A polyline is a line connecting a series of points. The points may have local (path) variables associated with them. The polyline can interact with CFD data and can be colored using path variables or domain variables.
The following characteristics of polylines will be discussed:
Note: There are several ways to insert a polyline:
From the menu bar, select Insert > Location > Polyline.
From the toolbar, select Location > Polyline.
Depending on the context, you may be able to perform an insert from the shortcut menu in the tree view.
The Method setting has the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
|
| Enables you to specify a file that has the point data contained within it. Set Section Name to the name of the applicable data set within the file. The data file format is described in POLYLINE Data Format. |
|
| Enables you to select a boundary and an object to intersect it with. The line will then plot on the intersection. |
|
| Enables you to plot using contour data (for example, a velocity of 5 m/s). |
File is available only if the From File option is selected. The File setting specifies the filename of a file to insert. You can type
in the filename or click Browse 
to open the Import dialog
box and search for the file. The only valid file types to import are *.txt and *.csv.
Tip: This method enables you to read polylines or lines from another case (if that case has the required geometry). First export a polyline or a line from another case, make sure to select Export Geometry Information, then use the From File method in the other case to import the lines along with any local data. You can also create your own file containing your data, such as experimental data, by using the same format. For a description of the polyline file format, see POLYLINE Data Format.
Domains is available only if the Boundary Intersection option is selected. The Domains setting selects a domain for the polyline to exist
in. For details, see Domains.
Boundary List is available only if the Boundary
Intersection option is selected. The Boundary List setting
specifies a boundary. Click the Location Editor
icon to open the Location Selector dialog box, which
displays the complete list of available boundaries.
Note: When intersecting with a thin surface boundary, the resulting polyline will include both sides of the boundary. To intersect only one side, pick the primitive region that defines one side of the thin surface instead of the entire boundary.
Note: If a mesh region is selected for the Boundary List, the polyline may not be successfully generated if the mesh region is not part of an external boundary.
Intersect With is available only if the Boundary Intersection option is selected. The Intersect With setting
specifies a graphic object that intersects the boundary.
Contour Name is available only when the From Contour option is selected. The Contour
Name setting selects a predefined contour plot. If you
have not created a contour, see Contour Command.
Contour Level is available only when the From Contour option is selected. The Contour
Level setting specifies a contour level. The amount of
contour levels is predefined by the Contour Command.
The color settings can be changed by clicking the Color tab. For details, see Color 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.