How to Animate FEA, CFD, Transient Analysis Results

Numerical simulations of engineering and physical effects such as FEA post-processors, can be represented as static or animated 3D PDF document pages. This is a quick guide showing how to process this type of FEA model.

Preparing VRML files

  1. Pre-filter your VRML file sequence using one of the python filters provided in samples/filters. These remove extra scene content and make syntax corrections enabling correct PDF conversion.

Loading File Collection, Input/Output Tab

  1. User File-Open menu, or select Add File, multi-select or drag and drop file sequence of *.wrl files.
  2. Set your suitable output directory, where you have write-access, and name your desired output PDF file.
  3. Optionally select a template PDF style

Conversion Tab

  1. Best results may be obtained with PRC-HCT compression type
  2. Set PRC tolerance 0.00001, to reduce depth numerical truncation which may become visible as surface uneveness.

Scene Axes Tab

  1. Optionally Enable X, Y, Z, Scalebar options for scene ruler.

Animation Tab

  1. Enable Sequence Animation so that result will immediately start playing with controls visible on page.

Save Session

  1. Save your session file frequently, so if conversion fails, takes too long, or runs out of memory, all your previous settings may be recovered and adjusted.

Convert, Open in Adobe Reader

  1. Convert to start loading each file in the sequence and assembling the animated PDF.