Adams Basic Package > Adams Post Processor > Building Plots > 4D Plotting via the Plot Configuration File

4D Plotting via the Plot Configuration File

4D Plots can be saved in a plot configuration file (.plt) like 2D XY plots. See Plot Configuration Files for more information.

Format

Examples illustrating the format of the plot configuration file content when exporting a 4D Plot are shown below.

Result Set Components vs Time across Fixed Values:

[PLOT4D_SURFACE]

NAME = 'surf3d_1'

PLOT4D = 'plot3d_1'

INTERP_COLORS = 'on'

STACKED = 'no'

X_DATA = 'Time'

Y_DATA = 'Fixed_Values'

FIXED_VALUES = '1.000000,2.000000,3.000000,4.000000'

Z_DATA = 'JOINT_1.FX,JOINT_1.FY,JOINT_1.TX,JOINT_1.TY'

COLOR_DATA = 'PART_2_XFORM.ACCX,PART_2_XFORM.ACCY,PART_2_XFORM.PHI,PART_2_XFORM.PSI'

Result Set Components vs Time across Analyses:

[PLOT4D_SURFACE]

NAME = 'surf3d_1'

PLOT4D = 'plot3d_2'

INTERP_COLORS = 'on'

STACKED = 'no'

X_DATA = 'Time'

Y_DATA = 'Analysis'

Z_DATA = 'JOINT_1.FX'

COLOR_DATA = 'JOINT_1.FY'

Importing .plt Files with 4D Plots

When importing a plot configuration file (.plt) containing 4D Plots, there a number of scenarios to consider with regards to the content of the originally created 4D Plots and the options on the .plt file import dialog, especially with regard to the number of analyses in each.

Number of Analyses Involved in Original Plot	One Analysis Provided During .plt Import		Multiple Analyses Provided During .plt Import
	X&Y (Fixed Values, Time) Z&Color (Result Set Component)	X&Y (Analyses, Time) Z&Color (Result Set Component)	X&Y (Fixed Values, Time) Z&Color (Result Set Component)	X&Y (Analyses, Time) Z&Color (Result Set Component)
1	4D plot will be created replacing original analysis used during creation with analysis specified during .plt import. If any of the result set components don't exist in the specified analysis, then this plot will be skipped.	N/A (this scenario requires minimum two analyses)	For each analysis specified upon import, separate 4D plots will be created by maintaining the original fixed value -to- result set component mapping with the imported analysis. If any of the result set components don't exist in any of the new analyses, then this analysis will be skipped and next analysis will be considered in plot generation. Cross-Plotting is not supported for 4D plots; so, individual 4D plots will be made for each analysis if this option is chosen.	N/A (this scenario requires minimum two analyses)
2 or more	All the original analyses will be replaced with the one specified upon .plt import and a warning will be issued.	This plot will be skipped and an error message will be issued.	4D plots composed of fixed values and multiple analyses cannot be recreated via .plt import. This plot will be skipped and an error issued.	4D plot will be created by replacing all original analyses with the chosen analyses in .plt import. If the result set component doesn't exist in any of the new analyses, such an analysis will be omitted from the plot and the plot will completed with the remaining analyses. If none of the new analyses contain the result set component, then an error message is issued, and this plot is skipped. Cross-Plotting is not supported for 4D plots; so, individual 4D plots will be made for each analysis if this option is chosen.