To create multiple points, select Insert > Location > Point Cloud. You can create uniform vector plots independent of the mesh by using the point cloud object. You can also create streamlines that use a point cloud as the locator.
The following characteristics of point clouds will be discussed:
Note: There are two ways to insert a point cloud:
From the menu bar, select Insert > Location > Point Cloud.
From the toolbar, select Location > Point Cloud.
For details, see Domains.
The options are:
From Locations (default)
The Definition settings apply. For details, see Definition.
From File
Set File to the name of a CSV file of the profile or table format. For details on the file format, see Profile Data Format in the CFX-Pre User's Guide and Table Data Format in the CFX-Pre User's Guide. When you click Apply, the point cloud is defined according to the data set, within the CSV file, that is specified by the Section Name setting.
The Definition settings apply only when Method is set to From Locations.
The Locations setting selects the location or locations in which the point cloud is created.
Tip: Click Location Editor 
to open the Location Selector dialog box, which displays the complete list of available locations.
The Sampling setting has the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
|
|
Generates points with roughly the same distance between them. |
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|
Generates a rectangular grid of points on the surface. This option should be used only on flat surfaces. |
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|
Generates the points on the vertices of the mesh. The maximum number of points is the total number of vertices in the mesh. |
|
|
Generates the points at the center of the mesh faces. The maximum number of points is the total number of faces in the mesh. |
|
|
Generates the points on the outer edge at the center of the edge segments. |
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Generates the points randomly. If the seed is positive, the point distribution can be reproduced. |
# of Points is available only when
either the Equally Spaced or Random option is selected. The # of Points setting
specifies the number of equally spaced points you want generated on
the surface of the mesh.
For the Equally Spaced option, the actual
number of points generated is guided by the provided # of
Points but may not be exactly equal to this.
Spacing is available only when the Rectangular Grid option is selected. The Spacing setting specifies a value that represents a fraction of the maximum
domain extent. For example, if your domain has a maximum extent of 1 [m] and a Spacing of 0.1 was used, a rectangular grid with 0.1 [m] spacing would be created.
Aspect Ratio is available only when the Rectangular Grid option is selected. The Aspect
Ratio setting stretches the rectangle in a direction parallel
to the grid axes. If a value less than one is entered, the grid will
be stretched in one direction. If a value greater than one is entered,
the grid will be stretched in the direction perpendicular to the previous
direction.
Grid Angle is available only when the Rectangular
Grid option is selected. The Grid Angle setting specifies the magnitude and direction of grid rotation.
Reduction is available only when the Vertex, Face Center, or Free Edge options are selected. The Reduction setting has the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
|
|
Enables the option to specify the maximum number of points allowed to be plotted. |
|
| Enables the option to specify a reduction factor from the full number of points. |
Max Points is available only if the Max Number of Points option is selected. The Max Points setting specifies a value for the maximum number
of points allowed. If the maximum number of vertices is greater than
that of the specified value, then the points taken will be randomly
selected.
Factor is available only if the Reduction Factor option is selected. The Factor setting specifies a value by which to decrease the total number
of points in the Point Cloud object. The final number of vectors is total/n, where total is the total
number of seeds, and n is the reduction value
entered into the box.
Seed is available only if the Random option is selected. The Seed setting generates a different set of random points for each value
entered. The distribution cannot be replicated or reproduced for negative
seed values. For negative seed values, the random series is based
on the system time. Different compilers may generate different distributions
for the same positive seed value.
Note: Similar sampling options are also available directly on Vector and Streamline objects.
The color settings can be changed on the Color tab. For details, see Color Tab.
For details, see Point: Symbol Tab.
The rendering settings can be changed by clicking the Render tab. For details, see Render Tab.
The View tab is used for creating or applying predefined Instance Transforms for a wide variety of objects.
For details on changing the view settings, see View Tab.