User manual — FieldView (FieldView.exe)

Program: Tamic Rt Output Field Viewer (internal project name FldView, the executable FieldView.exe, version 4.1). The program's interface is in English — the manual gives the English item names as in the program, with an explanation next to them. The captions on the screenshots are in Russian.

1. Purpose of the program

FieldView is the field-distribution viewer of the TMC Suite package. The compute kernels PlanarRT_H and PlanarRT_X save "maps" of the field in the computation area during the electrodynamic computation, and FieldView draws these maps as two-dimensional color pictures or three-dimensional surfaces (using OpenGL).

In simple terms: the kernel computed how the field is distributed over the plane of the model and wrote it to a file; FieldView opens such a file and shows it as a picture — where the field is stronger, where weaker, how it is organized inside a horn, a lens, a resonator, etc.

The program can show three independent "layers" of the same area, each with its own color and rendering settings:

This is an MDI program: several field files can be opened in one window and compared (the Window menu).

2. Launching the program and opening data

1. Launch the file FieldView.exe (folder dist/win32/bin/ or dist/win64/bin/). The main window opens.
2. Open a field file: menu File → Open… (or the button on the toolbar, or Ctrl+O).
3. In the file-selection dialog choose a file of one of the supported types — .tf, .AMP or .FAZ (for example, samples/SAMPLE_R/1/quasi0.AMP). Details on the formats are in section 8.
4. After opening, the file name appears in the window title: Tamic Rt Output Field Viewer - [quasi0.AMP].
5. The field is drawn in the work area. If the image is not visible — check whether the Field layer is enabled (buttons 22–23 on the toolbar or menu View → Field) and press View → Default (Ctrl+D) to restore the standard scale and position.

You can launch the program with a file at once: drag the .AMP/.FAZ/.tf onto the program icon or pass the path as a command-line argument: FieldView.exe "path\to\file.AMP".

3. The main window

The main window consists of five zones (shown with numbers in the figure in section 1):

About the rendering-area screenshots. Some of the overview pictures in this manual were made in an environment where the contents of the OpenGL window are not captured by a screenshot, so the rendering area (zone 4) looks black in them. On a real computer a color field picture is displayed here (examples of a "live" result — main-window-field.png, field-3d.png, eps-layer.png).

4. The toolbar

The toolbar duplicates the most useful commands. The buttons from left to right are numbered 1–35 and grouped (the groups are separated by vertical gaps):

#	Button	Command	Shortcut	What it does
1		File → Open	Ctrl+O	Open a field file (.tf/.AMP/.FAZ/.ex).
2		Zoom +	+	Zoom in (both axes).
3		Zoom +X	X	Zoom in only on the X axis.
4		Zoom +Y	Y	Zoom in only on the Y axis.
5		Zoom −	−	Zoom out (both axes).
6		Zoom −X	Shift+X	Zoom out on the X axis.
7		Zoom −Y	Shift+Y	Zoom out on the Y axis.
8		Topology → Line	Shift+L	Topology layer: draw with lines (wireframe).
9		Topology → Surface	Shift+S	Topology layer: draw as a filled surface.
10		Topology → Dimension 2/3	Shift+D	Switch the topology between 2D and 3D.
11		Boundary → Eps	E	Highlight the dielectric (ε) boundaries.
12		Boundary → Metal	M	Highlight the metal boundaries.
13		Boundary → Magnetic	N	Highlight the magnetic-wall boundaries.
14		Boundary → Absorber	A	Highlight the absorber boundaries.
15		Boundary → Input	I	Highlight the input (port) boundaries.
16		Topology → Dimensions → Block	K	Show block dimensions/numbering.
17		Topology → Dimensions → Link_List	Alt+K	Show dimensions by the link list (Link List).
18		Eps → Line	Alt+L	ε layer: draw with lines.
19		Eps → Surface	Alt+S	ε layer: draw as a filled surface.
20		Eps → Dimension 2/3	Alt+D	Switch ε between 2D and 3D.
21		Eps → Size	Alt+J	Auto-size the ε layer along the Z axis (height).
22		View → Eps → Type → Eps+	—	Quantity mode: show the permittivity ε (the normal mode, always available).
23		View → Eps → Type → N	—	Plasma (X-mode): show the electron concentration N. Available only if the data contains plasma (RECT_STAT_N blocks).
24		View → Eps → Type → B	—	Plasma (X-mode): show the external magnetic field B (magnetization). Available if there are RECT_STAT_B blocks.
25		View → Eps → Type → Y	—	Plasma (X-mode): show the losses Y. Available if there are RECT_STAT_Y blocks.
26		Field → Line	L	Field layer: draw with lines.
27		Field → Surface	S	Field layer: draw as a filled surface.
28		Field → Dimension 2/3	D	Switch the field between 2D and 3D.
29		Size → along an X axies	Ctrl+J	Show the dimension grid along the X axis.
30		Size → along an Y axies	Shift+J	Show the dimension grid along the Y axis.
31		Field → Size	J	Auto-size the field layer along the Z axis (relief height).
32		View → Proportionally	P	Toggle proportional scaling of the X and Y axes.
33		View → Default	Ctrl+D	Reset the view to the standard parameters.
34		File → Print	Ctrl+P	Print the current image.
35		Help → About	—	About the program (version).

Buttons 22–25 (EPS · N · B · Y) are new. This is a switch of the displayed quantity for plasma computations (X-mode, tmc_rtx): E (yellow) — the permittivity ε; N (red) — the electron concentration; B (blue) — the magnetization magnetic field; Y (green) — the losses. The N, B, Y buttons are active (colored) only when the open field contains the corresponding plasma; otherwise they are gray (inactive). Details in section 5.3.2.1.

Tip: hovering the cursor over a button in the program shows its English name as a tooltip, and a short description appears in the status bar.

A clean view of the toolbar without numbering:

5. The menus

5.1. File

5.2. Edit

In this version the Edit menu is not used: the program only views the data, it does not edit it.

5.3. View

The main display-control menu. It contains the parameters-window command, three layer submenus (Topology / Eps / Field), the view-control submenus (Zoom / Rotate / Translate), and toggles.

5.3.1. View → Topology (the topology layer)

5.3.1.1. Topology → Size — the dimension grid:

• along an X axies (Ctrl+J) — put dimensions along the X axis;
• along an Y axies (Shift+J) — put dimensions along the Y axis.

5.3.1.2. Topology → Dimensions — showing element dimensions:

• Block (K) — block dimensions/numbering;
• Link_List (Alt+K) — dimensions by the link list (Link List).

5.3.1.3. Topology → Boundary — highlighting material boundaries (a check mark = the layer is on):

• Eps (E) — dielectric boundaries;
• Metal (M) — metal boundaries;
• Magnetic (N) — magnetic-wall boundaries;
• Absorber (A) — absorber boundaries;
• Input (I) — input (excitation port) boundaries.

5.3.2. View → Eps (the dielectric layer)

5.3.2.1. View → Eps → Type — the displayed quantity (X-mode plasma)

The Type submenu (and the new toolbar buttons 22–25) choose which physical quantity to draw in the "Eps" layer for plasma computations in the X-mode (the tmc_rtx kernel):

Menu item	Button	Quantity	When available
Eps+	— E, yellow	Permittivity ε (the normal mode)	Always
N	— N, red	Plasma electron concentration N, m⁻³	Only if the field has RECT_STAT_N blocks
B	— B, blue	External magnetization magnetic field B, T	Only if there are RECT_STAT_B blocks
Y	— Y, green	Plasma losses Y	Only if there are RECT_STAT_Y blocks

How to use it. Open a field computed by the X kernel with plasma (a .ex/.tf file next to the topology .tt, where the RECT_STAT_N/_B/_Y blocks are set), then press the desired button (or menu item). The "Eps" layer switches from the ordinary ε to the chosen quantity. If there is no plasma in the data, the N/B/Y buttons are gray (inactive) — only Eps+ is available. The chosen mode is remembered between runs.

The N, B, Y quantities correspond to the RECT_STAT_N blocks (electron concentration, m⁻³), RECT_STAT_B (magnetization magnetic field, T) and RECT_STAT_Y (losses) in the .tpl task template — see the PlanarRT_X kernel manual.

5.3.3. View → Field (the field layer)

5.3.4. View → Zoom

5.3.5. View → Rotate (rotation, for 3D)

5.3.6. View → Translate (scene shift)

5.3.7. View → Change Xmax,Xmin and Change Ymax,Ymin (data-window shift)

They shift the visible data range (not the scale, but "scrolling" along the coordinate).

5.4. Window

5.5. Help

6. Dialog windows

6.1. Parameters (view parameters)

Invoked via View → Parameters (Alt+P). This is a window with four tabs — Place, Topology, Eps, Field — where all the display settings are collected. At the bottom are the OK (apply and close), Cancel, and Apply buttons.

The Place tab — axes and general view:

• X axies / Y axies — settings for the X and Y axes:
• Auto size — automatically fit the boundaries (a check mark); when unchecked, you can set min and max manually;
• angl — the tilt angle of the axis (for 3D);
• trans — the shift along the axis;
• Draw size flag — draw the dimension scale along this axis.
• Axies → Draw — draw the coordinate axes.
• Text → Color / Font — the color and font of the axis labels (a color sample is shown as a square).
• Long Unit / Time Unit — the length and time units read from the file (for example, mm, ns) — read-only.
• Proportionally — keep the same scale for the X and Y axes.

The Topology tab — the topology layer:

• Draw flags — which boundaries to highlight: Eps, Metal, Magnetic, Absorber, Input; next to each is a color sample and a Change button (change the color); the Default button restores the default colors.
• Size — show dimensions: Block (blocks), Link List (the link list).
• Draw — Line (wireframe) and/or Surface (fill).
• Dimention — 2D or 3D.
• Blend — the transparency degree of the layer (0–100).

The Eps tab — the permittivity layer:

• Draw flags — Surface and/or Line.
• Color — the color scale (gradient) used to color ε.
• Blend — the layer transparency.
• Dimention — 2D / 3D.
• Z axies — the height range: Auto size (auto) or min/max manually; Draw size flag — the Z scale.
• Set color — open the color-levels editor (section 6.3).
• Default — reset the layer settings.

The Field tab — the field layer:

The contents are the same as the Eps tab, plus:

• 256 Resolution — use 256 color levels (a smoother picture instead of 20/40 levels).
• Draw Modul — show the magnitude of the field (rather than the signed value).

6.2. (reserved)

6.3. Auto color (the color-levels editor)

Invoked with the Set color button on the Field/Eps tabs of the Parameters window (or View → Field → Level, Alt+E). It lets you manually set the color of each of the coloring levels.

• Level 1 … Level 40 — the list of levels (in two columns of 20); next to each is a color sample of the level; the selected level is marked with a radio button.
• Change — change the color of the selected level (opens the standard Windows color selector).
• Auto set — automatically build a smooth color scale.
• Auto set Red / Green / Blue — build a scale in shades of red / green / blue.
• OK — apply; Cancel — cancel.

There is also a simplified "Value for color level" window (it shows the numeric values corresponding to the color levels) — it opens from the View → Field → Value mode.

6.4. About

Invoked via Help → About FldView… or the button.

Shows: the name Tamic Rt Output Field Viewer, version 4.1, the purpose for draw field, the copyright Tamic_soft group (2004) and the address www.tamic.ru.

At the bottom of the window there is a blue "Open user manual" hyperlink — clicking it opens this manual in the default program. The OK button closes the window.

7. Controlling the view with the mouse and keyboard

• Scale — the + / − keys (and X/Y, Shift+X/Shift+Y for a single axis), or buttons 2–7.
• Scrolling the area (shifting the visible data window) — the arrows ←/→ (along X) and ^/V (along Y).
• Rotating the 3D scene — Ctrl + NumLock digits (the Rotate menu).
• Shifting the 3D scene / zooming — Alt + NumLock digits (the Translate menu).
• Resetting the view — Ctrl+D (Default) — if you "lost" the picture, press this combination.
• Axis proportions — P (Proportionally) — so that a circle does not look like an ellipse.

8. Input data: the field files .tf, .AMP, .FAZ

8.1. Which files the program opens

FieldView opens field-distribution files of three extensions (the filter in the open dialog is FldVie Files (*.tf;*.AMP;*.FAZ;)):

All three files have the same internal format (only the meaning of the values differs) and are created by the kernel with the FIELD_DISTRIBUTION_M command in the #OUTPUT section of the .tpl template file (see the PlanarRT_H manual, section 7). The user does not write these files by hand — they are obtained as the result of a computation.

8.2. The internal file format

The file consists of a text header (11 lines, ASCII encoding, line break CR LF) and a binary array of field values.

An example header (from samples/SAMPLE_R/1/quasi0.AMP):

#TMC_GraphicsOutputFieldFile FormVer2.0 2000
#TMCGROFLD_nT 5653
#TMCGROFLD_Time 8.00008e-009
#TMCGROFLD_Delta 0.0006
#TMCGROFLD_Xmin 0
#TMCGROFLD_Ymin 0
#TMCGROFLD_Accuracy 8
#TMCGROFLD_LongUnit mm 0.001
#TMCGROFLD_TimeUnit ns 1e-009
#TMCGROFLD_nX 688
#TMCGROFLD_nY 502

The purpose of the header lines:

After the header comes the binary part: nY rows of nX numbers each. Each number is the field value at a grid node, written as a float (if Accuracy = 4) or a double (if Accuracy = 8). Before each data row there is a CR LF separator (two bytes). The traversal order: first along X (the inner loop), then along Y (the outer loop).

The whole file schematically:

[11 lines of text header, each ending with CR LF]
[CR LF][nX numbers of row Y=0][CR LF][nX numbers of row Y=1] … [CR LF][nX numbers of row Y=nY-1]

Notes on the format. - The header lines start with # — these are "keys"; the program checks them and reads the values. - The numeric values in the header (Time, Delta, …) are printed in the %lg format (for example, 8.00008e-009). - The physical size of the picture along X equals nX · Delta (in LongUnit units), along Y — nY · Delta. For the example above: 688 · 0.0006 m = 0.4128 m = 412.8 mm. - You do not need and should not change the file by hand — it is binary; an incorrect edit will lead to a bad data file error on opening. To get a different distribution, change the computation in the .tpl and recompute with the kernel.

8.3. Where to get examples

Ready-made field files are in the test-data directory, for example:

• samples/SAMPLE_R/1/quasi0.AMP, quasi0.FAZ — the amplitude and phase for the example from the PlanarRT_H manual;
• samples/SAMPLE_R/LINZA/rupor1.tf, rupor1.AMP, rupor1.FAZ — a horn with a lens;
• samples/SAMPLE_R/METAL/RUPOR/r7.tf, r7.AMP, r7.FAZ — a metal horn.

9. Typical scenarios

View the field amplitude (a flat picture): 1. File → Open… → select an .AMP file. 2. Make sure the Field → Surface layer is on (button 23 or S). 3. If needed — View → Default (Ctrl+D), then adjust the scale with +/−. 4. For a smoother coloring, open View → Parameters → Field and enable 256 Resolution.

Switch to the three-dimensional field relief: 1. Open a file, enable Field → Surface. 2. Press Field → Dimension 2/3 (button 24 or D) — the picture becomes 3D. 3. Rotate the scene via View → Rotate (Ctrl+NumLock digits), zoom in with View → Translate → Z.

Compare the amplitude and the phase: 1. Open .AMP. 2. Window → New Window or File → Open… again for the .FAZ. 3. Arrange the windows with Window → Tile.

Configure the color scale for your levels: 1. View → Parameters → Field → the Set color button (or View → Field → Level, Alt+E). 2. Select a level, press Change and set the color; or Auto set for a smooth scale.

Find the numeric field value at a point: 1. View → Field → Value (Alt+A). 2. Bring the cursor to the desired point — the value is shown in the caption/status bar.

10. Possible problems

11. Related programs and documents

• PlanarRT_H / PlanarRT_X — the compute kernels that create the field files .tf/.AMP/.FAZ. See planar_rt_h.md, planar_rt_x.md.
• TMCROS — viewing the time signal (.t). See tmcros.md.
• TMCGROUT — viewing the S-matrix (.s). See tmcgrout.md.
• TMC_DN — viewing the radiation pattern. See tmc_dn.md.
• The field-data format is defined by the TMCIndan library (the FieldIntegrated module) — see docs/api/libs/tmcindan.md.