TECPLOT ASCII Files
(extension ".dat")

TEC is a data directory which contains examples of TECPLOT ASCII files. TECPLOT ASCII files are used by the TECPLOT program, which is a visualization program for technical data. Typically, a user has an application program (fluid flow solver, engineering stress program, aeronautic simulator, heat flow program), that produces lots of data.

The user must write a subroutine that packages this data into a TECPLOT ASCII file format ( there are several, including special finite element forms). Then the user can postprocess the data, and display it, by running TECPLOT.

TECPLOT ASCII File Characteristics:

• ASCII (although TECPLOT can also create and use binary data files which typically have the ".plt" extension);
• Color is not associated with the data, but can be added during postprocessing by the TECPLOT program, or by associating variables "R", "G" and "B" with data, for instance;
• 2D or 3D data, and can have time dependence;
• No compression (except for the binary data format option);
• Geometric data is stored, but the user can also store associated quantities such as pressure, temperature, or velocity.
• Data is grouped into zones whose meaning is determined by the user. Animation is achieved by starting with each zone being a "time snapshot", and displaying one zone at a time.

Reference:

1. The TECPLOT home page:
   http://www.datplot.com/

Sample Files:

• 3dgeom.dat, 3D geometries, using using POINT and BLOCK formats. Contains 2 zones;
• block_febrick_3d.dat, 3D finite element, scalar data T(X,Y,Z), using the "BLOCK" datapacking and "FEBRICK" element;
• feblock_tet_3d.dat, 3D finite element tetrahedral data, using "BLOCK" datapacking and "FETETRAHEDRON" element;
• channel.dat, 2D channel flow, with two boundary lines and an internal dashed line drawn, using POINT format;
• crystal_plot.dat, 2D data, uses the BLOCK format, created by the CRYSTAL_PLOT program;
• cylinder_3d.dat;
• cylinder_slice.dat;
• cylindrical.dat, uses the POINT format;
• ell.dat, a small dataset on an L-shaped 2D region.
• humanoid_quad.dat color data (R,G,B)(X,Y,Z), for the SURFACE of a 3D human figure, using "DATAPACKING=POINT" and the "FEQUADRILATERAL" element;
• humanoid_tri.dat color data (R,G,B)(X,Y,Z), for the SURFACE of a 3D human figure, using "DATAPACKING=POINT" and the "FETRIANGLE" element;
• humanoid_tri.png a PNG image of the humanoid;
• movie.dat, a very simple "animation" of two tiny frames, using the POINT format. Contains 2 zones.
• multzn2d.dat, a multizone 2D plot, using the POINT format; Contains 2 zones.
• plane_slice.dat;
• fepoint_brick_3d_01.dat, 3D finite element volume data T(X,Y,Z), using "DATAPACKING=POINT" and "FEBRICK" element;
• fepoint_brick_3d_02.dat, 3D finite element data PSI(X,Y,Z), representing a superconductivity computation, using "DATAPACKING=POINT" and "FEBRICK" element;
• fepoint_quad_2d.dat, 2D finite element data, using "DATAPACKING=POINT" and and "FEQUADRILATERAL" element;
• fepoint_tet_3d.dat, 3D finite element tetrahedral data, using "DATAPACKING=POINT" and "FETETRAHEDRON" element;
• fepoint_tri_2d_01.dat, 2D finite element data, (a very simple cube), uses "DATAPACKING=POINT" and "FETRIANGLE" elements;
• fepoint_tri_2d_02.dat, a 2D finite element flow field, (U,V)(X,Y), Rho(X,Y), using "DATAPACKING=POINT" and "FETRIANGLE" elements. computed and written by the FLOW5 program;
• fepoint_tri_2d_03.dat, a 2D finite element flow field, (U,V)(X,Y), Rho(X,Y), using "DATAPACKING=POINT" and "FETRIANGLE" elements. computed and written by the FLOW6 program;
• simp3dbk.dat, simple 3D block volume data, density(X,Y,Z), using the BLOCK format;
• simp3dpt.dat, simple 3D point volume data, density(X,Y,Z), using the POINT format;
• simpscat.dat, a scatter plot using POINT format;
• simpxy.dat, a simple (X,Y(X)) plot of temperature versus distance;
• simpxy2.dat, an (X,Y(X)) plot of temperature versus distance. Uses weights. Contains 4 zones.
• tiny.dat, a "tiny" dataset.

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