not always be displayed up to the lattice boundary, but may end inside the domain.
When curvilinear coordinates are used for the vector lattice, then it is possible that lattice boundaries occur inside the lattice volume. For example, this might be the case when cylindrical or toroidal volumes are modelled. In such cases it is not be possible to advect the particle through an "internal" boundary. If the probe position is near such an "internal" boundary, it may be possible to display more of the particle trajectory by moving the probe to the other side of the "internal" boundary.
As lattice coordinates are of type float rather than double, and the NAG C library requires double precision input, it may be that a problem gets classified as stiff, while in fact it is not. As the implemented ODE solver is inefficient for stiff problems, the calculation will be terminated at this point.