AM Calculator: Plot Renderer Settings

Use the Add quantity or Add function and Remove quantity or Remove function buttons to add additional setting groups that include all of the available settings. Click the checkbox next to these buttons to enable or disable any particular settings group.

These buttons are available on the Batch or Grid tabs after running either a Batch or Grid calculation, respectively.

Use the Show Table or Hide Table buttons to view the simulation data and using the table you can fine tune the plot. Also see Visualizing Batch Calculations in the AM Module for more information about the columns in the table.

This option is available on the Plot Renderer Configuration window for the following tabs (and the associated plots that are available for each): 3D Plot, Grid, Batch, or Heat Source Calibration. The button is available after the simulation is run.

Click Export Result Files to export the files and visualize the results in external software. The result file(s) in Exodus format (*.e) and the json file info .json are copied to the folder selected. The json info file contains the settings and results from each data point. You can open the json info file in a text reader (i.e. Notepad) to review it before using the Exodus file in the external software.

When exporting from the Grid, Batch, and Heat Source Calibration tabs, the results are saved in separate subfolders, each containing the .e and .json files. The Exodus file format is used for finite element analysis.

The folders containing the sets of results files are exported in random order. To match the folder to the original datapoint, open the json file in a text editor. In this file there is a number field that matches the row (experiment) number in the table found on the Plot Renderer Configuration window for the applicable tab (click Show Table). You can use this to match the folder contents back to the datapoint as needed.

In the Export Result Files window, in the Folder Name field, navigate to the location or enter a file path to where you want to save the files. Create a new folder as needed. Click Save. The individual exported files in each folder are named info.json and result.e and can be used in external software. When there are multiple subfolders (i.e. for Grid, Batch and Heat Source Calibration) the number of folders exported is the same as the number of rows of data selected to be used. If the Use checkbox is not selected, the result folder (and files) for that data point is not exported. Click the Show Table button to review the rows of data and choose to include or exclude data points from the Use column.

This option is available when Use separate material properties for powder is selected on the AM Calculator.

Select Filter by material types to visualize specific material types from the list.

Enter a Layer thickness in μm. The printed layer thickness is equal to the powder thickness first after multiple layers have been printed. For a single track, or a few layers, the printed layer is often much less than the powder thickness.

Click the Table View button to toggle it ON and OFF between a plot and a table.

AM Plots: Table View Options

Once a Transient simulation plot is calculated, the Time step results are listed in a drop-down list. You can choose to look at a specific time point, or click the buttons to the right of the drop-down to navigate the time steps. Hover over the buttons to see the tooltips or see Time Step Navigation Buttons.

This is available for Transient simulations.

Select the Rescale plotting data range over all time steps checkbox to scale min and max values of legends and plots over all time steps.

Set the state variable you want plotted along the X-axis and the Y-axis. The available variables in the list are based on how your system is set up and options vary.

Choose an Axis variable and an applicable unit (indicated in the brackets) from each of the drop-down lists.

• Temperature (Kelvin, Celsius, or Fahrenheit)
• Surface tension (Joule per m² or Millijoule per m²)
• Thermal conductivity (unitless)
• Available when the Fluid flow including Marangoni effect checkbox is selected:
  • Dynamic viscosity (Pascal-second, milliPascal-second, Poise, or centiPoise)
  • Flow velocity field (m/s, mm/s, μm/s, or nm/s)
  • Solidification rate (m/s, mm/s, μm/s, or nm/s)
• Thermal gradient (Kelvin per m)

Based on the Axis variable selected, choose the way to Display it.

• For Temperature, Surface tension, Thermal conductivity, or Dynamic viscosity, choose Surface colormap, Contour, or Iso-surface. For Surface colormap and Contour, you can also click to select the Slice checkbox.
• For Flow velocity field, choose the object shape to display velocity vectors: Arrow, 2D glyph, Cone, or Line.

The settings are further described below.

Available for display type Contour.

The Tubes checkbox is selected by default and this displays contour plots as 3D tubes. Click to clear the checkbox and instead display the contours as 2D lines.

Available for display types Contour and Iso-surface. For Iso-surface you can also specify the opacity of surface plot in %.

Choose the Values: Automatic (the default), Custom values, Custom range, Solidus, Liquidus, or Solidus and Liquidus.

• For Automatic, enter the Number of steps.
• For Custom values enter a number in the field.
• For Custom range enter the Min and Max number of lines, then Number of steps.
• Select Solidus to plot contour/iso-surface at solidus temperature.
• Select Liquidus and Solidus and Liquidus to plot contour/iso-surface at both solidus and liquidus temperatures.

Some settings are further described in separate sections below.

Available for Contour and Iso-surface Display types, and when Automatic or Custom range Values are selected.

Enter or choose the Number of steps.

In some cases for a Custom range selection, you need to expand the Configuration window to the right to access this setting.

Available for Surface colormap and Iso-surface (available for all Values options).

Enter a value between 0-100 as the percent (%) of Opacity.

This is available for display types Surface colormap or Contour.

Select the Slice checkbox to visualize the Axis variable on a cross-sectional plane. You can choose the normal of the cross-sectional plane and the distance of the plane from the center of the heat source.

Then choose X-direction, Y-direction, or Z-direction, for the Distance from center of heat source and for the beam radius.

Choose Rainbow, Cool to warm, Purple Orange, Green Purple, Blue Brown, Green Red, Solid color.

For all but Solid color, choose a Range—Automatic or Custom. Then for Custom enter a Min and Max number.

Click the Legend checkbox to include or click to clear to exclude a legend.

This setting is for a Flow velocity field Axis variable. It is available for all Display types.

Select the Scale glyph by velocity magnitude checkbox to scale the velocity display object (glyph) according to the velocity magnitude. Otherwise the glyphs are scaled uniformly.

This setting is for a Flow velocity field Axis variable.

Enter a numerical value for the Glyph scale factor.

This setting is for a Flow velocity field Axis variable.

For the Show glyph in every setting, enter or select the number of grid points where velocity glyphs are displayed.

Available with 2D plot types, such as Probe or Plot Over Line. It is a dynamic list that updates the plot in the Visualizations window after the 2D plot is performed.

Select the different options to better visualize the transition temperature results. From the Show transition temperatures list, choose Solidus, Liquidus, Evaporation, Solidus, Liquidus, Evaporation, Custom, or None. For Custom, also enter a specific temperature value in the field. Then observe the changes on the plot, where the legend updates and the lines for each option are added or removed based on the selection.

This is available on the 3D Plot and Plot Over Line tabs after running a Grid Calculation Type.

The data in the Grid data list shows all the power and scan speed combinations and it is sorted in order of energy density.

The following is on the Grid tab after a Grid calculation.

Use the Show Table or Hide Table buttons to view the simulation data and using the table you can fine tune the plot. The table includes these columns:

• The Power (W) and Speed (mm/s) columns are the from what was entered under Grid Definitions, on the AM Calculator i.e. the Min, Max, and Number of steps.
• The P/v (J/mm) column is the automatically calculated energy density, defined as the ratio of power and scanning speed.
• The calculated width and depth points, with the prefix Sim., i.e. Sim.width (μm) and Sim.depth (μm), to indicate it is the result of the simulation.
• The Use column has a checkbox available to include or exclude these points on the plots. When a Use checkbox is not selected, the results are also not included if you choose to export the result files. See Export Result Files.

Plot Renderer → 3D Plot, Plot Over Line, and Thermal Gradient vs Solidification Rate tabs after running a Batch Calculation Type.

The data in the Batch Experiments list shows all the power and scan speed combinations and it is sorted in order of energy density.

You may have already included or excluded data points earlier when previewing the data. Use the Show Table or Hide Table buttons to view the included or excluded data and continue to fine tune the plot.

On the Batch tab the table includes these columns:

• The original experiment data for Power (W) and Speed (mm/s), plus the P/v (J/mm).
• The original experiment data for Width and Depth, now with a prefix Exp. e.g. Exp.width (μm), to indicate this is the experimental data.
• The calculated Width and Depth points, with the prefix Sim., e.g. Sim.width (μm), to indicate it is the result of the simulation.

  Only the experiment data points selected for inclusion when setting up the AM Calculator have data in these two Sim. columns.

• The Use column has a checkbox available to continue to include or exclude those points on the plots. When a checkbox is not selected, the results are also not included if you choose to export the result files.

  Only points that were originally included in the simulation can be selected or deselected from the Use column. If an experiment data point needs to be added, return to the AM Calculator, choose the point (s) to include there, and run the simulation again. Once the simulation is complete, the points are included in this table.

Click the Plot width and Plot depth checkboxes to toggle between displaying these points on the associated tab on the Visualizations window for the plot.

Select the Show limits checkbox to include additional visual cues on the plot. Choose RMS, Absolute, or Relative in %. For Absolute or Relative in % enter a number in the field. The plot dynamically updates as you toggle between these options.

Click the Plot width and Plot depth checkboxes to toggle between displaying these points on the associated tab on the Visualizations window for the plot.

Select or deselect the Show result points checkbox to toggle these on and off on the Visualizations window. The plot updates dynamically.

Enter a Hatch distance in μm.

Printability maps with varied power and scanning speeds can be simulated showing regions where the defects keyholing porosity, lack of fusion, and balling occur. The defect regions are defined by functions of the keyhole dimension (Wk, Dk), melt pool dimensions (W, D, L), hatch distance (h), and powder thickness (t). Use the plus and minus buttons to add and remove sections to define each Function.

From the list select one of the following for each section added then for each choose All, <= (less than or equal to), or >= (greater than or equal to) and enter a number in the field associated field. On the Visualizations window, there are numbered labels to indicate experiments with defects, in red , or without defects, in green.

• Keyholing: W/D
• Keyholing: Wk/Dk
• Balling: W/L
• Balling: D/L
• Lack of fusion: D/t
• Lack of fusion hatch: Dh/t
• Meltpool width: W
• Meltpool depth: D
• Meltpool length: L
• Keyhole width: Wk
• Keyhole depth: Dk
• Meltpool depth at hatch: Dh
• Custom. Then enter a Name in the field.

Click the Areaplot checkbox to toggle between including the colored sections on the plot.

Click the Isolines checkbox to include or exclude isolines.

Choose Automatic, Custom, or Custom values.

• For Automatic, enter the Number of steps.
• For Custom, enter the distance between lines i.e. 1.0 1.25 1.5.
• For Custom values, enter a Min, Max, and Number of steps.

Plot Renderer → 3D Plot and Plot Over Line tabs after running a Heat Source Calibration Calculation Type.

The data in the Heat Source Calibration Experiments list shows all the power and scan speed combinations and it is sorted in order of energy density.

Click the Show Table or Hide Table buttons to view or hide the experimental and simulation data. To fine-tune the choice of data points, click the checkbox for the Use column for each row (experiment #) to observe the dynamic changes on the Heat Source Calibration Parameters and/or Melt Pool Dimensions tabs on the Visualizations window.

Experiment data and other settings must be configured for this to be available. The data points available in the table are selected on the AM Calculator under Experiment Data and then you can include or exclude points by selecting or deselecting the relevant checkboxes in the Use column.

On the Heat Source Calibration tab (Plot Renderer) the table includes these columns:

• The original experiment data for Power (W) and Speed (mm/s), plus the energy density P/v (J/mm).
• The original experiment data for Width and Depth, now with a prefix Exp. to indicate this is the experimental data, e.g. Exp. width (μm).
• The calculated Width and Depth points, with the prefix Sim. to indicate it is the result of the simulation, , e.g. Sim. width (μm).

  Only the experiment data points selected for inclusion when setting up the AM Calculator have data in these two Sim. columns.

• The Use column has a checkbox available to include or exclude those points on the Heat Source Calibration Parameters and Melt Pool Dimensions tabs on the Visualizations window. Furthermore, if a simulation is not used in a fit, the results from that simulation are not included to generate functions for Heat Source Calibration parameters.

Only points that were originally included in the simulation can be selected or deselected from the Use column. If an experiment data point needs to be added, return to the AM Calculator, choose the point (s) to include there, and run the simulation again. Once the simulation is complete, the points are included in this table.

The heat source parameters available to plot for each Heat Source type (i.e. Gaussian, Double ellipsoidal, or Conical) selected on the AM Calculator:

• Gaussian: Beam radius. Then based on the Absorptivity setting—Calculated (prefactor calibrated) or Constant (calibrated)—also Absorptivity prefactor plus additional options.
• Double ellipsoidal: Absorptivity, ar, af, b, and c
• Conical: Absorptivity, re, ri, and H.

There is more information about using these parameters in AM Calculator Heat Source Settings.

For all heat source parameters, you can also choose to select:

• A Constant function value i.e. the average value from all experiments or a function of energy density, which could also be a Linear function, Cubic function, or a Sigmoid function.
• A 2d cubic function P and v of Power (P) and Scanning speed (v).
• For extrapolating outside the range of energy density as given from the experimental data, select a Constant value, Extrapolate linear, or choose Extrapolate for extrapolation using the same function as chosen for interpolation.
• Set the range of energy density to interpolate the heat source parameters by entering the appropriate values in the Below P/v and Above P/v fields.

There are R2 values (the coefficient of determination) included that say how well the selected function fits the data. R2 ranges from zero to one, where 1 is a perfect match. E.g. A linear function between two points.

Once all the parameter adjustments are made, you can also retain this information for future reuse (click Save As or Save). You can also Rename or Delete these from the list as needed.

The name of the file defaults to using the Heat Source type + the material type. For example, Double ellipsoidal - 316L, or Gaussian - 316L.