The capability to output results files, which contain a reduced amount of information, is available in Autodyn-3D. This allows the postprocessing of large simulations on computers with limited resources. Results Files cannot be used for restarting a problem. The frequency of the results files is independent of the SAVE files. The control for results file output is located in the Output panel, under Results Files:
From here, the frequency of results file output and the variable to save into the file are selected. Note that only a limited set of results variables are selected by default.
When a simulation is performed with the results file option switched on, a new directory will be created in the directory where the simulation file is located. This directory will have the name <ident>_adres. For example, the results files from a simulation with model name ben3d1_0.ad will be stored in a sub-directory with name ben3d1_adres.
Results files have extension adres, and the model name is appended with two numbers:
The first number is the cycle from which the simulation began.
The second number being the current cycle number.
For example, a results file ben3d1_10_25.adres indicates that the results file contains data at cycle 25 from the simulation ben3d1 that began at cycle 10.
Note that the start cycle for each sequence of results files is stored in a file <ident>_<cycle>.ad_base, for example ben3d1_10.ad_base. This base file is essential for post processing using results files and must not be deleted. The base file contains data required for producing graphic output that for efficiency is not repeated in each of the Results Files.
To use the results files for postprocessing of a simulation, the option under the File menu option should be:
Once a results file has been selected, various options within Autodyn will be inactive, since no model alteration is possible. The cycle drop-down menu from the Plots panel is automatically updated to represent the cycles of results files that can be loaded. In order to switch back to full restart files simply load in a restart (cycle) file.
The address directory is designed to be independent of any other files. In order to share the results with colleagues simply transfer the directory.
Postprocessing using results files is significantly more memory efficient than from a restart file. Using results files, Autodyn only loads the data required to generate the requested Plots. The efficiency improvement will be problem dependant.
To use the results files to create an animation of the simulation, select the option "Scan for results files from this ident" from the Generate Multiple Slides panel.