Export

When the problem is solved, and the solution vector u is known we typically want to visualize it. The simplest way to do this is to write the solution to a VTK-file, which can be viewed in e.g. Paraview. To write VTK-files, Ferrite uses, and extends, functions from the WriteVTK.jl package to simplify the exporting.

First we need to create a file, based on the grid. This is done with the vtk_grid function:

vtk = vtk_grid("my-solution", grid)

VTK file 'my-solution.vtu' (UnstructuredGrid file, open)

Next we have to add data to the file. We may add different kinds of data; point data using vtk_point_data or cell data using vtk_cell_data. Point data is data for each nodal coordinate in the grid, for example our solution vector. Point data can be either scalars or vectors. Cell data is – as the name suggests – data for each cell. This can be for example the stress. As an example, lets add a solution vector u as point data, and a vector with stress for each cell, σ, as cell data:

vtk_point_data(vtk, u, "my-point-data")
vtk_cell_data(vtk,  σ, "my-cell-data")

<DataArray type="Float64" Name="my-cell-data" NumberOfComponents="1" format="appended" offset="367"/>

Finally, we need to save the file to disk, using vtk_save

vtk_save(vtk)

Alternatively, all of the above can be done using a do block:

vtk_grid("my-solution", grid) do vtk
    vtk_point_data(vtk, u, "my-point-data")
    vtk_cell_data(vtk, σ, "my-cell-data")
end

For other functionality, and more information refer to the WriteVTK.jl README. In particular, for exporting the solution at multiple time steps, the section on PVD files is useful.

Exporting with DofHandler

There is an even more convenient way to export a solution vector u – using the DofHandler. The DofHandler already contains all of the information needed, such as the names of our fields and if they are scalar or vector fields. But most importantly the DofHandler knows about the numbering and distribution of degrees of freedom, and thus knows how to "distribute" the solution vector on the grid. For example, lets say we have a DofHandler dh and a solution vector u:

vtk = vtk_grid("my-solution", dh)
vtk_point_data(vtk, dh, u)
vtk_save(vtk)

or with a do-block:

vtk_grid("my-solution", dh) do vtk
    vtk_point_data(vtk, dh, u)
    vtk_cell_data(vtk, σ, "my-cell-data")
end

When vtk_point_data is used with a DofHandler all of the fields will be written to the VTK file, and the names will be determined by the fieldname symbol that was used when the field was added to the DofHandler.

Exporting Boundary Conditions

There is also a vtk_point_data which accepts a ConstraintHandler. This method is useful to verify that the boundary conditions are applied where they are supposed to. For a ConstraintHandler ch we can export the boundary conditions as

vtk_grid("boundary-conditions", grid) do vtk
    vtk_point_data(vtk, ch)
end

This will export zero-valued fields with ones on the parts where the boundary conditions are active.