On 2-D devices, ANSYS displays only the visible faces of the selected items. Using a small value for the
/SHRINK command (Utility Menu> PlotCtrls> Style> Size and Shape) will force the hardware to plot
the hidden faces and produce the desired effect.
13.2.2.3. Changing Light-Source Shading
Light-source shading will enhance raster displays on 2-D and 3-D devices having at least eight color
planes (2^8 = 256 colors). To specify the number of color planes necessary for light-source shading, use
one of these methods:
Command(s):/SHOW
GUI: Utility Menu> PlotCtrls> Device Options
On some 3-D devices, you can adjust the intensity of ambient and directional light, change the light
direction, and modify the directional light reflectance factor, using the /LIGHT command (Utility Menu>
PlotCtrls> Style> Light Source). You can also change the light direction for 2-D devices with /LIGHT
when the Z-buffering hidden-line option is used.
13.2.2.4. Adding Background Shading and Textures
Background treatments help to contrast and highlight your model display, while providing a more
pleasing output. Background options are available at Utility Menu> PlotCtrls> Style> Background.
There are four options that toggle the background on and off and control whether a color, a texture,
or a user-specified file is used for the background. The available colors are defined in the /COLOR
command, and the progression of the gradients (up and down or left and right) can also be specified.
The available textures are defined in the /TXTRE command. Depending on the pixel size of your user-
specified file, it will either be tiled, fill the entire background, or only a portion will be shown. The texture
and file backgrounds place a greater load on graphics speed than the color gradients.
External bitmap files can also be used for your background. You can import a sample from another
source to create any desired background. The .bmp,.png and .jpg formats are supported for
the PC. Linux systems support .png and *.jpg, along with native XWD format. Your imported bitmaps
occupy the number of pixels they were generat ed at, and cannot be resized in the graphics window.
Depending on the size (pixels) of the file, the background will be tiled to produce full coverage. Use
an external graphics program to obtain the proper size before you import bitmap files.
The default background for the ANSYS graphics window is blue shading with a gradient progression
from top to bottom (/COLOR,PBAK,ON,1,BLUE). You can modify this using the methods above, or disable
it using the /UIS,(ON or OFF) option.
13.2.2.5. Using the Create Best Quality Image Capability
Once you have applied the various style attributes to your model, you will want to coordinate their
presentation to yield an image that not only conveys the information properly, but also provides a
realistic representation. Often, this is a trial-and error procedure, where you apply the various attributes,
and then replot to see how the model looks. You can use the “Create Best Quality Image” feature to
optimize the use of these effects. You access this feature via Utility Menu> PlotCtrls> Best Quality
Image> Create Best Quality.
The “Create Best Quality Image” function is a complex macro that takes into consideration the three
dimensional nature of your model, the way the various parts of your model are defined, and how the
model's attributes should be displayed. It goes through the model's style attributes, and provides the
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