The Subset plot (example in Figure 3-34) is used to display subset relationships. The typical scientific database can be decomposed into many different subsets. Frequently a database is decomposed into material subsets or assembly subsets. The Subset plot draws the database with its various subsets color coded so they can be distinguished. For more information about subsets, see the S u b s e t t i n g chapter on page 163. For information on the Boundary or FilledBoundary plots, which are related to the Subset plot, refer back to page 45.
Subset plot 73
3.10.1 Changing colors
The main portion of theSubset plot attributes window, also known as theSubset colors area, is devoted to setting subset colors. TheSubset colors areacontains a list of subset names with an associated subset color. Subset plot colors can be assigned three different ways, the first of which uses a color table. A color table is a named palette of colors that you can customize to suite your needs. When the Subset plot uses a color table to color subsets, it selects colors that are evenly spaced through the color table based on the number of subsets. For example, if you have three subsets and you are coloring them using the “xray” color table, the Subset plot picks three colors out of the color table so your levels are colored black, gray, and white. To color a Subset plot with a color table, click on theColor table radio button and choose a color table from theColor table menu to right of theColor table radio button.
If you want all subsets to be the same color, click theSingleradio button at the top of the
Subset plot attributes windowand select a new color from thePopup color menu
that is activated by clicking on theSingle color button . The opacity slider next to the
Single color button sets the opacity for the single color.
74 Subset plot Clicking theMultiple radio button causes each subset to be a different, user-specified color. By default, multiple colors are set using the colors of the discrete color table that is active when the Subset plot is created. To change the color for any of the subsets, select one or more subsets from the list of subsets and click on theColor buttonto the right of theMultiple radio button and select a new color from thePopup color menu. To change the opacity for a subset, moveMultiple opacity slider to the left to make the subset more transparent or move the slider to the right to make the subset more opaque. TheSubset plot attributes windowcontains a list of subset names with an associated subset color. To change a subset’s color, select one or more subsets from the list, click the color button and select a new color from the popup color menu.
3.10.2 Opacity
The Subset plot’s opacity can be changed globally as well as on a per subset basis. To change subset opacity, first select one or more subsets in the subset list and move the opacity slider next to the color button. Moving the opacity slider to the left makes the selected subsets more transparent and moving the slider to the right makes the selected subsets more opaque. To change the entire plot’s opacity globally, use theOpacityslider near the bottom of the window.
3.10.3 Setting point properties
Albeit rare, the Subset plot can be used to plot points that belong to different subsets so the
Subset plot attributes window provides controls that allow you to set the
representation and size of the points. You can change the points’ representation using the
Point Type combo box. The available options are:Box,Axis,Icosahedron,Point, andSphere. To change the size of the points, you can enter a new floating point value into thePoint size text field. Finally, you can opt to scale the points’ glyphs using a scalar expression by turning on theScale point size by variable check box and by selecting a scalar variable from theVariable button to the right of that check box.
3.10.4 Wireframe mode
The Subset plot can be modified so that it only displays outer edges of subsets. This option usually leaves lines that give only the rough shape of subsets and where they join other subsets. To make the Subset plot display in wireframe mode, check theWireframecheck box near the bottom of theSubset plot attributes window.
3.10.5 Drawing internal surfaces
When you make one or more subsets transparent, you might want to make the Subset plot draw internal surfaces. Internal surfaces are normally removed from Subset plots to make them draw faster. To make the Subset plot draw internal surfaces, check theDraw
Surface plot 75
3.10.6 Geometry smoothing
Sometimes visualization operations such as material interface reconstruction can alter mesh surfaces so they are pointy or distorted. The Subset plot provides an optional Geometry smoothing option to smooth out the mesh surfaces so they look better when the plot is visualized. Geometry smoothing is not done by default, you must click theFastor
High radio buttons to enable it. TheFast geometry smoothing setting smooths out the geometry a little while theHigh setting works produces smoother surfaces.