pyPLUTO code¶
Information¶
| Author: | Bhargav Vaidya (b.vaidya at leeds.ac.uk) and Denis Stepanovs (stepanovs at mpia.de) |
|---|---|
| Version: | 4-1.0 |
| Date: | November 02, 2012 |
TASK : Quick Tool for Visualization of PLUTO 4.0 code data (Mignone2007)
DESCRIPTION : The code is completely written using the Python Language. Further the GUI is developed with the Tkinter Interface.
FEATURES :
1. Completely based on Python and easy to work without need of any licenses like in IDL.
2. The GUI environment provides a tool for quick-check of data during the simulations runs.
3. The code is user friendly and allows the user to even do further plotting of contours, velocity vectors on the surface plot. Also the code can read user-defined variables.
Getting Started¶
pyPLUTO Module.¶
The pyPLUTO module can be loaded as follows.
import pyPLUTO as pp
The functions associated with this module are listed below :
- pyPLUTO.get_nstepstr(ns)¶
Convert the float input ns into a string that would match the data file name.
Inputs:
ns – Integer number that represents the time step number. E.g., The ns for data.0001.dbl is 1.Outputs:
Returns the string that would be used to complete the data file name. E.g., for data.0001.dbl, ns = 1 and pyPLUTO.get_nstepstr(1) returns ‘0001’
- pyPLUTO.nlast_info(w_dir=None, datatype=None)¶
Prints the information of the last step of the simulation as obtained from dbl.out or flt.out
Inputs:
w_dir – path to the directory which has the dbl.out(or flt.out) and the data
datatype – If the data is of ‘float’ type then datatype = ‘float’ else by default the datatype is set to ‘double’.
Outputs:
This function returns a dictionary with following keywords -
nlast – The ns for the last file saved.
time – The simulation time for the last file saved.
dt – The time step dt for the last file.
Nstep – The Nstep value for the last file saved.
Usage:
In case the data is ‘float’.
wdir = /path/to/data/directory
import pyPLUTO as pp
A = pp.nlast_info(w_dir=wdir,datatype='float')
Graphic User Interface¶
The Graphic User Interface for the pyPLUTO code.
The Graphic User Interface of the pyPLUTO code for a typical three dimensional Hydrodynamical example.
Usage :
On installing the pyPLUTO source code via local install process, the executable for the GUI version of the code will be present in <path to MyPython_Modules>/bin. In order to use directly from the command line append the $PATH variable as follows:
export PATH=<path to MyPython_Modules>/bin:$PATH, after which data can be visualized using following commands in the directory which has the relevant data -
GUI_pyPLUTO.py - This will work in case the data is in double format.
GUI_pyPLUTO.py --float – For data in float format one has to use the flag –float
The various functionalities in the Graphic User Interface (GUI) of the pyPLUTO code are marked with numbers as shown in the figure and explained in details below:
1. Save As : The drop down menu allows the user to save the figure displayed in various formats viz. ‘eps’, ‘pdf’, ‘jpg’, ‘png’. NOTE - In case of surface images, it is recommended to save as ‘png’ and/or ‘jpg’ and then convert as the way the code plots surface is using pcolormesh (to account for non-uniform grid) and its been a known fact that rendering of pcolormesh images in eps takes loads of time.
2. Quit : The user can close the GUI using this button.
3. Loading the Data : This allows the user to load data.
a. Nstep : The number of the data file should be inputted in the blank panel provided. By default initial data file i.e. Nstep = 0 is loaded. The input number should be a valid positive number and the corresponding data file should exists in the working directory.
b. Load Data : The user can click on this button to load the appropriate data file whose number is inputted in the Nstep panel. Each time the user modifies the value in the Nstep field, this button needs to be clicked to load the corresponding file.
4. Axis cuts : The user can choose the appropriate values in these panels to plot/image a particular cut/slice. No default value is set so error will occur if invalid entry is inputted.
a. x1 : The field to input the x1 cut value. This field should not be blank if the user either chooses Along x2 or Along x3 or Along x2-x3 in (6). This field is disabled if the problem considered is 1-D.
b. x2 : The field to input the x2 cut value. This field should not be blank if the user either chooses Along x1 or Along x3 or Along x3-x1 in (6). This field is disabled if the problem considered is 1-D.
c. x3 : The field to input the x3 cut value. This field should not be blank if the user either chooses Along x1 or Along x2 or Along x1-x2 in (6). This field is disabled if the problem considered is either 1-D or 2-D.
5. Choose Variables : The user can choose the variable to plot from the list. This list also includes any additional variable stored using the userdef_output.c. So basically all the variables listed in the dbl.out (or flt.out) are enlisted in this column. The code will have a disabled Plot and Surface, until a variable is chosen in this column. NOTE - If the user wish to plot a userdef variable and also saves the vector potential then it is recommended to save data as multiple_files instead of single_file in pluto.ini.
6. Choose Slices : The code provides the user to either plot a 1D Plot of any of the chosen variable along any axis. Alternatively, the code also allows the user to make a 2D Surface image along any combination of two axes. This column is redundant in case the numerical problem under consideration is a 1D problem. With the choice of the slice, the user should also have appropriate axis cuts specified as mentioned above else the code will result into an error.
7. Additional Processing : The GUI interface allows the user to carry some additional processing on the variable chosen. They are the following -
a. Log : The user can plot logarithmic values using this option.
b. Polar : The user can use this option to project the data from Spherical coordinates to Cylindrical coordinates. In the present version, the code handles the projection in the r-θ plane (Along x1-x2) and the r-φ plane (Along x3-x1).
c. Aspect : Choosing this option allows the user to ensure that the image (only the Surface) produced has proper aspect ratio. By default the aspect ratio is set to ‘auto’.
d. Contour : The user can choose this option to overplot the surface plot with contours [see (10 a,b)].
e. Arrow : The user can choose this option to overplot the surface plot with vector arrows [see (11 a,b)].
8. Information Panel : The user can view the basic information regarding the problem under consideration. In this panel, the user can get information of the current working directory, along with the domain of the numerical problem and finally also the final time step of that problem.
9. Figure Window : In this panel the corresponding Plot or the Surface (image with colorbar) will be displayed. In order that the GUI fits into the whole screen, the user can play with the size of the figure by modifying the code and specifying the size of the figure window. The default value is : figsize=(7,7).
10. Contours : The user can activate this option by choosing the Contour tab [7(d)].
a. Contour Variable : The 2D contours of listed variables can be plotted on the surface plot. The user can choose among all the variables that are available for plotting along with additional provision [only for the MHD problem] of plotting the Current [x1*b3] and Magnetic field lines [x1*A3]. The Magnetic field lines contour will only work if the code data consists information on the vector potential ‘A3’. The list by default is set to ‘None’ and thus will give error is the user tries to plot contours without choosing the appropriate variable from the drop down list.
b. Contour Levels : The user can provide the contours levels which is required separated by ‘,’. If the user does not wish to provide the levels then by default a total of 5 contours of automatically chosen levels will be displayed. Further, the user can also choose to display logarithmic contours by having the first entry in this panels as log. For example,
- log,-1.5,-1.8,-2.0 : This plots the logarithmic contours for the chosen Contour variable at levels marked by 10^{-1.5}, 10^{-1.8} and 10^{-2.0}
- 1.0,2.0,3.0 : This will display normal contours for the chosen Contour variable at levels marked by 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0
- Blank [Default]: 5 contours of automatically chosen levels will be displayed
There is no limit to the number of levels that can be inputed in this field. By convention all negative contours will be shown as dashes. In case of logarithmic contours, the dashes would represent contours for levels less than unity.
11. Arrows : The user can activate this option by choosing the ‘Arrows’ tab [7(e)].
a. Arrow Variable : The vector arrows of velocity field [Vp and Vp_norm] and the magnetic field [Bp and Bp_norm] (only in MHD) can be displayed. The options of . The variables with ‘_norm’ indicate that the arrows are normalized, i.e. each arrow will have unit length. The list by default is set to ‘None’ and thus will give error is the user tries to plot arrows without choosing the appropriate variable from the drop down list.
b. Arrow Spacing : The user can provide the spacing value which indicates the size of the congrid matrix used to create the vector plots. Higher values will produce a more “dense” plot. Default is set to 20.
12. Plot : This button is by default deactivated and it will be active only when the user has fulfilled the conditions of valid loading of data [(3) a,b], choosing the variable [(5)] and choosing to plot either Along x1 or Along x2 or Along x3 [(6)]. Only in case of 1-D numerical problems this button will be activated by default.
13. Surface : This button is by default deactivated and it will be active only when the user has fulfilled the conditions of valid loading of data [(3) a,b], choosing the variable [(5)] and choosing to plot either Along x1-x2 or Along x2-x3 or Along x3-x1 [(6)]. Consecutively pressing this button will clear the existing image and create a new one.
14. Clear : This button allows the user to clear the plot.
15. Labels : The user can choose the x and y labels for their plots/images. The user can also use standard TeX symbols within the ‘$’ sign. By default they are set to ‘xlabel’ and ‘ylabel’ respectively.
16. Ranges : The user can choose range of values to be displayed from these panels.
a. Xrange : To set the minimum (left entry) and maximum (right entry) range of the X axis. A ‘blank’ entry would mean that by default the minimum and the maximum of the X vector will be shown (i.e. the full range).
b. Yrange : To set the minimum (left entry) and maximum (right entry) range of the Y axis. A ‘blank’ entry would mean that by default the minimum and the maximum of the Y vector will be shown (i.e. the full range). This becomes ineffective in case if the user wants to plots a line. To set the range for the Y axis in case of ‘Plot’, the user should use the VarRange option.
c. VarRange : To set the minimum (left entry) and maximum (right entry) range of the Variable. A ‘blank’ entry would mean that by default the minimum and the maximum of the Variable will be shown (i.e. the full range). In case the user wants a ‘Surface’ image then with this option the user can choose the maximum and the minimum of the image. In case of ‘Plot’, this becomes the Y axis range.