Visualizing the results
Serpent produces graphical output to visualize the geometry and the results of the simulation. The output is produced in the widely-supported png-format. In order to produce graphical output, Serpent must be compiled with graphics options and linked with the GD Graphics Library (see instructions on compiling the source code).
Geometry plotter
The geometry plotter produces two-dimensional cross-sections of the geometry with respect to a give coordinate axis. The plotter is invoked by the plot input card. The card reads the orientation of the plane:
| 1 | : YZ-plane |
| 2 | : YZ-plane |
| 3 | : XY-plane |
and the size of the produced image in pixels. Additional input cards provide the position of the plot plane on the coordinate axis perpendicular to it and the width of the plot with respect to the geometry (in cm). The last four parameters can be used to zoom in the details of the geometry.
The geometry plotter plots materials in different colors, which by default are randomly selected. The colors can also be defined using the rgb-entry of the material card.
Material boundaries are plotted with black lines. The plotter has also options to leave boundaries out, plot cell boundaries instead or plot both cell and material boundaries. These options are invoked by adding another number after the plot plane option:
| 0 | : no boundaries are plotted |
| 1 | : material boundaries are plotted (default) |
| 2 | : cell boundaries are plotted |
| 3 | : both cell and material boundaries are plotted |
So type 12 refers an YZ-plot with cell boundaries, type 30 refers to an XY-plot without any boundaries, and so on.
The plotter also has a special mode for plotting importance maps read using the wwin-card. This mode is invoked by setting the second number in the type parameter to 4 (linear color scheme) or 5 (logarithmic color scheme). So type 14 means that the importances are plotted on top of an YZ-plot using a linear color scheme, type 35 menas that the importances are plotted on top of an XY-plot using a logarithmic color scheme, and so on. The color scheme used in the plot runs from blue to red, with white for the mid-point value. The plot card also reads the minimum and maximum importance corresponding the end-point values.
