Producing an overlay plot

An overlay plot is a display that contains multiple plots in one viewport. Overlay plots are composed of layers; you can open multiple output databases and create the layers automatically, or you can use the Overlay Plot Layer Manager to create layers manually.

Related Topics
Understanding how to overlay plots
Producing and modifying overlay plots

Context:

You also use the Overlay Plot Layer Manager to configure your overlay plots.

Tip: You can also plot any combination of deformed and undeformed models shapes with or without contours, symbols, or materials orientations for a single output database by using the Allow Multiple Plot States tool. Since all the plot states are created on a single layer, the Allow Multiple Plot States tool is limited to displaying data from a single output database, step, and frame. For more information, see Displaying multiple plot states.

  1. Determine the method to use for producing the overlay plot:

    • Create layers automatically by opening multiple output databases.

    • Create layers manually.

  2. To create layers automatically, do the following:

    1. Select FileOpen from the main menu bar.
    2. From the Open Database dialog box that appears, select Output Database (*.odb*) as the File Filter.
    3. Select the output databases to open, toggle on Append to layers, and click OK. For more details, see Opening a model database or an output database.

      An overlay plot containing the combined contents of the output databases is automatically created in a viewport, and each output database is assigned to a separate layer. You can select ViewOverlay Plot from the main menu bar to display the Overlay Plot Layer Manager and view the layers.

  3. To create layers manually, do the following:

    1. Create the first plot that you want to include in the display.
    2. Open the Overlay Plot Layer Manager by selecting ViewOverlay Plot from the main menu bar.

      Tip: You can also open the manager by clicking the Overlay Plot Layer Manager tool in the toolbox.

    3. Click Create to create a layer that contains the plot shown in the current viewport.

      The Create Viewport Layer dialog box appears.

    4. Enter a name for the layer, and click OK.

      The new layer appears in the Overlay Plot Layer Manager, with check marks in both the Visible and Current columns.

    5. Create a new plot in the current viewport.
    6. Repeat Step c through Step e to create as many layers as you would like to include in the plot. In the Create Viewport Layer dialog box for all layers after the first one, you can choose to copy the view from an existing layer by toggling on Copy view from and selecting a layer from the list.

      The new layers appear in the Overlay Plot Layer Manager as you create them; the most recently created layer will have a check mark in the Current column.

    7. Check that the layers you want to include in the plot have a check mark in the Visible column, and click Plot Overlay.

      The layers appear stacked on top of each other in the current viewport in the order in which they are listed in the Overlay Plot Layer Manager.

  4. From the Overlay Plot Layer Manager, you can delete a layer by clicking in the Name or Object column to select the layer and clicking Delete.

  5. With the overlay plot displayed in the viewport, you can click Plot Single in the Overlay Plot Layer Manager to exit the overlay plot state.

    The overlay plot disappears from the viewport, and the display returns to the previous plot state; but the Overlay Plot Layer Manager remains open. Click Dismiss to close the Overlay Plot Layer Manager.

    Tip: You can also click the tool in the toolbox to switch between the single plot and overlay plot state at any time.