USING THIS TUTORIAL GUIDE

Whats in This Guide

0. USING THIS TUTORIAL GUIDE

0.1 Whats in This Guide
This guide contains step-by-step examples that teach you how to use GAMBIT to create
and mesh various geometries. Each example illustrates at least one new concept with
respect to GAMBIT geometry creation and mesh generation.
Tutorial 1 includes explicit instructions for all steps in the geometry creation, mesh generation, and examination of a completed mesh. Its purpose is to introduce the beginning
user to several basic features and operations that are available in GAMBIT. The remaining tutorials are designed for the user who has read or worked through Tutorial 1 or who
is already familiar with GAMBIT. Consequently, they are not as explicit in their instructions as is Tutorial 1.
Some of the tutorials involve the importation of geometry data from existing files.
Specifically, the tutorials that involve data import, and the type of data imported, are as
follows:

Tutorial 5IGES data

Tutorial 6IGES data

Tutorial 7Turbo data

Tutorial 8ACIS data

Tutorial 9Turbo data

Tutorial 11STEP data

Tutorial 12Direct CAD Import

Tutorial 13IGES data

Tutorial 14STEP data

Tutorial 15STEP data

The files that contain the data to be imported are located in the directory where GAMBIT
is installed. (NOTE: This file is included on your installation tape or CD.)

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How to Use This Guide

USING THIS TUTORIAL GUIDE

0.2 How to Use This Guide

If you are new to GAMBIT, you should first work through Tutorial 1 in order to familiarize yourself with the GAMBIT graphical user interface (GUI) and with basic geometry
creation and meshing procedures. You may then want to try a tutorial that demonstrates
features that you are going to use in your application. For example, if you are planning to
start from an existing geometry that requires some cleanup, you should look at Tutorial 5.
Each tutorial demonstrates different GAMBIT features, so it is recommended that you do
each tutorial in order to get the full benefit from this Tutorial Guide.
Note that Step 1 in Tutorials 2 through 6 requires you to select the solver to be used for
the CFD calculation. In many cases, you could select a different solver than the one used
in the tutorial. The solver selection is included in the tutorials to demonstrate the process
of selecting a solver. It also illustrates that the choice of solver dictates the options available in various forms (for example, the boundary types available in the Specify Boundary
Types form).

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USING THIS TUTORIAL GUIDE

Font Conventions

0.3 Font Conventions

The following font conventions are used throughout this manual to represent user input
data, the titles of forms and command buttons, options, and the names of modeling
objects.
Font

Description

Example(s)

Courier

Command line arguments,

file names, and other user
input from the keyboard

volume create sphere

GAMBIT.ini

Arial Narrow, Bold

Titles of buttons,
selectors, fields, and
forms as they appear in
the graphical user
interface

Model
Volume
Vertex

Arial Narrow

Titles of options and

commands

Interval size
Lower topology

Arial Narrow, Italic

Names of GAMBIT
topological entities and
coordinate systems

edge.1
vertex.3

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Using the Mouse

USING THIS TUTORIAL GUIDE

0.4 Using the Mouse

The GAMBIT GUI is designed for use with a three-button mouse. The function associated with each mouse button varies according to whether the mouse is operating on menus
and forms, or in the graphics window. Some graphics-window mouse operations involve
keyboard keys in conjunction with the mouse.
0.4.1 Menus and Forms
Mouse operations for GAMBIT menus and forms require only the left and right mouse
buttons and do not involve any keyboard key operations. Most of the mouse operations
performed on GAMBIT GUI menus and forms require only the left mouse button. The
right mouse button is used to open menus related to command buttons on the toolpads. On
some forms that include a text window, the right mouse button opens a hidden menu of
options such as that described in Using a Pick List Form in Section 3.2.8 of the
GAMBIT Users Guide.
0.4.2 Graphics Window
The GAMBIT GUI provides four general types of graphics-window mouse operations:

Display

Information

Task

Vertex creation

Display operations allow you to directly manipulate the appearance of the model in any of
the enabled graphics-window quadrants. The information operation provides summary information for any visible entity in the model. Task operations allow you to specify topological entities and to execute geometry and meshing operations. The vertex creation
operation allows you to create vertices on any displayed coordinate-system grid.
(NOTE: For further information on these operations, see Section 3.3.2 of the GAMBIT
Users Guide.)

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USING THIS TUTORIAL GUIDE

Using the Mouse

Display Operations
GAMBIT graphics-window display operations employ all three mouse buttons as well as
the Ctrl keyboard key.
Keyboard/Mouse Button Action

Description

Left-drag (any direction)

Rotates the model

Middle-drag (any direction)

Translates the model

Right-drag (vertically)

Zooms the model in or out

Right-drag (horizontally)

Revolves the model about the center of the graphics

window

Ctrl-left-drag (diagonally)

Enlarges the model, retaining the model

proportions. (NOTE: When you release the mouse
button, GAMBIT enlarges the display.)

Ctrl-middle-drag (diagonally)

Enlarges the model but does not necessarily retain

the model proportions. (NOTE: When you release
the mouse button, GAMBIT enlarges the display.)

Double-middle-click

Displays the model as shown immediately before

the current view

Double-right-click

Writes a command to the session journal file to

record the current model view

Information Operation
The mouse can be used in conjunction with the Alt key to obtain summary information for
any visible entity in the model. When you hold down the Alt key and hover the mouse
pointer over a visible vertex or edge in the graphics window, GAMBIT displays the corresponding summary information in the Description window. The Description window summary information includes the name of the indicated vertex or edge and the names of all
higher-order entities of which the vertex or edge is a component. For each listed edge or
face, GAMBIT displays the corresponding length or surface area, respectively. In
addition, each entity listing includes a five-character string that indicates the entity conditions with respect to five parameters.

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Using the Mouse

USING THIS TUTORIAL GUIDE

Task Operations
GAMBIT graphics window task operations employ all three mouse buttons in conjunction
with the Shift key to allow you to pick entities and to execute actions related to GAMBIT
forms. There are two types of task operations: picking entities and executing actions.
Picking Entities
Many GAMBIT modeling and meshing operations require you to specify one or more
entities to which the operation applies. There are two ways to specify an entity for a
GAMBIT operation:

Input the entity name in the appropriate list box on the specification form or select
it from the appropriate pick list.

Use the mouse to pick the entity from the model as displayed in the graphics
window.

When you use the mouse to pick an entity from the model that is displayed in the graphics
window, GAMBIT inserts the entity name in the currently active pick list as if you had
specified its name on the currently open specification form.
GAMBIT provides two types of entity-picking operations, each of which involves the
Shift key. Throughout this guide, you will see expressions such as Shift-left-click, which
indicates that you should press and hold the Shift key while clicking the left mouse button.
The two entity picking operations are as follows:
Operation

Description

Shift-left-click

Highlights the entity in the graphics window and includes it in

the currently active pick list.

Shift-middle-click

Toggles between adjoining multiple entities of a given type.

To select a group of objects, Shift-left-drag the mouse to create a box around the objects
to be selected. The specific objects chosen depend on the direction of mouse-pointer
movement when the box is created. Specifically:
If you Shift-left-drag the mouse pointer toward the lower part of the graphics window
when creating the box, GAMBIT selects all objects touched by the box.
If you Shift-left-drag the mouse pointer toward the upper part of the graphics window
when creating the box, GAMBIT selects only those objects that are completely
enclosed in the box.

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USING THIS TUTORIAL GUIDE

Using the Mouse

Executing Actions
When you Shift-right-click the mouse in the graphics window, GAMBIT accepts the
selection of an entity and moves the focus to the next pick list in the form. If the current
pick list is the last one in the form, Shift-right-click executes the operation associated with
the currently open form. In this case, the Shift-right-click operation is equivalent to the act
of clicking Apply on the bottom of the form.
Vertex Creation Operation
GAMBIT allows you to create vertices by means of the Ctrl-right mouse button. The Ctrlright-click method of creating vertices applies in any graphics window quadrant that contains an active grid. For a description of the procedures and specifications required to
display a grid, see Section 5.1.2 of the GAMBIT Modeling Guide.

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GUI Components

USING THIS TUTORIAL GUIDE

0.5 GUI Components

GAMBIT allows you to construct and mesh models by means of its graphical user interface (GUI), which is designed to be mouse-driven. The GAMBIT GUI (Figure 0-1)
consists of eight components, each of which serves a separate purpose with respect to the
creating and meshing of a model. The following sections briefly describe the GUI components.
Operation
toolpad

Main menu bar

Geometry
subpad
Graphics
window

Transcript
window
Command
text box

Description
window

Global Control
toolpad

Figure 0-1: The GAMBIT GUI

0.5.1 Graphics Window
The graphics window is the region of the GUI in which the model is displayed. It is
located in the upper left portion of the GUI and occupies most of the screen in the default
layout. (NOTE: Chapter 3 of the GAMBIT Users Guide presents a more detailed
description of the graphics window.)

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USING THIS TUTORIAL GUIDE

GUI Components

0.5.2 Main Menu Bar

The main menu bar is located at the top of the GUI, directly above the graphics window.
It contains four menu items. Each of the items is associated with its own menu of commands that allow you to perform various GAMBIT operations. To open the menu associated with any item, left-click the item name (for example, File). (NOTE: Chapter 4 of the
GAMBIT Users Guide presents detailed descriptions of the menu items, as well as the
commands available on each associated menu.)
0.5.3 Operation Toolpad
The Operation toolpad is located in the upper right portion of the GUI. It consists of a
field of command buttons, each of which performs a specific function associated with the
process of creating and meshing a model. Within the Operation toolpad, command buttons
are grouped according to their hierarchy and purpose in the overall scheme of creating
and meshing the model. The topmost group constitutes the main pad. All other command
button groups constitute subpads.
Subpads
When you click a main-pad command button, GAMBIT opens an associated subpad. For
example, if you click the GEOMETRY command button on the main pad, GAMBIT opens
the Geometry subpad. Each subpad contains command buttons that perform operations
related to the overall purpose of the subpad. For example, the Geometry subpad contains
command buttons that allow you to perform operations related to the creation and refinement of model geometry.
Some of the command buttons located on subpads open related subpads of their own. For
example, when you click the VOLUME command button on the Geometry subpad,
GAMBIT opens the Geometry/Volume subpad. Each command button on the Geometry/
Volume subpad is associated with a specification form that allows you to specify parameters related to the function indicated on the button.
Toolpad Command Buttons
Toolpad command buttons allow you to execute program commands related to building,
meshing, or viewing the model and working with the GUI. Some toolpad command
buttons cause a direct action to occur; others open specification forms.
All toolpad command buttons contain symbols representing their functions. Buttons that
perform more than one function (multifunction command buttons) contain small, downward-pointing arrowheads in their lower left corners.
For complete descriptions of the GAMBIT GUI toolpad and command buttons, see
Chapter 3 of the GAMBIT Users Guide.

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GUI Components

USING THIS TUTORIAL GUIDE

Tutorial ConventionToolpad Command Buttons

GAMBIT geometry and meshing procedures operate by means of specification forms.
Each specification form is associated with a unique combination of GAMBIT toolpad
command buttons.
This tutorial guide employs the following convention to indicate the command button
combination associated with any specification form:
L1 L2 L3
where L1 represents the main-pad command button, and L2 and L3 represent the secondand third-level subpad command buttons, respectively. For example, the command button
combination associated with the Create Real Brick form is as follows:
GEOMETRY

VOLUME

CREATE VOLUME

Note that the toolpad choices are indicated in two ways:

The name of the command button that appears in the Description window of the
GAMBIT GUI

A picture of the command button

When you see this kind of flow chart in a tutorial, you should left-click the command
buttons in the order shown so that they appear depressed. A command button has a black
border on its top and left-hand side when it is depressed. The GEOMETRY command
button
at the top of the Operation toolpad in Figure 0-1 is an example of a
depressed button. The black border is on the bottom and right-hand side when the button
in Figure 0-1. Note that if a button
is not depressed; see the MESH command button
is already depressed, you need not click that button again. In fact, clicking a selected
button will unselect it.
Toolpad choices that require pressing the right mouse button are indicated by an R to the
right of the corresponding command button icon, followed by the icon to select from the
list of available functions. For example,

right-click the CREATE VOLUME command button

indicates that you should

, then choose the CREATE REAL

from the resulting list. CREATE REAL CYLINDER is the

CYLINDER option
text that is written in the Description window when you hold the mouse cursor over the
menu item.

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USING THIS TUTORIAL GUIDE

GUI Components

0.5.4 Form Field

When you click any subpad command button (except UNDO), GAMBIT opens an associated specification form. Specification forms, such as that shown in Figure 0-2, allow you
to specify parameters related to modeling and meshing operations, the assignment of
boundary attributes, and the creation and manipulation of GAMBIT coordinate systems
and grids.

Figure 0-2: Example GAMBIT specification form

When you open a specification form, it appears in the form field. The form field is located
at the right side of the GUI, immediately below the Operation toolpad.
Text boxes allow you to input alphanumeric data. They are located on forms and appear as
white, indented rectangles (for example, the Width text box in Figure 0-2). The title of any
text box appears immediately to its left. To enter data by means of a text box, left-click in
the box to enable it for user input, and then input the data from the keyboard.
0.5.5 Global Control Toolpad
The Global Control toolpad is located at the lower right corner of the GUI. Its purpose is
to allow you to control the layout and operation of the graphics window as well as the
appearance of the model as displayed in any particular quadrant. Section 3.4 of the
GAMBIT Users Guide describes the function and use of each button on the Global
Control toolpad.
0.5.6 Description Window
The Description window is located at the bottom of the GUI, immediately to the left of the
Global Control toolpad. The purpose of the Description window is to display messages
describing the various GUI components, including sashes, fields, windows, and command
buttons.

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GUI Components

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Messages displayed in the Description window describe the component of the GUI corresponding to the current location of the mouse pointer. As you move the mouse pointer
across the screen, GAMBIT updates the Description window message to reflect the
change in the location of the pointer.
0.5.7 Transcript Window and Command Text Box
The Transcript window is located in the lower left portion of the GUI. The Command text
box is located immediately below the Transcript window.
The purpose of the Transcript window is to display a log of commands executed and messages displayed by GAMBIT during the current modeling session. The Command text box
allows you to perform GAMBIT modeling and meshing operations by means of direct
keyboard input, rather than by means of mouse operations on the GUI. See the GAMBIT
Command Reference Guide for more details.

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19982007 Fluent, Inc. All rights reserved.