# 📝 Output Settings

Control what data is generated during and after simulation runs, including which flow variables are saved, where they are saved, and how frequently they are written to files.

# 📋 Available Output Types

Output Type Description Use Case
Volume Output Flow field data throughout the computational volume Visualizing 3D flow structures, vortex development
Time Average Volume Output Time-averaged flow field data throughout the volume Statistical analysis of unsteady flows
Surface Output Flow field data on geometry or volume mesh boundaries Analyzing surface forces, pressure distributions
Time Average Surface Output Time-averaged flow field data on surfaces Statistical analysis of surface phenomena
Slice Output Flow field data on user-defined slice planes Examining flow cross-sections
Time Average Slice Output Time-averaged flow field data on slice planes Statistical analysis on planes
Probe Outputs Flow field data monitoring during simulation Tracking convergence and flow properties
Time Average Probe Outputs Time-averaged monitoring data Statistical monitoring data
Surface Probe Output Flow field data at specific points projected onto surfaces Point-specific surface data
Surface Slice Output Flow field data on slices of surfaces Cross-sectional analysis of surface phenomena
Isosurface Output Flow field data on surfaces of constant variable value Visualization of vortices, shock waves
Aeroacoustic Output Data for aeroacoustic analysis at observer positions Noise prediction and analysis

# 🔍 Common Settings

# Name

A descriptive name for the output.

  • Default: Dependent on output type
  • Example: "Main Wing Surface Output"

# Output Fields

The flow variables to include in the output.

# Frequency

How often to write output files (in number of time steps).

  • Default: -1 (output only at the end of simulation)
  • Example: 100 (output every 100 time steps)
  • Notes: Increase for animations, decrease for storage efficiency

# Frequency Offset

The time step at which to start writing output.

  • Default: 0 (start at beginning of simulation)
  • Example: 1000 (start after 1000 time steps)

# Output Format

The file format for output data.

  • Default: "paraview"
  • Example: "both" (both Paraview and Tecplot)
  • Notes: Options include "paraview", "tecplot", or "both"

💡 Tips
  • Be selective with Output Fields to manage file sizes
  • Use Time-Averaged outputs for statistical analysis of unsteady flows
  • For large meshes, consider using Slice or Surface outputs instead of Volume outputs
  • For better performance, limit output frequency to necessary intervals

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

  • How can I visualize vortices in my flow?

    Use Volume Output with Q-criterion field or create dedicated Isosurface Output of Q-criterion.

  • What's the difference between Surface Output and Surface Probe Output?

    Surface Output captures data across entire surfaces, while Surface Probe Output captures data at specific points on surfaces.

  • Can I save outputs in different formats?

    Yes, you can choose between Paraview (.vtu, .vtp), Tecplot (.szplt), or both formats.

# Output File Formats

Flow360 supports multiple output file formats:

  • Paraview (.vtu, .vtp) - For visualization in ParaView
  • Tecplot (.szplt) - For visualization in Tecplot
  • CSV - For tabular data

For more information about output file formats, see the Output Formats page.

# Detailed Settings

Each output type has specific configuration options. For detailed documentation on configuring each type of output, refer to the links in the table above.

← Output Fields and Nondimensional Values →