computer science

Tecplot

Tecplot is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Tecplot rather than just read about it. In short: Tecplot is a family of visualization & analysis software tools developed by American company Tecplot, Inc., which is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. The firm was formerly operated as Amtec Engineering.

Key takeaways

Tecplot belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Tecplot to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Tecplot from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Tecplot is a family of visualization & analysis software tools developed by American company Tecplot, Inc., which is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. The firm was formerly operated as Amtec Engineering. In 2016, the firm was acquired by Vela Software, an operating group of Constellation Software, Inc. (TSX:CSU).

Tecplot 360 Tecplot 360 is a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and numerical simulation software package used in post-processing simulation results. Tecplot 360 is also used in chemistry applications to visualize molecule structure by post-processing charge density data. Common tasks associated with post-processing analysis of flow solver (e.g. Fluent, OpenFOAM) data include calculating grid quantities (e.g. aspect ratios, skewness, orthogonality and stretch factors), normalizing data; Deriving flow field functions like pressure coefficient or vorticity magnitude, verifying solution convergence, estimating the order of accuracy of solutions, interactively exploring data through cut planes (a slice through a region), iso-surfaces (3-D maps of concentrations), particle paths (dropping an object in the "fluid" and watching where it goes). Tecplot 360 may be used to visualize output from programming languages such as Fortran. Tecplot's native data format is PLT or SZPLT. Many other formats are also supported, including: CFD Formats: VTK, CGNS, FLOW-3D (Flow Science, Inc.), ANSYS CFX, ANSYS FLUENT .cas and .dat format and polyhedra, OpenFOAM, PLOT3D (Flow Science, Inc.), Tecplot and polyhedra, Ensight Gold, HDF5 (Hierarchical Data Format), CONVERGE CFD (Convergent Science), and Barracuda Virtual Reactor (CPFD Software). Data Formats: HDF, Microsoft Excel (Windows only), comma- or space-delimited ASCII. FEA Formats: Abaqus, ANSYS, FIDAP Neutral, LSTC/DYNA LS-DYNA, NASTRAN MSC Software, Patran MSC Software, PTC Mechanica, SDRC/IDEAS universal and 3D Systems STL. ParaView supports Tecplot format through a VisIt importer.

Tecplot RS Tecplot RS is a tool tailored towards visualizing the results of reservoir simulations, which model the flow of fluids through porous media, as in oil and gas fields, and aquifers.

Tecplot Focus Tecplot Focus is plotting software designed for measured field data, performance plotting of test data, mathematical analysis, and general engineering plotting.

Tecplot Chorus Tecplot Chorus is a data management, design optimization, and aero database development framework used for comparing collections of CFD simulations.

See also List of computational fluid dynamics software

References

External links Official Site User Community File format definition

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Tecplot

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Tecplot claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Tecplot before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Tecplot ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Tecplot

In research: Tecplot appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Tecplot in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Tecplot is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computational fluid dynamics, Graphics software, Plotting software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Tecplot outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Tecplot in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Tecplot means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Tecplot out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tecplot in simple terms?

Why does Tecplot matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Tecplot?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Tecplot.