Introduction

FLAC3D is faster and it has a new user-interface. The underlying calculation engine remains robust and reliable, but the user-experience is completely altered and enhanced.

To get an idea, the list of new or improved features provided below gives an overview (it is far from comprehensive). If you want a closer look, try the selection of movies that show the new FLAC3D in operation.

• Page 1 Introduction   [this page]
• Page 2 Improved Performance
• Page 3 New User Interface (GUI)
• Page 4 Customizable Layouts
• Page 5 Project Management
• Page 6 Data File Editor
• Page 7 New Visualization Options
• Page 8 Automatic Frame Capture
• Page 9 Additional Features

• FLAC3D Movies

Improved Performance

Many commands, some calculations, and ALL graphics are faster in FLAC3D. A summary of performance improvements (comparing version 4.0 to 3.1) follows:

• Up to 2x faster for mechanical calculations on a mixed-discretized grid using a quad-core i7.
• Mechanical calculations using Nodal Mixed Discretization (up to 3x faster).

• GEN ZONE (more than 10x faster)
• GEN COPY (more than 10x faster)
• GEN REFLECT (more than 10x faster)
• GEN MERGE (more than 10x faster)
• APPLY REMOVE gp conditions
• Clearing a model (NEW -- up to 100x faster)
• Saving & Restoring a model (up to 3x faster)
• Importing a grid file (up 3X faster)
• Spatial searching using FISH functions (gp_near, z_near, z_containing) (up to 100x faster)

New User Interface (GUI)

The FLAC3D user interface is completely overhauled in version 4.0. In summary, the interface achieves the following major objectives: all plotting uses accelerated 3D graphics, which dramatically increases rendering speed to the screen; all plotting control is available interactively, with all tools — both specification tools and manipulation tools — suitably near-at-hand to the user; a built-in editor provides native data file editing, and data files open in FLAC3D may be run directly; project management is now feasible with the implementation of the project file and the use of the project pane (see "Project Management"); program configuration and project settings are easily accessible and specified in a single location.

Customizable Layout

FLAC3D uses floating and docking windows that may be arranged in any manner the user wishes. Four built-in layout options are provided (click on the first four tabs to view the different built-in layouts). User-created, custom layouts may be saved and applied to future projects (the last pair tabs illustrate two of the numerous possibilities). As the "User 1" tab shows, it is possible to keep multiple plot windows (or any other kind of window, for that matter) open simultaneously using these capabilities.

For a more in-depth look at the GUI and layout options please visit the FLAC3D movies page here.

Project Management

Work in FLAC3D is saved in a new file type: the Project file. The Project file references Data Files, Save States and Plot Files in one location. A Project file can be shown in the Project window. The Project window displays all files associated with a Project, and allows the user to quickly open or close those files.

Project files and the Project window simplify project management.

A Project window, displaying all the associated files of a project. Colored icons have been loaded and gray icons have not.

Data File Editor

Any text file may be loaded into the FLAC3D editor. In addition to providing common edit functions (cut, paste, select, etc.) the editor features a syntax highlight tool that will indicate problematic lines in the current data file. The editor also contains a command (found on its toolbar or on the right-click context menu) to execute the active data file.

An open data file with highlighted sections after the "Validate Syntax" tool has been used. The highlights indicate syntax errors; correcting the error causes the highlighting to be removed.

New Visualization Options

Along with accelerated 3D graphics, FLAC3D provides a number of new items and options for plotting when displaying model results. As a result the already robust model visualization capabilities are dramatically extended. Some of the additions include:

Plot with a Z-diplacement profile overlaid.

Plot with a stereonet of intermediate principal displacement overlaid.

Plot with a DXF file overlaid.

Plot of displacement contours (transparent) and an isosurface (solid).

Plot with a scale box.

Plot with a clip box.

Plot with a cutplane.

Plot with the transparency attribute activated.

Plot with the lighting attribute activated.

Automatic Frame Capture

Using the "Movie" section of the "Options" dialog, the user may set any open plot in FLAC3D to be captured as a set of bitmap frames. The set may later be turned into a movie with the user's preferred movie media-building tool. As seen in the image, setting the plot to be frame-captured is a matter of checking one box. The dialog also provides controls for the capture frequency (specified in calculation cycles), bitmap type (format), size, and name of the captured frames.

The Options dialog, showing that three plots have been set to produce captured frames when the program cycles.

Additional Features

FISH

• Local variables
• Function arguments
• Command-line debugging
• Improved error messages
• Vector types
• Dynamic arrays
• Zone field data functions
• C++ FISH intrinsic plug-ins

Plots

• Interactive clipping box
• Iso-surfaces
• Line profile
• Zone group plot showing internal group boundaries
• Equal angle stereonet of principal stress/strain orientations, as well as FISH extra values
• DXF files
• FISH function plotting
• Scale box

Misc.

• Improved C++ Constitutive Model plug-in interface.
• Improved GROUP range element.
• FISH range elements.
• User-defined scalar, vector, and tensor fields.
• CYSoil model.