3 Dview

3DVIEW User Guide
2001, 2002 by Landmark Graphics Corporation
Part No. 159672 R2003.4

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Note
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Landmark 3D View Users Guide
00 About This Manual
Purpose
This manual describes how to use Landmarks 3DVIEWTM and 2DVIEWTM
reservoir visualization software. These programs are intuitive, graphical, and
relatively simple to learn. The manual can be used for extended study by users
learning the software or for quick reference by those who already understand its
basic operation. Throughout this manual, example screens from the program are
included, along with descriptions that will help you understand how to produce
similar results on your own workstation. 00
Audience
This manual is intended for use by reservoir engineers or other technical
personnel wanting to evaluate reservoir structure or performance based on
simulation results calculated by software such as the Landmark line of VIP
simulators. This manual assumes the user has a basic familiarity with computers
and reservoir engineering terminology. Experience with the X Window System/
Motif interface is especially helpful as is some familiarity with computer
simulation of reservoirs. 00
Organization
This manual is organized in a logical order corresponding to normal user work
flow. The following chapters are provided to help you understand program
operation: 00
Chapter 1- Overview. Explains the purpose and major features of the

software.
Chapter 2 - Getting Started. Explains how to start 3DVIEW and 2DVIEW,

how to use the menus and control panels, how to open and save files, and how
to quit the program.
Chapter 3 - Adjusting the Display. Describes various display control

features such as zooming, shading and coloration.
Chapter 4 - Data Visualization Techniques. Describes some of the

softwares advanced visualization options such as the ability to display certain
ranges of data or layers, shrink or clip reservoir areas, or view ternary
displays.
Chapter 5 - Hardcopy Output. Describes how to produce hardcopy

printouts of the 3-D model display.
R2003.4 About This Manual: Purpose iii

3D View Users Guide Landmark
Chapter 6 - Animation and Video. Explains how to animate the display and
produce slide shows and video.
Appendices. Provides additional information on subjects such as file data file

formats, environment variables, etc.
System Operation and Conventions

This manual uses certain conventions to indicate the correct mouse button and
keyboard usage.
Mouse Operation
Mouse buttons are named MB1, MB2, and MB3, progressing from left to right (or
right-to-left in a left-handed mouse). The mouse example below shows a right-
handed arrangement. Button arrangement may be reversed for left-handed mouses
(see your system documentation for details).
The basic functions of the mouse pointer that are specific to 3DVIEW and
2DVIEW operation are as follows: 00
MB1 Activates the menu controls and expands/contracts (zooms) the

model image in the display.
MB2 Rotates the model image in the display.
MB3 Moves the model image (pans) in the display.
The following terms are used to describe various mouse operations:
Point Move mouse until pointer is at desired location.
Click Press MB1 and release rapidly.
Double-click Press MB1 two times rapidly.
Control-click Hold down Control key and click once.
Shift-click Hold down Shift key and click once.
Drag Hold down MB1 and move the mouse, then release when pointer
reaches desired location.
Select Click once or double-click at the indicated location.
Shade Drag the mouse pointer across a group of text, double-click to

shade a word, or triple-click to shade a line or paragraph.
Set cursor Click MB1 in text at location where you want to start typing.
iv About This Manual: System Operation and Conventions R2003.4

Operating the Interface Controls

The program menus follow the Motif Style Guide set out for the OSF/Motif user
interface. Menu and submenu operation is described below: 00
Menu/Submenu activation. Click on a menu item to select it. The

appropriate submenu is displayed or the appropriate action initiated.
On/Off toggle. Click once to turn on, again to turn off. When the button looks
pushed in, it is on.
Selection toggle. Only one button can be selected at a time. The active button
is indicated by color-fill.
Slider Bar. The current setting is shown at the slider. To change it, click either
side using MB2 or drag it along the slider path using MB1 until the desired
value appears. You can also use the arrow keys.
Text Sliders. Works the same way as numeric sliders, except that it controls
text settings. You can also enter text manually, using the keyboard, arrow keys
for left/right movement in the field, and Backspace/Delete for character
removal. To overwrite the entry, double-click the current value and retype.
The Enter key must be pressed after typing a new value.
When you click in a text field, the border color indicates the type. A yellow
border indicates unrestricted entries, including values that are outside the
R2003.4 About This Manual: System Operation and Conventions v

minimum/maximum range of the slider (the range changes automatically to

accommodate the entered value). A red border indicates values must remain
between the maximum and minimum of the slider.
Option Button. Users may select or cycle through available selections by

pressing MB1.
List. Lists are primarily used to display data files for selection. Simply click
MB1 to make a selection. If scroll bars are displayed with a list, use MB1 to
click on the scroll bar arrows or drag the bar.
vi About This Manual: System Operation and Conventions R2003.4

Operating Motif Windows

If a Motif Window Manager (MWM) or a MWM look alike is running the
following bar will appear across the top of every window which allows the
following operations. Operations marked with an asterisk (*) require dragging, all
others require clicking. 00
Move Window*
Resize Window* 00
(any edge or corner) 00
Window Control Menu 00 Iconize 00 Full Screen Toggle 00
Activates the Window menu - Reduces the active Enables the activated
e.g., move, maximize, close, etc. window to an icon. window to occupy the
Close only closes the current Clicking on the icon entire screen area. 00
window and will not exit the restores the window to

program. 00 its previous state. 00
Depending on the system settings, it may be necessary to click on the edge of a

window in order to focus it or to raise it from an overlapped position and press
Alt-F3 (or Meta-F3) to lower the window. Closing a window can usually be
accomplished by pressing Alt-F4 (or Meta-F4). 00
NOTE: If you are not using the Motif Window Manager (for instance, if
you are using openwin or Microsoft Windows or Mac), you may
need to use a different resource file. This can be done by setting the
following variable:
setenv VIPXDEFAULTS $VIPEXEC/DeskTopVIP.NoMWM
Related Manuals
The following manuals provide more information on Landmark products related
to 3DVIEW and 2DVIEW. For more information, please consult the appropriate
manual listed below.
Getting Started with VIP. An introduction to the VIP product line in general
and the DESKTOP-VIP program in particular. Explains all of the concepts
and data required to prepare and run reservoir simulations.
R2003.4 About This Manual: Related Manuals vii

VIP-CORE Reference Manual. A complete summary of all keywords and

data formats needed to build an initial reservoir model.
VIP-EXECUTIVE Reference Manual. A complete summary of the

keywords and data needed to simulate reservoir operation.
VIP-EXECUTIVE Technical Reference. A detailed discussion of the

mathematical theory behind the VIP simulators.
VIP-THERM Reference Manual. A summary of the keywords and data

entry formats needed to set up a VIP-THERM simulation.
DESKTOP-PVT Users Guide. A summary of the keywords and data entry

formats needed to use the EOS-PAK product.
GeoLink Users Guide. A summary of the user interface available with the
GeoLink package.
GRIDGENR Users Guide. A complete guide to the GRIDGENR software,

which lets the user define the geometry, internal structure, and properties of
the reservoir model.
Contact your Landmark representative for more information about these manuals
or other Landmark products.
viii About This Manual: Related Manuals R2003.4

Overview
What Is 3DVIEW?
Recent advances in workstation technology and visualization techniques have
opened up a world of new opportunities for the petroleum technologist, reservoir
engineer or geoscientist. The advanced technologies currently available allow a
reservoir simulation model to be generated which is more accurate and detailed
than previously possible. 3DVIEW helps you view such models in three
dimensions as a high-resolution graphics image.
3DVIEW Advanced Reservoir Visualization
With 3DVIEW, the petroleum technologist can get inside the three dimensional
simulator model to view the effects of a simulation on a specific area of a
reservoir. Simulation attributes can be displayed as color-coded shaded images
across a reservoir structure. The image can be rotated, zoomed, and sliced all in
real time.
R2003.4 Overview: What Is 3DVIEW? 1

Changes through time for any reservoir attribute can be viewed in an animation
mode. As a result, physical changes in the reservoir, such as gas cap movements
or pressure changes can easily be evaluated. The ability to visualize a three-
dimensional image of a simulation model from any angle during the course of the
simulation cannot help but improve the understanding of the reservoir.
The 3DVIEW software has all the power you need to view multidimensional
reservoir models in full color. When used with the integrated suite of Landmark
reservoir modeling products, 3DVIEW can be used at four different points in the
simulation process: after gridding, after initialization, during simulation, and after
simulation.
2 Overview: What Is 3DVIEW? R2003.4

What Is 2DVIEW?
The 2DVIEW software is nearly identical to 3DVIEW, except that it provides
only a two-dimensional view of a reservoir model. Instead of being able to view
the model at any angle, you can only view it layer by layer from above. Model
rotation and animation are restricted to the 2D plane. The 2DVIEW program
replaces the old SIMOUT application found in previous versions of DESKTOP-
VIP. All documentation in this manual should be assumed to apply equally to both
2DVIEW and 3DVIEW, except where otherwise specified.
NOTE: Like SIMOUT before it, 2DVIEW is offered as an integral part of

DESKTOP-VIP for use by customers who have not purchased a 3DVIEW
license. If you would prefer the 3DVIEW product, please contact your
Landmark sales representative for details.
2DVIEW Two-Dimensional Reservoir Visualization
R2003.4 Overview: What Is 2DVIEW? 3

Summary of Features
The 3DVIEW and 2DVIEW packages of reservoir visualization software offer the
following major features:
General
Full-featured 3D or 2D visualization of geologic and reservoir simulation
models.
Ability to handle very large models.
Fast real-time 3D animation (not available in 2DVIEW).
Visualization on low-cost hardware.
High-quality presentation output.
Easy to use OSF/Motif user interface.
Integrated with other commercial or in-house reservoir simulators.
Ternary Display with Local Grid Refinement
4 Overview: Summary of Features R2003.4

Data Visualization Features

Visualization of any simulation attribute.
Instant switching between simulation attributes.
Overlay simulation grid on data display.
Set data thresholds (clipping) and special display of cells within specified data
range.
Single-layer or multi-layer displays.
Complete control over well and data color-coding and enhancement.
Strip away multiple cross-sections (fence) or partial layers (chair) to reveal

inside of model.
View grids with full display of corner points and local grid refinement.
Display grid only, independent of cells.
Display complex geometries including vertical or sloping faults.
Ternary display shows color-coded distribution of any three properties (e.g.,

So, Sg, Sw).
Display wells, well names, and perforations superimposed on color-coded

display.
Well status color-coded for injectors, producers or shut-in.
Display deviated and/or horizontal wells.
Inquire or display data values of specific gridblocks.
Picking and displaying data values of one or more cells.
Ability to shrink or expand individual cells.
Contour shading.
User-specified scaling, including scale exaggeration or distortion.
Synchronous or asynchronous dissection.
Isosurfaces.
Arbitrary cutting planes.
Flow visualization.
R2003.4 Overview: Summary of Features 5

Partial Display of Gas Saturations Above a Specified Threshold
Example of a Fence Diagram

Example of a Chair Diagram
Display Control
Simultaneous display of multiple views from the same or different reservoir
models or simulation runs.
Link multiple views together for simultaneous movement.
Orthographic or perspective views.
Real-time rotation, zoom, translation of 3D image to any angle or position in

display (rotation limited in 2DVIEW).
Split or clone views.
Real-time animation of simulation results.
Ability to set delay time between animation frames.
Variable scaling of image in x, y, or z direction.
User-defined color spectrums in addition to 12 different pre-defined spectrum

types.
User control over spectrum limits.
Color mapping with 12 different spectrum types (including ternary).

Ability to save the screen state to a definition file.
Multiple screen definitions per file.
Cycle through screen definitions to create a slide show.
Use lighting to emphasize 3D relief of model. Up to eight lighting effects for

interactive display (not available in 2DVIEW). Control amount of specular
reflection and ambient light.
Hardcopy Presentation and Printing

Scalable hardcopy available with PostScript and CGM output.
Output to several image file formats at arbitrary resolutions. File formats

include: TIFF, GIF, TARGA, and PICT.
User-defined legends.
User-specified scale (ft/in) or total size (2DVIEW only).
Model Display with Clipped Layers

OpenVision Connectivity
The current version of 3DVIEW offers connectivity to the OpenVision data
visualization program. OpenVision is a product that allows engineers and
reservoir analysts to view many different types of geoscience data through a
single viewer. With 3DVIEWs OpenVision connectivity, you can:
Open a connection to OpenVision directly from 3DVIEW, so that the

3DVIEW data also appears in the OpenVision window.
Broadcast any changes made in 3DVIEW automatically to the OpenVision

display.
Update the OpenVision display manually with any changes made in the
3DVIEW display.
Disconnect from OpenVision.
Each of these selections is made from a special OpenVision connection control

panel, which can be accessed from the File menu.


Getting Started
Introduction
This chapter will help you get started using the 3DVIEW and 2DVIEW software.
It explains the following topics:
How to start and stop the software.
How to use the menus and control panel.
How to open database files.
How to select properties to be displayed.
How to open and control multiple display windows.
How to connect to OpenVision for simultaneous display of multiple data

types.
This chapter contains all the procedures you will need to get the desired data files
open and displayed on the screen. Later chapters will explain how to change the
display and analyze the data through various visualization techniques. Before
using this chapter, make sure you read and understand the material contained in
Chapter 1.
R2003.4 Getting Started: Introduction 11

Starting and Stopping the Program

Starting the program is a simple process that can be accomplished in several
different ways.
Starting from the Command Line

To start the program from the command line, use the following procedure.
NOTE: Please refer to Appendix D for additional command line parameters.
1. At the command line prompt, type the following to start 3DVIEW:
3dv filename
or type the following to start 2DVIEW
3dv -2 filename
where filename is the name of the data file to be displayed. The file should be
in .vdb format (see Note on next page). If you use an appropriate filename on
the command line, the program opens a display window as shown page 14.
2. If you do not know the filename, just type 3dv and press the Enter key.
The program displays the following dialog:
The File Selection Dialog
12 Getting Started: Starting and Stopping the Program R2003.4

3. Select the database filename from the Files list on the right side of this box,
then click the OK button.
NOTE: You must select either a VIP database file (.vdb), as described in Loading
Data Files on page 21. The file name should appear in the selection panel
shown in the previous figure. If you do not see the file listed, it may be in
some other directory. You can type a new pathname on the Filter line, ending
with a slash and asterisk (/*), then click the Filter button to see the files in
that directory. Or you can navigate through the directory structure by double-
clicking the directory name in the Directories list.
After selecting the database file of interest, the reservoir model will appear in
the display window, as shown in the next part of this chapter. You can
continue loading more data files or create scenes using the appropriate
procedures later in this chapter (see Loading Data Files on page 21).
Starting from DESKTOP-VIP

To start the program from DESKTOP-VIP, follow these steps:
1. Select Output and then 3DVIEW or 2DVIEW from the menu bar.
NOTE: To view initial data in three dimensions prior to performing a simulation,

start the DESKTOP-VIP User Interface by typing dtop. Load a datafile and
then choose Input, Array, Calculate, 3Dview.
Stopping the Program

To close the program and all of its displays, click the Quit button at the bottom of
the control panel (lower left corner of display). See page 18 for location of the
Quit button.
R2003.4 Getting Started: Starting and Stopping the Program 13

Understanding the Interface

When the program first starts, the display window and control panel appear
together, as shown below. The display window provides an area for viewing and
manipulating the reservoir image, plus various pull-down menus for selecting
program options. The control panel is used to control what appears in the display
window. Each component is described in more detail on the following pages.
NOTE: The display window and control panel can be resized by dragging the
corners. For example, it may be desirable to have the interface take up less
room on the screen. Or, it may be desirable to have the display window
larger to allow more room for manipulating the reservoir image.
The Main Display Components
The 3DVIEW and 2DVIEW user interfaces contain several different components
you can use to operate the program, as discussed on the following pages. Later
sections of this manual will explain each of the component options in greater
detail.
14 Getting Started: Understanding the Interface R2003.4

Display Window
The display window lets you manipulate the reservoir image to visually assess the
results of a reservoir simulation. The window includes the menu bar and display
area which are discussed in more detail on the following pages. To help you
understand the current data you are viewing, the title bar also shows the current
database filename, timestep date and number, and reservoir orientation.
Timestep Timestep Reservoir

Menu Bar Project/Case Date No. Orientation
Display
Area
Display Window Components
R2003.4 Getting Started: Understanding the Interface 15

Menu Bar
The program provides a menu bar at the top of each display window with a series
of pull-down menus that let you select the available program options. To select
from a menu, just click the menu name, then click the desired option (or drag the
mouse pointer to it). For example, to open a new file, click the word File on the
menu bar, then select the New/New File option on the pull-down menu (when you
do this, the program displays a list of filenames for selection).
The following table summarizes the menus and options available. Menu options
followed by three dots indicate that additional dialog boxes or menus will be
displayed upon selection of the option. Ctrl plus a letter appearing beside a menu
option indicates a shortcut key the option can be selected by holding down the
Control key while typing the indicated letter. For example, the shortcut key for
File/New/New File is Ctrl + N. Holding down the Control key while typing N is
the same as selecting File/New/New File.
Menu Summary
Menu Name Purpose Chapter
File Open a different in the same window or a new file in a 2

new window; clone the current view; print, deactivate,
or close the current scene; start Open Vision.
Data Select timestep and data for display; set data limits and 2
clipping parameters.
View-Point Control reservoir orientation; zoom display in or out; 3

move display; control projection, scale and lighting of
display.
Grid Control grid clipping; display options; cross sections; 4

grid cell expansion/shrinking; active and displayed
LGR; contouring; isosurfaces; arbitrary cutting planes
and flow vectors.
Spectrum Position spectrum; scale spectrum; select/define new 3

spectrum.
Display Define components displayed during movement; 3

define color selections; create a legend display; select
rendering options; select printing options.
Wells Control well display; define well colors; set well 5

selection tolerance; plot well production history.

Spectrum Window
The spectrum window shown below indicates the property displayed and provides
a color scale for easy visualization of the property range. See Adjusting the Color
Spectrum on page 55 for information regarding the options available for
controlling the display of the Color Spectrum.
Displayed
variable and
data range
The Spectrum Panel
A special spectrum viewer appears for ternary displays, which shows the relative
intensity of all three properties selected for display. Ternary displays are created
using the Variable option on the Data menu. In this case, the displayed properties
are shown at each point of the triangle and the ranges are indicated between them.
For example, the following ternary diagram shows the color coding for a
simultaneous display of oil, water, and gas saturation.
Data ranges
Displayed variables
The Ternary Spectrum

Control Panel
The control panel appears at the left side of the screen when you start the program.
This panel provides options for displaying and controlling one or multiple
reservoir displays (scenes), printing, animation, calculation, and other features.
Translate
The Control Panel
The following table summarizes the various control panel buttons. Most buttons
are operated through a single click. The Selection Mode contains a menu that you
can click or drag-select.
Summary of Control Panel Buttons
Button Purpose For details, see...
Add Scene Used to open multiple display windows. Adding a Scene on

page 31
Print Controls hardcopy parameters such as the type Hardcopy Output

of file to be generated, the name of the file, on page 141.
image height and width, etc.
Screen/ Capture and redisplay screen images as a slide Creating Slide

Video show or video sequence. Shows and Videos
Definition on page 160.

Summary of Control Panel Buttons (Continued)
Button Purpose For details, see...
Animation Controls automatic rotation and timestep Animating a Scene

changes in the display window. on page 158.
Reset Resets the current display window to the initial n/a

settings.
Outline When on, the reservoir is displayed as an n/a

Only outline box, with no cells or color coding.
When off, the full view is available.
Broadcast Used for simultaneous broadcast of changes to Broadcasting

all active windows. Options which can be Changes to Multiple
broadcast include Timestep, Rotate, Zoom, Windows on
Translate, Projection, Scale, and Logical Clip. page 31.
Scenes Controls which displays (scenes) are to be Controlling Scenes

active, displayed, and/or deleted. on page 32.
MB1, MB2, Defines mouse buttons 1, 2, 3. To modify the Mouse Button

MB3 mouse button functions, press the Modify Panel on page 20.
Mouse Buttons button. See page 20.
Quit Closes all windows and exits the program. Starting and
Stopping the
Program on
page 12.

Mouse Button Panel

Pressing the Modify Mouse Buttons button on the Control Panel displays the
Mouse Buttons panel. Use this panel to redefine the functioning of your
computers mouse buttons.
Mouse Button Actions Panel
Mouse buttons 1, 2, or 3 (Left, Middle, or Right) have three programmable

options: simple click, Ctrl-click combination, or Shift-click combination. Click on
available buttons under Left, Middle, or Right to see the following pull-down
options:
Zoom: Changes the size of an image according to mouse movement.
Rotate: Turns image according to mouse movement.
Translate: Moves the image according to mouse movement.
Pick Cell: Picks a cell for inquiring its value(s).
Pick Cells: Picks multiple cells for inquiring their values.
Pick Well: Picks a well for plotting production data.
Pick Wells: Picks multiple wells for plotting production data.
After selecting the desired mouse options, press Apply to leave this panel open
and try out the new selections, or click OK to accept the new selections and close
this panel.

Loading Data Files

The software requires you to select a VIP database file (*.vdb) for loading when
you first start the software (see Starting and Stopping the Program on page 12).
Once you have started the program, however, you may want to open a new file in
the same display window or open additional scenes in the same window or in
other display windows. There are several methods available for loading a datafile
into the program, as described below.
Opening a New File in a New Window

Use the following procedure whenever you want to open a new file in an
additional display window:
1. Select New from the File menu, then select New File from the cascading
menu.
The file selection box is displayed as shown page 12.
NOTE: If you do not see the correct file listed here, it may be in some other
directory. You can type a new pathname on the Filter line, ending with a
slash and asterisk (/*), then click the Filter button to see the files in that
directory. Or you can navigate through the directory structure by double-
After selecting a data file and choosing OK, a display window is created and
the new reservoir is displayed. File/New functions essentially the same as
Add Scene on the control panel.
R2003.4 Getting Started: Loading Data Files 21

Opening a Different File in the Current Window

Use the following procedure whenever you want to change the file displayed in
the current window:
1. Make sure the current window is active. If more than one window is open,
click on the window where you want to open the file.
2. Select Change File from the File menu.
3. The Database selection box is displayed. After selecting a data file and
choosing OK, the reservoir displayed in the current display window will be
replaced with the selected reservoir.
Closing Data Files

There are several ways to close a data file:
A file is closed automatically if you open another file in a display window

using the Change File option on the File menu.
All files are closed when you exit the program by clicking the Quit button on
the control panel.
You can close a file temporarily by selecting Close Scene from the File menu.
The file can be opened again by selecting Scenes/Displayed on the control
panel and choosing the data file for display.
Once a data file has been opened through the Add Scene or File/New File options
it will be available for display until it is deleted through the Scenes/Delete option
on the control panel. However, data files removed from display by the File/Close
Scene command can still be accessed through the Scenes option on the control
panel (see Controlling Scenes on page 32).
Viewing and Selecting from the Case List

If you have several cases available, you can select them using the Case List
option on the File Menu. To select a case, click on it then click the Apply button.
If you turn on Auto, selected cases are applied automatically.
22 Getting Started: Loading Data Files R2003.4

Selecting the Data to be Displayed

A simulation data file may contain any number of variables and timesteps, but the
program only displays a single variable and timestep at a time (except for ternary
displays, where three variables can be viewed simultaneously). When the program
first loads a data file, it selects the initial variable and timestep to be displayed
automatically:
For recurrent data, the initial variable displayed will be the first one output
from the simulator, usually oil saturation. The reservoir is initially displayed
at timestep zero.
If recurrent data is not available, the program uses the first initialization data
item (usually oil saturation).
The software makes this choice as a matter of convenience. If this happens to be

the variable you wanted to view, you can view it immediately. If not, you can use
the Data menu to change the display so that it shows the desired variable and
timestep, as explained below.
Selecting the Displayed Variable(s)

Use the following procedure to change the variable(s) displayed in the current
display window.
1. Select Variable from the Data menu. This displays the Data Variables
selection panel, as shown below.
Data Variables Selection Panel
This panel is used to select the data item desired for display from the available
data.
2. In the middle panel, select Q1 Only, Ternary, or Q1 [Q2] depending on the

number of variables you want to display simultaneously
R2003.4 Getting Started: Selecting the Data to be Displayed 23

3. Depending on your selection in the previous step, use the left panel to select a
property under Primary [Q1] if you want to select a single variable for
display, under Secondary [Q2] to display two variables, or under Ternary to
display three variables simultaneously. Use the pull-down menu(s) to select
the property(ies) to be displayed. If you selected Q1 Only in step 2 above,
only Primary [Q1] is available; if you selected Q1[Q2], Primary and
Secondary are available; if you selected Ternary, then Primary, Secondary
and Ternary are available. Skip to the next procedure if you are trying to
produce a Ternary display.
There are two pull-down menus under each selection. To select from these
pull-down menus, click and hold the button down, drag to select from the
menu, and release.
4. To define specific properties for which clipping will be allowed, use the
menus under Clip 1, Clip 2, and Clip 3 in the right-hand panel.
NOTE: Clipping is a form of data control that allows you to remove certain ranges of
data or grid cells from the view. See Chapter 4 for more details.
5. Select the type of data to be displayed. Any of the following choices may be
available on the pull-down menus, depending on the type of data contained in
the database. If any type of data is not available, the corresponding choice will
not be available on the pull-down menu.
There are three data types available on these pull-down menus. The three
types are:
Initialization. The initialization data calculated by VIP-CORE.
Recurrent. The time-variable data calculated by VIP-EXEC.
Calculated. The variables calculated using the Array Calculate module.
6. Use the Apply button if you want to test the effect of different settings on the
display. Use the Reset button if you want to reset the display to its original
settings. Otherwise, click the OK button to apply your settings and close the
window, or the Cancel button to close the window without applying your
settings.
24 Getting Started: Selecting the Data to be Displayed R2003.4

Displaying Three Variables at Once (Ternary Displays)

To display multiple variables simultaneously, Ternary must be selected on the
Variables Selection panel discussed in the previous procedure. Once you select
Ternary, there are three settings to select:
Right. The variable selected for this position will be displayed using the
colors along the line bisecting the lower right angle of the triangle.
Left. The variable selected for this position will be displayed using the colors
along the line bisecting the lower left angle of the triangle.
Top. The variable selected for this position will be displayed using the colors
along the line bisecting the top angle of the triangle.
In the figure below, the Ternary toggle was turned on in the Data/Variables
dialog box, then SO was selected for the Top variable, SG for the Right variable
and SW for the Left variable. Notice that the selected variables correspond to the
top, left, and right corners of the Ternary color spectrum, and that the reservoir
display clearly shows the saturations of oil, water, and gas.
Ternary Data Display and Color Spectrum

Selecting the Timestep

Changes to the reservoir over time may be analyzed by selecting specific
timesteps for display. This is accomplished using the Timestep option on the Data
menu, as explained in the following procedure.
1. If you want to change the timestep to the same value for all active display
windows, turn on the Broadcast option on the main control panel (see
Controlling the Range of Data Displayed on page 28 for instructions on
how to define active windows). Otherwise, turn Broadcast off.
2. Select Timestep from the Data menu.
This opens the following box for selecting the desired timestep for display.
The Time Step Selection Panel
3. Make the appropriate selection below, as follows:
Time Step. To view the data at a specific time step, move this slider to the
desired time step. The display changes automatically to show the data at
that time step.
Time in Days. If you want to view the data as it appears a certain number
of days into the simulation, move this slider (or enter a value) that
specifies the desired number of days. If the Interpolate Data button is on,
the program will interpolate the data automatically and display it on the
screen. If not, the program will display the data as calculated for the
nearest time step.
4. When you are finished using this panel, click the OK button to close it.

Automatic vs. Manual Timestep Control

The following examples show the same reservoir displayed at four different
timesteps indicating the gas cap expansion.
Reservoir Displayed Over Time
Viewing a reservoir over time can be accomplished in an automatic or manual

mode.
For the automatic mode, select Animation on the control panel and use the
slider for Refresh to set the timestep interval to be used (see Animating a
Scene on page 158). Turn on Run and the program will move through the
simulation timesteps based on the specified interval displaying the reservoir at
each interval.
For the manual mode, turn off Run and use Timestep on the Data menu to
select the timestep of interest for display.

Controlling the Range of Data Displayed

The Data Clip feature lets you control the range of data displayed by resetting the
minimum and maximum values. To use this feature:
1. Select Data Clip from the Data menu. This displays the Data Clip form as
shown below.
The Data Clip Form
2. Make the appropriate entries on the left side of the form to control the range
of data displayed.
Maximum/Minimum. Use these sliders to reset the high/low values for

the range of data to be displayed. Cells containing data outside of this
range will be excluded from display, unless the Exclusive button is turned
on.
Exclusive (Toggle). This button indicates whether the data displayed

should be between the minimum/maximum range or outside of it. When
turned on, the display will exclude all data between the minimum/
maximum range. That is, it will display all data except the data within the
specified range. When turned off, the display will include all data within
the range, and exclude all other data in the model.
3. Make the appropriate entries on the right side of the form (Active Entry) to
indicate the data value being controlled. You can set a different minimum/
maximum for each option selected.
Single. The typical model display is a single variable. If this is the case,
make sure this option is selected when setting the minimum/maximum.
Top/Left/Right (ternary displays only). If you are displaying a ternary

display (i.e., if you selected the Ternary option on the Data/Variable
submenu), select whether the minimum/maximum is being applied to the

Top, Left, or Right variable (as shown on the ternary diagram). See
Displaying Three Variables at Once (Ternary Displays) on page 25 for
more details on ternary displays.
Clip 1/2/3. Use these options to define up to three additional ranges for
specialized data clipping.
In the figure below, a minimum gas saturation of five percent was specified as a
low data cutoff by entering .05 for the Minimum on the Data Clip form.
Entire Grid Displayed With Data Values Below 0.05 Excluded

The figure below shows the reservoir with a specified minimum gas saturation of
five percent, displayed at four different timesteps during the simulation run. This
allows the reservoir engineer to actually see the expansion of the gas cap.
Reservoir Displayed Over Time For Data Values >0.05

Controlling Multiple Windows

You can open multiple data files in multiple display windows and control which
data files are active for the purpose of broadcasting changes to the windows. Each
reservoir model is displayed in a separate overlapping display window, with the
last opened model visible on top. Each open display is considered a scene. You
can display multiple data files in multiple windows then use the Scene option on
the control panel to manipulate their display.
Each display window has its own menu bar along the top, and each menu bar has
a different background color. You can resize the windows by pointing to any
corner and dragging MB1 while moving the cursor to shrink or expand the
window.
Broadcasting Changes to Multiple Windows

The Broadcast toggle button on the control panel can be used for simultaneous
control of multiple views. When Broadcast is on, changes made to most aspects
of one display are broadcast to any other active displays.
For example, if Broadcast is on and you change the timestep in one window, it
will change the timestep in all other windows. Broadcasting affects only the active
windows in the display. Normally, all windows are active, unless you specify them
as inactive for broadcast purposes. To make windows inactive, see Specifying
Active/Inactive Scenes on page 32.
Adding a Scene
The Add Scene button on the control panel works just like the File/New/New File
option on the menu bar. It opens a new data file in a new window that is
completely separate from other windows opened before.
1. Click the Add Scene button on the control panel.
The file selection box is displayed as shown on page 12.
NOTE: If you do not see the correct file listed here, it may be in some other
directory. You can type a new pathname on the Filter line, ending with a
slash and asterisk (/*), then click the Filter button to see the files in that
directory. Or you can navigate through the directory structure by double-
After selecting a data file and choosing OK, a display window is created and
the new reservoir is displayed.
R2003.4 Getting Started: Controlling Multiple Windows 31

Controlling Scenes
You can control which scenes (reservoir displays) are active, displayed, and
deleted. Clicking the Scenes button on the control panel will display the Scenes
Panel shown below. This panel is used when multiple scenes (reservoirs) are
displayed to control which scenes are to be active, displayed, and deleted.
Scenes Panel
Specifying Active/Inactive Scenes
When you have multiple windows open as scenes, you can define certain scenes
to be active or inactive for the purpose of broadcasting changes to multiple
windows. For example, if you turn on the Broadcast option on the main control
panel, then change the timestep on the Data menu, your changes will apply to all
active windows.
Scenes can be made active or inactive using the Deactivate Scene or Activate
Scene option on the File menu for each scene. An easier way to control multiple
scenes, however, is using the Active button on the Scenes Panel. By default, all
scenes are active. Use the following steps to control which scenes are active or
inactive using the Scenes panel:
1. Select the Active button on the Scenes Panel.
A dialog box opens, listing all available scenes.
List of Active Scenes
32 Getting Started: Controlling Multiple Windows R2003.4

2. Make sure all the scenes you want to be active are selected, and those you
want to be inactive are not selected.
To select or deselect active scenes, click on them. To select several, shift-click

them with MB1 or drag MB1 across the desired filenames. Any scenes not
selected will be made inactive.
3. To test the effect of your settings, click the Apply button. To reset the list to its
original condition, click the Reset button.
4. When you are finished using this panel, click the OK button to save the
settings and close the panel. Or use Cancel to close the panel without saving
your settings.
Displaying or Hiding Scenes
As you open multiple scenes, all scenes are displayed automatically by default.
However, the software lets you control which scenes are displayed and which are
hidden. To control scene display, use the following steps:
1. Select Displayed on the Scenes Panel shown on page 32.
A dialog box is opened listing all available scenes.
List of Displayed Scenes
2. Select all the scenes you want to be displayed. Those you do not select will be
hidden.
To select or deselect scenes, click on them. To select several, shift-click them

with MB1 or drag MB1 across the desired filenames.
Selected scenes will remain displayed while scenes not selected will be
removed from the display. Displayed scenes are indicated by highlighted
filenames in the dialog box.
3. To test the effect of your settings, click the Apply button. To reset the list to its
original condition, click the Reset button.

4. When you are finished using this panel, click the OK button to save the
settings and close the panel. Or use Cancel to close the panel without saving
your settings.
Deleting Scenes
You can delete all scenes except the initial or first scene opened with the Add
Scene feature (indicated by a yellow background for the menu bar). To delete
scenes:
1. Select Delete from the Scenes Panel shown on page 32.
A dialog box is opened listing all available scenes.
2. Select (highlight) a filename to be deleted, then select Apply or OK.
The scene is removed from the list of available scenes.
Making a Duplicate Copy of a Window

The Clone feature lets you open another display window the same size as the
current one. The cloning options on the File/New menu let you select how the
new display is positioned:
Clone Above. The new display window is positioned directly above the
original window, with the same reservoir displayed in it.
Clone Below. The new display window is positioned directly below the
Clone Left. The new display window is positioned to the left of the original
window, with the same reservoir displayed in it.
Clone Right. The new display window is positioned to the right of the
The desired effect is achieved when you make a selection. No special dialog
appears on the screen.
34 Getting Started: Controlling Multiple Windows R2003.4

Splitting a Window
The Split feature lets you duplicate a window, but within the same screen area as
the original window. Instead of both windows being the same size, the result is
two windows that together occupy the same space. To split a window, make the
following selections from the File/New menu.
Split Horizontal. This opens another display window containing the reservoir
displayed in the original window. The space occupied by the original display
window will be split in half horizontally with the original window occupying
the bottom half and the new window occupying the top half.
Split Vertical. This opens another display window containing the reservoir
displayed in the original window. The space occupied by the original display
window will be split in half vertically with the original window occupying the
left half and the new window occupying the right half.
The desired effect is achieved when you make a selection. No special dialog
appears on the screen.

Connecting to OpenVision
OpenVision is a product that allows engineers and reservoir analysts to view many
different types of geoscience data through a single viewer. With 3DVIEWs
OpenVision connectivity, you can:
Open a connection to OpenVision directly from 3DVIEW, so that the

3DVIEW data also appears in the OpenVision window.
Broadcast any changes made in 3DVIEW automatically to the OpenVision

display.
Update the OpenVision display manually with any changes made in the
3DVIEW display.
Disconnect from OpenVision.
To connect and view the 3DVIEW data in OpenVision, use the following steps:
1. Make sure the OpenVision program is started on your workstation.
2. Make sure 3DVIEW is started and that the appropriate data is displayed that
you want to use in OpenVision.
3. In 3DVIEW, select the OpenVision option from the File menu. This displays
the OpenVision control panel shown below.
4. Click the Connect to OpenVision button to open the connection.
5. Turn on the Broadcast to OpenVision option if you want all of your changes in
3DVIEW to be broadcast automatically to the OpenVision window as you
work. Otherwise, use the Update OpenVision Scene button to manually
update the OpenVision window as you need it.
6. When finished, or to temporarily disconnect from OpenVision, click the

Disconnect from OpenVision button.
7. When finished, click any of the bottom buttons to close this panel.
36 Getting Started: Connecting to OpenVision R2003.4

Adjusting the Display
Introduction
The previous chapter explained how to start the program, select data for display,
and arrange the data in various windows. Once you have the data displayed
correctly, you can adjust the display in various ways to improve the view. In
particular, you can:
Rotate the view.
Zoom in or out.
Move the model grid around inside the display window.
Adjust the scaling of the model for a better view of layers.
Control lighting, shading, and grid drawing.
Select a perspective or orthographic projection method.
Control the components displayed during moving.
Control hidden surface rendering.
Define colors for various display components.
Control the spectrum window type, scale, and configuration.
Display or hide wells.
Define well appearance and color.
Define the spatial tolerance for picking wells.
Most of these features do not actually change the data displayed. They are simply
different ways to change or customize the view. The next chapter (Chapter 4, Data
Visualization Techniques) explains how to use the program to strip away or
enhance various parts of the data to improve visualization.
R2003.4 Adjusting the Display: Introduction 37

Display Control Using the Mouse

Perhaps the simplest thing to do with a 3DVIEW or 2DVIEW display is to use the
mouse pointer and buttons to move, rotate, or zoom the display. You can also use
the mouse buttons to pick cells and wells. Mouse button usage depends on the
settings selected under Modify Mouse Buttons on the control panel. All other
mouse buttons work the same regardless of the Selection Mode setting. The
following table shows the various mouse button uses.
Modify Mouse Buttons panel
All mouse control functions are handled by dragging the mouse while holding
down the appropriate button. For example:
Translate. To move (i.e., translate) the model, hold down the appropriate
mouse button and drag the mouse over the image.
Rotate. To rotate the model, hold down the appropriate mouse button and
drag the mouse in the desired direction of rotation. During rotation, the
reservoir outline is displayed, but the data display is turned off for speed.
When rotation finishes (i.e., you release the mouse button) the data is
redisplayed in the new position.
Zoom. To zoom in or out, hold down the appropriate mouse button and drag
the mouse upward or downward in the display area. During the zoom, the
reservoir outline is displayed, but the data display is turned off for speed.
When zooming finishes (i.e., you release the mouse button) the data is
redisplayed at the new magnification.
For instructions on how to use the mouse for pointing at (picking) specific cells
and wells, see Viewing Data for Cells and Wells on page 133.
38 Adjusting the Display: Display Control Using the Mouse R2003.4

Setting Up the Model View

The View-Point menu allows you to control the display of a model in various
ways, including:
Rotation
Zooming
Translation (moving)
Projection method (orthographic/perspective)
X, Y, Z rescaling
Lighting.
The information in this section explains how to use each of the options on the
View-Point menu
Rotating the Model

You can rotate any reservoir display in an automated or manual mode. For the
manual mode, simply drag MB2 in the display area, as explained earlier (see
Display Control Using the Mouse on page 38). The model can also be rotated
using the following steps:
1. Select Rotate on the View-Point menu. This displays the following panel
which lets you control the degree of rotation.
Rotation Control Panel
2. Leave this panel open as long as you need it and use the following sliders to
control rotation.
Azimuth. By moving the slider with MB1 the model image can be rotated
horizontally around its central point. The degree of rotation may also be
specified by highlighting the number in the value area and typing a new
number.
R2003.4 Adjusting the Display: Setting Up the Model View 39

Inclination. By moving the slider with MB1 the model image can be
rotated vertically around its central point. The degree of inclination may
also be specified by highlighting the number in the value area and typing
a new number.
WARNING: This feature is not available in the 2DVIEW version of the software, since
rotation is restricted to the grid plane. You cannot change the angle of view
(i.e., inclination) in a two-dimensional display.
3. Click the Apply button to test how the settings look.
4. Any time before pressing Apply, you can press Reset to reset the values to
their original settings.
5. If the settings are acceptable, click the OK button to save them and close this
panel. Otherwise, click Cancel to close without saving.
To rotate the reservoir in automatic mode, select Animation on the control panel,
use the slider for Refresh to specify a frequency for redrawing the reservoir and
turn on Fling. Position the cursor on the reservoir and move in the desired
direction of rotation while holding down MB2. The reservoir will automatically
be rotated in the indicated direction with the display being redrawn at the interval
40 Adjusting the Display: Setting Up the Model View R2003.4

specified for Refresh. The following illustration shows the same reservoir rotated
to different viewing angles.
Example of Model Rotation

Zooming In or Out
You can zoom any reservoir display in an automated or manual mode. For the
manual mode, simply drag MB1 up or down across the display area, as explained
earlier (see Display Control Using the Mouse on page 38). To zoom a model in
automated mode, use the following steps:
1. Select Zoom on the View-Point menu. This displays the following panel
which lets you control the zoom.
Zoom Control Panel
2. Leave this panel open as long as you need it and use the zoom slider to control
zooming.
3. Click the OK button to close the panel when you are finished using it.

Moving the Model Inside a Window (Translate)

You can move or translate the displayed model using the mouse or using specific
settings. To use the mouse, make sure the control panel Selection Mode is set to
Translate, then drag MB3 across the display in the desired direction (see Display
Control Using the Mouse on page 38). To achieve more precise positioning, use
the following steps:
1. Select Translate on the View-Point menu. This displays the following panel
which lets you control the translation.
Translation Control Panel
2. Leave this panel open as long as you need it and use the following sliders to
control translation.
Z Translate. Used to move the model image in the Z direction in the

display window.
Y Translate. Used to move the model image in the Y direction in the

display window.
X Translate. Used to move the model image in the X direction in the

display window.
4. Any time before pressing apply, you can press Reset to reset the values to

Adjusting the Scale

The relative scale of a reservoir may be distorted or expanded in the X, Y, or Z
direction to enhance the visualization of the relief of the reservoir. This is
accomplished through the Scale option on the View-Point menu. Rescaling the
axes does not change the model data itself. Instead, it simply enhances the view.
For example, in the figure below, Z-axis scaling was set to four to expand the
reservoir by a factor of 4 in the Z direction.
Z-Axis Scaling Multiplied By 4
To use this feature:
1. Select Scale on the View-Point menu. This displays the following dialog box.

The Scale Panel
2. If you want to be able to test how your changes will affect the display, turn on
the Auto button to auto-apply the settings.
3. Use the sliders to adjust the relative model scale in each direction.
With all scales set to 1, the original model proportions are represented
accurately. Each whole increment on the scale exaggerates the proportions
that many times. For example, to exaggerate the X scale by a factor of four,
set X Scale to 4. You can also use the Z Thicken setting to actually thicken
the Z layers.
WARNING: Z Thicken will thicken the layers without modifying the structure. This can
have the effect of distorting fluid contacts. Z thick operates on each grid
separately. This may give unexpected results.
4. Click the Apply button to test various control settings on the display.
5. If the Apply button has not been used, you can click the Reset button at any
time to change the form back to its original settings.
6. When you are finished using the Scale feature, click the OK button to apply
your last settings and close the Scale dialog. Or click Cancel to close the form
without applying your last settings.

Adjusting the Lighting

To better highlight certain features of the model, the program lets you control the
direction of lighting. Angle of reflection is crucial to apparent brightness. Proper
light placement can help highlight surface undulations and discontinuities, such as
those found at faults. To adjust the lighting, use these steps:
1. Select Lights/Settings on the View-Point menu to display the following

dialog box.
Lights Panel
2. Turn on the Lighting switch if you want lighting effects to apply. This is the
main toggle switch for all lighting effects.
NOTE: You can also toggle the lighting using the Lights/On and Lights/Off
selections on the View-Point menu.
3. Turn either of the following toggle buttons on or off to control the projection
method.

Top/Middle/Bottom. There are 26 artificial light sources available, as

shown in the following diagram. These light sources can be used to create
shadows on the model, and often give the display a more realistic effect
by enhancing depth perception. The color of some reservoir cells will
appear darker than the colors of the spectrum with Lighting turned on.
The lighting source that you select remains fixed with regard to the
viewport. As the object rotates, so does the brightness or relative
coloration of various model features.
Available Light Sources
The different light sources available are indicated by arrows pointing in

the direction of the light source for a top, middle, and bottom plane.
Simply click on the square button to the left of the desired light source(s)
and choose OK or Apply to turn on that light. For on screen display, a
maximum of eight (8) light sources may be turned on at one time.
Additional lights may be active for hardcopy output.
Light Scale. Use this slider to control the intensity of the light source.
The higher the setting, the brighter the lighting.
Specular Reflection. Use this slider to control the level of specular

reflection in the display.
Ambient Light. Use this slider to control the level of ambient lighting in
the display.

Changing the Projection Method

You can change the projection method inside a window to orthographic or to
perspective. Orthographic projection does not include a depth perception
correction, while perspective projection does. To change the projection method,
use the following steps:
1. Select Projection on the View-Point menu. This opens a submenu with the
following options:
Orthographic. Displays the reservoir without adjustment for depth

perception. This option is primarily beneficial for displaying map views
and cross-sections.
Perspective (not available in 2DVIEW). Display the reservoir with an

automatic perspective adjustment to simulate three-dimensional depth.
That is, parts of the reservoir closer to the eye will appear larger than parts
which are farther away.
2. Select the appropriate option from the submenu. This changes the model
display accordingly.

Changing Display Attributes

The program provides a number of options that let you show, hide, or enhance
certain features of a reservoir display. For example, you can control:
Movement. Defining general features to be displayed or hidden during

movement or repositioning of the model.
Rendering. Controls the method used for model redrawing.
Color Scale. Defining the color of other display components.
Each of the above attributes is already set to a default value when you first start
using the program. The following procedures explain how to adjust the values to
achieve different results.
Components Displayed During Movement

You can define the model components to be displayed or hidden during
movement, including grid, wells, data, or outline. To use this feature:
1. Select Movement Options on the Display menu. This displays the following
dialog box for selecting the reservoir features to be displayed while the
reservoir is being repositioned in the display window.
Movement Panel
2. Turn the appropriate toggle buttons on or off, as desired.
Show Outline. When selected, the outline of the reservoir will be

displayed while using the mouse to reposition the model image. (Default
is on.)
Show Data. When selected, the data will be displayed while using the
mouse to reposition the model image. (Default is off.)
Show Grid. When selected, the individual cell grids will be displayed
while using the mouse to reposition the model image. (Default is off.)
Show Wells. When selected, the wells will be displayed while using the
mouse to reposition the model image. (Default is on.)
R2003.4 Adjusting the Display: Changing Display Attributes 49

50 Adjusting the Display: Changing Display Attributes R2003.4

Defining Colors for Various Display Components

Another menu is available if you want to control the overall grid, text and
background colors. To use this feature:
1. Select Colors on the Display menu to display the following panel.
Color Scale Panel
2. Use the sliders to select the level of red/green/blue for the following display
components:
Grid Color. The color of the grid lines between cells.
Cutting Cell Color. The color of cells used to mark a cutting plane (see
Using Cutting Planes to Segment a Model on page 126).
Text Color. The color of text displayed used to display data values on cell
faces.
Back Ground Color. The background color in the display window.
Color Scale. The level of brightness associated with the spectrum. This
option is useful when displaying ternary color spectrums.

The following are examples of different background colors.
Display of Different Background Colors

Hidden Surface Rendering

As you work with a model view, the program has to continuously draw and
redraw the display each time you make a change. When it does, it uses various
rendering algorithms to control how surfaces are redrawn. In particular, the
redrawing algorithms calculate which surfaces should be shown and which should
be hidden in a three-dimensional view. The program lets you select various
options that control how the drawing occurs. Some may produce more accurate
results than others. It is not necessary to change these options unless the current
appearance or redrawing speed of the model is unsatisfactory. The following
procedure explains how to do it:
1. Select Rendering Options on the Display menu to display the following

panel. Note that the Use Display Lists option (active by default) typically
improves performance.
Rendering Panel
2. Select the desired drawing method for the model.
The following list ranks the methods for accuracy and speed with the first
method listed being the slowest but most accurate and the last method being
the fastest but least accurate.
Painters
Software Z Buffer
Z Sort Only
Spider Web
No Hidden Surfaces
NOTE: This choice of options only applies when using X11 mode or hardcopy,
otherwise hardware/software Z buffering is used. Z Sort Only is a good
compromise for accuracy and speed.

3. Use the slider for Face Adjustment if desired to provide greater definition
between the cell face and the grid outline. This option applies to all display
modes.
As the value is lowered, the cell outline becomes dimmer and eventually
blends with the cell face. As the value is raised the cell outline becomes more
sharply defined. However, too large a value may cause grid lines from hidden
cells to be visible. You can also turn on the Two-Sided Faces option for
further visual enhancement.

Adjusting the Color Spectrum

The Spectrum menu is used to control the display of the spectrum window, which
provides color-coding keys for model displays. This includes the following
options:
Realign. Adjusting the size of the spectrum window to fit neatly below the
main display window.
Scale. Selecting the type of color scale to use and the limits of the color scale.
You can also define your own customized color scale.
Options. Controlling various other aspects of the spectrum window.
The procedures on the following pages explain how to use each of the selections
on the Spectrum menu.
Typical Spectrum Window
Realigning the Spectrum Window

When you first start the program, the spectrum window is sized to fit along the
bottom of the main display window. As you continue to work, however, you may
occasionally adjust the size of the display window for optimum screen usage.
Selecting Realign on the Spectrum menu will adjust the size and position of the
color spectrum automatically, to compensate for any changes in size made to the
display window.
R2003.4 Adjusting the Display: Adjusting the Color Spectrum 55

Changing the Spectrum Scale

The Scale option on the Spectrum menu lets you adjust the range of the color
spectrum between a minimum and maximum value. For instance, the top half of
the following illustration shows a reservoir with a color spectrum covering the
entire range of data values for the displayed property. The bottom half shows how
setting the min/max to a narrower range of data values can provide greater color
variation.
Varying Color Spectrum Using Data Limits
56 Adjusting the Display: Adjusting the Color Spectrum R2003.4

You can also select the type of color spectrum to be used for the reservoir display.
The following examples show the effect of different color spectrums on the same
three-dimensional reservoir display.
Pastel Spectrum Discrete Spectrum
RedWhiteBlue Spectrum Gray Scale Spectrum
Display of Different Color Spectrums

To use the spectrum scaling feature:
1. Select Scale on the Spectrum menu to display the Spectrum Scale Panel.
Spectrum Scale Panel
2. Click one of the buttons on the left side of the panel to select the type of value
being set. Use any of these methods to specify the max/min values shown on
the color scale:
Raw Data. To have the max/min values of the color scale match the
current data in the file.
User Data. To specify your own max/min values for the color scale. Enter
the desired Minimum and Maximum.
Auto. To have the max/min values of the color scale automatically set by
the program.
3. Specify the Number of Labels that you want to appear along the color scale.
4. Select the desired type of color spectrum from the Use Spectrum list, or use
the Customize button to define your own spectrum (see Appendix G for
procedure on defining a customized color spectrum). The following standard
color spectrums are available on the Use Spectrum list:
Seismic. Continuous shades from blue to white to red.
Rainbow. Continuous spectrum from blue to red.

Multi-Rainbow. Similar to Rainbow, but repeated in four sections.
Discrete. Individual colors, from blue to red, with 10 divisions.
Discrete2. Similar to Discrete, but with 6 divisions.
WhiteBlue. Similar to Discrete using shades from white to blue.
RedWhiteBlue. Similar to Discrete using shades from red to white to

blue.
RedGreenBlue. Similar to Discrete, using shades from red to green to

blue.
Pastel. Similar to Discrete using pastel color shades.

Grey Scale. Similar to Rainbow, but using shades of grey from black to
white.
QuarterTone. Similar to Discrete, but with 4 grey-scale divisions.
Ternary. Designed for use when displaying ternary diagrams. This

selection is not applicable for displaying single data items.
Other. Other user-defined selections may appear on this list. See

Appendix G for details.
5. Select the Label Type, which may be either Linear or Logarithmic.
6. Use the Apply button to test various settings on the model display.
7. Any time before using Apply, you can click the Reset button to change the
settings back to their original values.
8. When you are finished, click the OK button to save the settings and close this
panel, or Cancel to avoid saving the new settings.

Creating a Customized Spectrum

When you have a model displayed on the screen, you can customize the color
spectrum by selecting Scale from the Spectrum menu and then pressing the
Customize button. This displays the Spectrum Edit Table.
Spectrum Edit Table
The Spectrum Edit Table lets you interactively define a custom color scale for the
values contained in the model. The table contains a row for each data value at
which color will be changed, and the corresponding color settings. You can edit
the data cutoff values, colors, or interpolation settings using any of the following
procedures. To close the table and apply your edits, click the OK button.
Otherwise, press Cancel.
Creating a New Spectrum File
When you first display the Spectrum Edit Table, it displays the current spectrum
and lets you edit it and save it as a new spectrum file. Use the following
procedure:
1. Edit the table, as desired (see procedure later in this chapter).
2. Enter the desired Spectrum Name at the bottom of the table.

3. Select the Save option from the File menu. This displays the Spectrum File
save dialog.
Spectrum File Save Dialog
4. Enter the desired filename for saving the spectrum file at the end of the
Selection line (make sure the path accurately describes where you want to
save the file). Make sure the filename ends with the .spc file extension.
5. Click the OK button on the file save dialog to save the file.
Modifying an Existing Spectrum File
If you have already created a customized color spectrum file, and you want to
modify it, use the following steps:
1. Make sure the Spectrum Edit Table is displayed.
2. Select the Open option from the File menu. This displays the Spectrum File
open panel.

Spectrum File Open Panel
3. Select the spectrum file to be opened and click the OK button.
If you do not see the desired file listed, reset the path to the correct directory
and click the Filter button.
Editing Spectrum Table Values Directly
Unless you have pressed the Clear Table button, the table should already contain a
number of data values and corresponding color swatches. You can edit the table
directly as follows:
Value. If you want to change any of the values in the table, simply click on it
and retype. The color will change at that value.
Label. If you dont want the value to appear as a label on the color spectrum,
use the MB3 mouse button to select No from the popup menu. The default is
for the label to appear.
Color. This column shows the actual color and red-green-blue (RGB) values
for each data value. You can change the color in either of two ways. You can
select a standard color value using the MB3 pop-up menu. Or you can type in
the RGB values directly.
Sample.This column shows the actual color that will be used in the color
spectrum for each color value to the left.
Interpolate. Normally, the color spectrum is set up to transition gradually

through the spectrum. The program actually interpolates between the colors
you have selected to produce a gradual transition. If you want the colors to
change abruptly instead, use the MB3 button to select No from the pop-up
menu.

Proportional Spacing/Equal Spacing. The data values can appear along the
color scale at equidistant positions, or at positions that are relative to their
value in the scale. Select one or the other.
Manipulating Rows In the Table
The Edit menu at the top of the Spectrum Edit Table lets you cut, copy, and paste
existing rows, or insert new rows in the table. Before using any of these features,
make sure you have selected the row you want to apply it to. The following
options are available:
Insert New Row Before/After. This feature lets you insert a new row in the
table before or after the currently selected row.
Copy Row. This feature copies the currently selected row into memory, in
case you want to paste it.
Cut Row. This feature removes the currently selected row and stores it in
memory, in case you want to paste it.
Paste Row Before/After. This feature pastes the row currently stored in
memory to a position in the table before or after the currently selected row.
Undelete Row. This feature restores the last row that you removed from the
table.

Setting the Spectrum Configuration Options

You can also set various other spectrum options that control the spectrum position
and configuration. To use this feature:
1. Select Options on the Spectrum menu to display the following panel.
Spectrum Options Panel
2. Select one of the following toggles to control the spectrum position:
Vertical. Displays the spectrum window at the side of the screen.
Horizontal. Displays the spectrum window at the base of the screen

(default).
Ternary. Displays the triangular shaped ternary color spectrum in the

bottom right corner of the screen (if Ternary was selected on the Data/
Variables Submenu). The colors used for cells of the model image will be
the intersecting point of the values for the three different variables for that
cell. This item is not available for selection if only a single variable is
being displayed.
3. Select the other options, as desired.
Swap Ternary. Swaps the red and green point on the ternary diagram.
Swap. When selected (depressed) the colors on the color spectrum

(horizontal and vertical) will be reversed.
Visible. Displays or removes the color spectrum from the screen.
Black Text. Displays the text on the Color Spectrum in black when
selected. When deselected the text on the Color Spectrum is the same
color as the grid. The default setting is Black Text, except for ternary
spectrums.

4. Click the OK button when you are finished using this panel.
The following examples show reservoir displays with the color spectrum located
in different positions. The spectrum may also be positioned by placing the cursor
on the spectrum title bar and pressing and holding MB1 while moving the
spectrum to the desired location.
Example Spectrum Locations

Adjusting the Well Display

Various options on the Well menu let you adjust the display of wells in the model
view. In particular, you can control the following:
Well List. Limit the display to certain wells or well types.
Well Options. Control the display of wells, well labels, and perforation.
Well Scale. Specify the graphical appearance of certain well features.
Well Color. Define a color-code for different well types.
Well Tolerance. Set the tolerance for mouse clicking on wells.
The following procedures explain how to use each of the available Well menu
features.
Controlling the Types of Wells Displayed

The Well List option lets you define specific wells or types of wells to be
displayed. To use this option:
1. Select Well List on the Wells menu to display the following panel.
Well List Panel
R2003.4 Adjusting the Display: Adjusting the Well Display 67

2. Make the appropriate entry under Well Selection Pattern to designate the
wells to be added to the working list.
The specified pattern may include a wildcard (*). For example,
* will add all wells to the working list
Well 1* will add wells Well 1, Well 10, Well 11, Well 12 etc.
3. Click on the icon to the right of the text entry field for further control of the
wells to be added to the working list, as described below.
The Working List is the list of wells available for display. The list is initially
empty. Clicking the icon with MB1 toggles through the various methods you
can use to fill the Working List with well names. Clicking on the right
pointing arrow below the icon will perform the function and add the desired
wells to the Display List. The methods used for selection are as follows:
Merge. Click to highlight the wells in the Working List that you want to
merge into the Display List. Then click the Merge>> button. Selected
wells from the Working List are added to the Display List.
Replace. Click to highlight wells in the Working List that you to become
the new Display List. Then click the Replace>> button. Selected Working
List wells are moved to the Display list. Original Display List wells are
removed.
Extract. Click to highlight the wells in the Display List that you want
removed. Click the Extract>> button. Selected wells are removed from
the Display List.
Clicking on Import Selections or Export Selections displays the Data Base

Name panel for naming files to be exported or selecting files to be imported.
Exporting saves the list of selected wells to an ASCII file for later retrieval via
the Import button. You can do this for the Working List or the Display List.
4. Use the icon to the right of the Working List to select the wells from the
Working List to be applied to the Display List.
The Display List is the list of wells to be displayed. It initially contains all the
wells which are defined in the model. Wells added to the Display List will be
shown in the display windows. The icons work the same as defined in the
previous step. For example, Union will add the wells from the Working List to
the Display List. This is accomplished by selecting the Union icon and
clicking on the right pointing arrow immediately below the icon.
5. Use the Compact button at the bottom of the Display List to remove
unhighlighted wells from the Display List.
A well can be unhighlighted by clicking on it with MB1 while holding down

the Control key. By clicking on the Compact button after unhighlighting a
well, that well is removed from the Display List.
68 Adjusting the Display: Adjusting the Well Display R2003.4

NOTE: To select a contiguous range of wells, position the cursor on the first or last
well in the range. Press and hold MB1 and the Control Key while moving
the cursor up or down the Display List to unhighlight all desired wells.
Release the mouse button and click on the Compact button to remove the
unhighlighted well(s) from the Display List.
6. Use the toggle buttons in the well type list to select the types of wells to be
included in the display. The deselected wells will be unhighlighted in the
Display List. The following types can be controlled.
Producer wells.
Shut-in wells
Water injector wells
Gas injector wells
Solvent injector wells
Undrilled wells
Wells that are in cells clipped from the grid.
Filtered wells
7. Click the OK button when finished to save your settings and close this panel.

Controlling Well Labels, Perforations, and Visibility

You can control the displaying or hiding of wells, well labels, and perforations on
the displayed model. You can also control the positioning and size of well and
perforation labels. The default for 3DVIEW is to display wells and well names.
1. Select Well Options from the Wells menu. This displays the Well Options
panel.
Well Options Panel
2. Use the toggle buttons to make the appropriate selections as defined below.
Show Wells. When selected, well bores (if any) will be displayed.
(Default is on.)
Show Well Labels. When selected, the well names for all displayed wells
will be shown. (Default is on.)
Show Well Perfs. When selected, well perforations for all displayed
wells will be shown. (Default is off).
3. Use the sliders to reset the following values, as desired.
Well Labels. Specifies the location where the well name will be
displayed on the screen. The number selected on the slider represents the
percentage of the screen height above the reservoir to use for locating the
well name.

Perforation Size. Enlarges the size of the symbol used to display

perforations. The default is 5, which implies that the radius of the
perforation is displayed to approximately five percent of an average
gridblock. For example, if Perforation Size is set to 10, the perforation
symbol will be displayed at two times the normal size.
Well Thickness. Increases the thickness of the line used to designate the
well bore. For example, if Well Thickness is set to 5, the line designating
the well bore will be displayed at five times the normal size.
In the following example, Show Wells has been turned on. The Well Labels
distance above the reservoir and the Well Thickness has been increased by using
their respective sliders.
Well Display Variations

In the following example, perforation size was increased. For the top figure,
Front Face has been turned off using the Grid/Clip option and Show Well Perfs
has been turned on using Wells/Well Options. For the bottom figure, Top Face
has been turned off using the Grid/Clip option.
Perforation Display

Controlling Well Color

The Well Color option lets you specify the color to be used for displaying
different types of wells. To use this option:
1. Select Well Colors on the Wells menu to display the following panel.
Well Color Panel
2. For each well type, use the sliders to choose the percentage of Red, Green and
Blue to be used for the color mix for that type of wells.
3. Click the Apply button to test how the settings look (if the Auto button is on,
your selections are automatically applied).
4. If Auto or Apply have not been used yet, you can press Reset to reset the
values to their original settings.

5. If the display is satisfactory, click the OK button to save your settings and
close this panel. Otherwise, click Cancel to close without saving.
Setting the Well Picking Tolerance

The Well Picking option lets you specify the relative distance the cursor may be
from a well to select that well when picking a well for use with Plots. You can also
use it to clear all the currently picked wells. To use this feature:
1. Select Well Picking on the Wells menu to display the following panel.
Well Picking Tolerance Panel
2. Use the slider to adjust the desired well picking tolerance. If you want to clear
all of the currently picked wells, click the Clear Picked Wells button.
3. Click the OK button when finished.

Data Visualization Techniques
Introduction
The true power of the 3DVIEW (or 2DVIEW) software is its ability to provide
advanced visualization and analysis of reservoir data. This helpsreservoir
engineers see the results of a simulation run, and visually compare what if
scenarios from several different simulation runs. In particular, you can:
Control the overall grid display.
Control the range of data displayed.
Use the clip and fence step features to peer inside the model.
Activate and deactivate local grid refinements.
View various cross sections of the model.
Shrink or expand grid cells for better visualization.
View isolated surfaces representing a continuum of fixed values.
View flow data within the model as a series of vectors.
Define cutting planes to produce irregular cut-aways of the model.
View data for specific cells or wells.
Plot data for wells.
The procedures and illustrations presented in this chapter demonstrate the

visualization capabilities of the software, including each of the operations listed
above.
WARNING: Since the viewing of models in 2DVIEW is restricted to the 2D plane, some
of the visualization examples shown in this chapter will not be as easily
achievable using the 2DVIEW software, and in some cases may not be
achievable at all.
R2003.4 Data Visualization Techniques: Introduction 75

Understanding the Power of Visualization

When you first load a reservoir model, the program shows a complete view of the
reservoir, like the one shown below. This is a look at all the data for a single
variable, including all layers and gridblocks in the reservoir. For example, Figure
shows a complete 3DVIEW reservoir display including wells, well names, and
grid cells.
In this figure, the displayed variable is gas saturation, which ranges from 0 to 78
percent. The brighter colors (red) represent higher values while the darker colors
(blue) represent lower values. The edges, top, and bottom of the reservoir can be
seen by rotating the reservoir (not available in 2DVIEW). However, it is not until
you use the programs advanced visualization techniques that you can start
penetrating the reservoir and analyzing the data in greater detail.
Complete Reservoir Showing Wells and Grid
76 Data Visualization Techniques: Understanding the Power of Visualization R2003.4

Manipulating the Grid

The Grid menu provides a number of options that let you manipulate the grid
display in the main window. In particular, you can:
Control activation and display of local grid refinement (LGR)
Set various grid display options (opacity, thickness, line color, etc.)
Control clipping, fencing and cross sections
Expand or shrink cells
Show data values for each gridblock
Display isosurfaces (surfaces of constant value)
Display flow vectors
Select between contoured shading or block fill
Define and manipulate cutting planes
The procedures on the following pages explain how to use each of the options on
the Grid menu.
R2003.4 Data Visualization Techniques: Manipulating the Grid 77

Controlling the Display of Local Grid Refinement (LGR)

Local grid refinement is supported as part of the visualization techniques in
2DVIEW and 3DVIEW. If grid refinement has been performed on a reservoir
through the DESKTOP-VIP software, these localized grids can be displayed and
evaluated.
Activate Local Refinements
The Active LGR feature lets you define which local grid refinements will be
active. Inactive grids will be ignored by all the data and grid manipulation actions
(expanding, shrinking, block values, etc.) except for clipping. Active grids for
clipping are specified independently from the Active LGR dialog (See Clipping
and Sectioning the Reservoir Model Grid). To use the refinement activation
feature:
1. Select Active LGR from the Grid menu to display the list of all available
grids.
The Active LGR Dialog
This dialog lists the root/main grid and any local grids defined in the
simulation.
2. To select a grid for activation, click on the grid name using MB1.
A contiguous group of names can be selected by dragging the cursor across

the list. A noncontiguous group of grids can be selected by holding down the
Control (Ctrl) key while clicking with MB1.
3. After the desired grids have been selected, click on OK or Apply to complete
the grid activation process.
The OK button applies your selections and closes the form. The Apply button
applies your selections without closing the form.
78 Data Visualization Techniques: Manipulating the Grid R2003.4

Display Local Refinements
The Displayed LGR feature lets you define which local grid refinements will be
displayed. To use this feature:
1. Select Displayed LGR from the Grid menu to display the list of all available
grids.
The Displayed LGR Dialog
This dialog lists the root/main grid and any local grids defined in the
simulation.
2. To select a grid for display, click on the grid name using MB1.
A contiguous group of names can be selected by dragging the cursor across

the list. A noncontiguous group of grids can be selected by holding down the
Control (Ctrl) key while clicking with MB1.
3. After the desired grids have been selected, click on OK or Apply to complete
the grid display process.
The OK button applies your selections and closes the form. The Apply button
applies your selections without closing the form.

Examples of Grid Activation/Display
In Figure below, a data file containing a locally refined grid was loaded into the
software. Then the ROOT grid was highlighted on the Active LGR list to make
the ROOT grid active and the locally refined grid inactive. Then Shrink Cell was
done for X and Y to shrink the cells of the ROOT grid. Displayed LGR was
selected on the Grid menu and the ROOT grid was highlighted and selected for
display (the locally refined grid is no longer visible). The area of interest was then
enlarged in the display window by using MB3 to zoom in on a particular part of
the ROOT grid.
Displays of Selected Grids

Controlling Grid Display Options

You can control the display or hiding of certain grid features, including the grid
outline, clipped cells, and others. You can also control the grid cell opacity, line
color and line thickness. To use this feature:
1. Select Display Options on the Grid menu. This opens the Grid Display
Options panel.
Grid Display Options Panel
2. Turn the appropriate toggles on or off, as desired.
Show Outline. When selected, the outline around the entire reservoir will
be displayed. This is more visible when the grid lines are turned off. The
default setting for this value is OFF.
Show Faces. When selected, the data for each reservoir cell is displayed
as a color filled polygon. When off, the grid structure appears without fill,
so you can see the entire grid structure at a glance The default setting for
this value is ON.
Show Grid. When selected, the outlines of the grid cells will be
displayed. This helps the user identify the grid patterns and the individual
cells. The default setting for this value is ON.

Show Cutting-Plane Grid. When selected, the outlines of the grid cells
will be displayed for the cutting plane. This helps the user identify the
location of the cutting plane, if any. The default setting for this value is
ON.
Clip Grid. When selected, the grid outline is not displayed for reservoir
cells which have been clipped. If Clip Grid is not selected, the entire grid
outline is displayed even when cells have been clipped out (see Clipping
and Sectioning the Reservoir Model Grid on page -84). The default
setting for this value is ON.
Shrink Grid. When selected, the cell grids will shrink in conjunction
with the data as specified by the X/Y/Z Shrink option (see Shrink Cell
option on the Grid menu). If this option is not selected, the cell grid size
remains unchanged as the data size shrinks. The default setting for this
value is ON.
Use Radial Grid. This function is available for radial models that have a
RCOR (radial corner point) array defined. The output of the RCOR array
is defined by the simulation. When selected, radial local grid refinements
(LGRs) will be displayed using curved grid lines rather than straight lines.
3. Use the slider controls to adjust the grid face opacity or the thickness and
color of grid lines.
Grid Face Opacity. Lets you progressively make the grid face color more
or less opaque. As you move the slider left, this makes the color less
opaque so you can see the underlying grid structure showing through.
Moving it all the way to the left makes the faces totally transparent.
Grid Line Thickness. Lets you change the thickness of the grid lines at
the grid face intersections.
Grid Line Color. Lets you interactively adjust the color of the grid lines.
The following example shows a reservoir which has a specified set of values for
grid clipping (specified using the Grid/Clip option). Using Clip Grid allows you
to turn the grid clipping on or off.

Grid and Data Displayed Only for Values Greater than 0.05

Clipping and Sectioning the Reservoir Model Grid

The grid clipping feature lets you include or exclude certain rows or layers of cells
in the display. In effect, you can strip away portions of the grid structure to
achieve cross-sectional effects. There are several effects you can achieve with this
feature:
Grid Clip. You can remove or clip cells from the displayed grid by
specifying the low or high limits for cell coordinates in each of the three
dimensions (X, Y, and Z).
For an example of grid clipping, see Figure on page 90.
Grid Fence. You can display a fenced group of cells in the X, Y, or Z

dimension. A fence is a row of cells in one direction. If any dimensions are not
fenced, all layers of that dimension will appear, but only within the constraints
of the dimensions that are fenced.
For an example of grid fencing, see Figure on page 91.
Grid Step. You can specify an interval between which layers or rows of cells
will not be displayed. For example, you may only want to display every third
row of cells in the X direction.
For an example of grid stepping, see Figure on page 94.
Face Clip. You can remove any of the six faces of the cells. For example, you
may want to remove the top faces of the cells to be able to look into the top of
the gridblocks.
For an example of face clipping, see Figure on page 100.
This section contains procedures and examples that will help you achieve each of
these effects.

Understanding How Layers Are Numbered
Before you can achieve any of the desired cross-section effects, you must
understand the layer numbering method used by the program. The following
diagram will help you understand this concept.
High X, Low Y and Z

Low X, Y, and Z (Cell 5,1,1)
(Cell 1,1,1)
X
High Y, Low X and Z Y
(Cell 1,5,1)
Z
High X and Z, Low Y

(Cell 5,1,5)
Low X, High Y and Z High X and Y, Low Z

High X, Y, and Z (Cell 5,5,1)
(Cell 1,5,5) (Cell 5,5,5)
Example of Cell/Layer Numbering (5x5x5 Grid)
This example is for a 5 x 5 x 5 grid, which is five layers thick, five cells wide and
five cells deep. As shown in this example, the coordinates of each cell depend on
its relative position in the grid. In a 5x5x5 grid, the first corner cell in the top layer
has the coordinates (1,1,1). The cell on the diagonally opposite corner and lowest
layer has the coordinates (5,5,5). All the cells in between have different
coordinates depending on their relative location in the X, Y, or Z direction. Notice
in this diagram that the top layer is always Layer 1 (i.e., Zone 1) and the layer
numbers increase with depth. Notice also that each grid cell has a series of faces,
which can be called the front, back, left, right, and top or bottom face.
Using the Models Clipping Feature
The Grid/Clip feature lets you use this coordinate system to specify exact ranges
of cells to be included or excluded from the display. This includes the grid clip,
grid fence, and grid step options described earlier. Use the following procedures to
apply logical clipping. Complete examples are provided at the end of the
procedure.
1. For better data visibility, you may want to use the Scale option on the View-
Point menu first, to adjust the Z-direction scale and thickness.
2. Select Clip from the Grid menu. This displays the Grid Clip panel shown
below.

Logical Clip Panel
3. If you want to experiment with various settings and see how they change the
display, turn on the Auto button at the bottom of the panel.
4. Select the appropriate clipping effects from each of the major areas on the
Logical Clip panel:
Active Grids (Clipping). The current release of VIP-CORE writes out

additional information to the map file that allows locally refined grids to
be clipped with respect to the clipping of the ROOT grid. If Active Grids
(Clipping) is set to ROOT, the locally refined grids are clipped as the
clipping limits of the ROOT grid approach the LGR boundaries. Clicking
on Active Grids displays the Active Grids for Clipping panel with a list
of Active Grids which may be clipped.

Grid Clip. This set of controls removes or clips cells from the
displayed grid. You can use the sliders to specify the low or high factors
for cells in each of the three dimensions (X, Y, and Z). The left slider for
any dimension controls the low value and the right slider controls the high
value. Cells with a vertex outside of the high/low range will be removed
from the display when you click OK or Apply (or automatically if the
Auto button is toggled on).
For examples of grid clipping, see page -89 and page -90.
Grid Fence. This set of controls displays a fenced group of cells in the
X, Y, or Z direction. A fence is a row of cells in one direction. To set this
parameter, use either of the settings to control high or low values in each
dimension. The left slider for any dimension controls the low value and
the right slider controls the high value. For example, if the high X value is
set to 20 and the low X value is set to 10, only rows 10 through 20 in the
X direction will be displayed. If any dimensions are not fenced, all rows
of that dimension will appear, but only within the constraints of the
dimensions that are fenced.
Setting high and low values to the same layer number (i.e., touching) for
X, Y, and Z causes a cross-section to be displayed for one X, one Y, and
one Z layer. For examples of fencing, see page -90.
Grid Step. This set of controls lets you specify an interval to be used for
eliminating layers or rows of cells. For example, supposed you only want
to display every third row in the X and Y direction, opening up holes in
the model that let you see cross sections at regular intervals. You could do
this by setting Step X and Step Y to 3. Grid Step is constrained by
selections made under Grid Clip and will display layers in the Grid Step
increment starting with the Low Clip layer to the High Clip layer.
Faces.These buttons control the display of various grid cell faces, for
better visibility through the model. Turn the various faces on or off as
desired by clicking the toggle buttons.
5. Set the toggle buttons under Options, as desired.
Exclusive Clip. When you turn on this button, the clipping selections
specified by Step, Fence, and/or Clip will be reversed. That is, all grid
cells displayed before will be removed from display and the previously
hidden grid cells will be displayed.
Clip Children. When Active Grids (Clipping) is set to ROOT, this

button controls whether the locally refined grids (if any) are clipped as the
clipping limits of the ROOT grid approach the boundaries of the child
grids.
Clip to Grids. When a subset of a root grid is selected for display and this
option is active, the maximum extent of the displayed grid will be
centered in the 3D window.

Zoom to Clip. When selected, the clipping selections specified by Clip

will be expanded to fill the screen. If the grid has been clipped down to
one cell, for example, that cell would fill the screen.
Cross Section. Turning on this toggle button causes the High/Low Fence
values to be synchronized in both the X and Y direction. This limits the
model to a single X and single Y layer. You can then change any of the
High/Low Fence controls for X or Y and the corresponding fence control
will change with it. For example, if Cross Section is turned on, you can
increase the High X Fence value and the Low X Fence value will also
increase automatically in lock step.
Fence Step. This controls the display of multiple repetitive layers, rows,
or columns in a fence pattern. For example, if Step X is set to 5 and Step
Y is set to 5 then with Fence Step inactive, only the intersecting cells for
every fifth X slice and every fifth Y slice will be displayed. By activating
Fence Step after Step X and Y have been set to 5, every fifth layer in both
the X and Y directions will be completely displayed.
6. Click the Apply button to test various control settings on the display, or turn
on the Auto button to have each setting applied automatically (this may slow
down the process on complex drawings).
7. If the Apply or Auto features have not been used, you can click the Reset
button at any time to change the settings back they way they were when you
opened the form.
8. When you are finished using the Logical Clip feature, click the OK button to
apply your last settings and close the Logical Clip form. Or click Cancel to
close the form without applying your last settings.

Examples of Clipping and Cross-Sectional Effects
The following illustrations provide examples of various clipping and cross-section

effects achieved using the Logical Clip feature.
Single Layer Display
In Figure below, High Z Clip and Low Z Clip have been set to the same number
(i.e., both set to five) to remove all but one layer from display.
Single Layer Showing Wells and Grid

Areal Clipping of Data
In Figure below, a High Y Clip has been specified to remove the display of data
from the desired number of layers in the Y direction. Clip Grid on the Grid/
Display Options panel has been turned off so the entire grid will be displayed.
High Y and Low Y correspond to the simulation numbering, which normally will
be opposite of physical High Y and Low Y.
Entire Grid Displayed With Y Data Clipped
Fence Display Technique
In Figure below, the sliders have been used to set High X Fence and Low X
Fence to the same layer number. This displays only the specified X Layer. The
same procedure was used for High Y Fence, Low Y Fence, High Z Fence, and
Low Z Fence. By setting the high and low fences to the same number in each
direction, only that layer number will be displayed. If several layers in any
direction are desired, the high and low number should cover a range (i.e., High X
Fence set to 10 and Low X Fence set to 5 would display layers 5-10 in the X
direction).

For the picture on the left the following settings were used, High X Fence = 4,
Low X Fence = 4, High Y Fence = 3, Low Y Fence = 3, High Z Fence = 3 and
Low Z Fence = 3.
For the picture on the right, High and Low X Fence and Y Fence values are the
same as in the left picture, but Low Z Fence was left at one and High Z Fence was
left at the upper Z layer (for this picture High Z was set to 3). This results in only
the Z layer cells contained in the specified X and Y layers being displayed.
Cross Sections Created Using Fences

Cross Section Stepping in X and Y Direction
In Figure below, Step X was set to 3 to display every third layer in the
X direction.
Multiple Cross Sections (Every Third X Layer)

In Figure below, Step Y was set to 3 to display every third layer in the
Y direction.
Multiple Cross Sections (Every Third Y Layer)

Stepped Grid
In Figure below, both Step X and Step Y are set to 3. This results in a display of
the intersecting cells for every third X layer and every third Y layer.
Grid With Stepped Effect
Fence Step
In Figure below, with both Step X and Step Y set at 3, the Fence Step toggle was
activated. This displays every third X and third Y layer in its entirety.
Grid with Fence Step Effect

Zoom to Clip
In Figure , the top picture shows a reservoir with a High X Clip and a High Y
Clip set to 3. In the bottom picture, the Zoom to Clip toggle has been activated to
enlarge the remaining cells to fill the display area. (If the reservoir disappears
from the window, bring up the Translate panel under the View-Point menu and
reset the X, Y, and Z translate sliders to zero. This will re-center the reservoir in
the viewing area.)
Enlarging View of Clipped Area Using Zoom to Clip

Exclusive Clip
In Figure below, the Grid Clip sliders have been used to select specific layers.
After selection, these layers typically are not displayed. However, when the
Exclusive Clip toggle is turned on, the effect is reversed and the layers previous
excluded are now displayed. In this example the following settings were used:
High X Clip = 8
Low X Clip = 3
High Y Clip = 10
Low Y Clip = 3
High Z Clip = 2
Low Z Clip = 1
Cut-In View #1
In Figure , Grid Clip settings were again specified and the Exclusive Clip toggle
was turned on, but different layers were selected. In this example the following
settings were used:
High X Clip = 6
Low X Clip = 1
High Y Clip = 10
Low Y Clip = 4
High Z Clip = 2
Low Z Clip = 1

Cut-In View #2
In Figure below, X and Y Grid Clip options were set, but the Z Grid Clip
options were not. The selected layers were removed from display and Exclusive
Clip was turned on to redisplay only the selected layers. In this example the
following settings were used:
High X Clip = 8
Low X Clip = 3
High Y Clip = 8
Low Y Clip = 3
High Z Clip = 3
Low Z Clip = 1
Perimeter of Reservoir Displayed

In Figure below, High and Low Clips were specified for X, Y, and Z and
Exclusive Clip was turned on. Since Layer 3 (the bottom Z layer) was not
displayed prior to selecting Exclusive Clip, the new display resulted in Z layer 3
being completely displayed. In this example the following settings were used:
High X Clip = 9
Low X Clip = 2
High Y Clip = 9
Low Y Clip = 2
High Z Clip = 2
Low Z Clip = 1
Perimeter of Reservoir Displayed

In Figure , the upper picture was created by specifying a Low X Clip, Low Y
Clip, High Z Clip and Low Z Clip to select the desired layers. The Exclusive
Clip was turned on to display these selected layers.
Specialized Views Using Grid Clipping and Zoom Feature
Face Clipping
Figure shows the effect of face clipping using the Grid/Clip option. In the top
picture, Front Face was turned off thereby removing the front cell faces for
viewing the wells through the reservoir. For the bottom picture, Back Face was
turned off, front face was turned back on, and the reservoir was rotated to view the
wells through the reservoir from another angle.

Looking Inside a Reservoir Using the Faces Feature
NOTE: Often, when clipping faces, it is necessary to enable two-side faces (under
Rendering options).

Clip Children
Figure 4-23 shows the effect of the Clip Children toggle on a model with locally
refined grids. In the top picture Clip Children is turned on, and in the bottom
picture Clip Children is turned off. For both pictures, Active Grids (Clipping)
is set to ROOT.
Example of Clip Children on a Model with a Locally Refined Grid

Viewing Cross Sectional Slices of the Model

The Cross Section feature lets you view complete slices of the model in the X, Y,
or Z plane. This feature differs slightly from the cross section features under the
Grid/Clip option, in that it gives you more direct control over model cross
sectioning. To use this feature, take the following steps:
1. Select the Cross Section option on the Grid menu. This displays the Cross
Section panel.
Cross Section Panel
2. Select the type of cross section desired from the pull-down menu at the upper
right. For instance, X Slice will let you see one X plane at a time, whereas X-
Y Slice will let you see a combined X and Y Plane.
3. Select the plane you want to view by moving the Plane slider (or type in the
desired plane number below the slider). If you selected X-Y Slice in the
previous step, you can also set the Y-Plane slider to indicate the desired Y-
plane cross section.
4. To step across the model a plane at a time, turn on the Auto button, then click
to the left or right of the slider(s). Otherwise, you can use the Apply button
after each move of the slider.
5. To remove the cross section effect before closing this panel, click the Reset
button.
6. When you are finished using this panel, click the OK button to close it.

Expanding Cells
The Expand Cell feature lets you expand the overall size of the reservoir in each
direction by increasing the space between layers/cells by a specified amount. Use
the following procedure:
1. Select Expand Cell from the Grid menu. This displays the Expand Cell panel
shown below.
Expand Cell Panel
2. Adjust the sliders to indicate the amount of expansion desired in each

direction (X, Y, or Z). The cells will expand to fill the expanded volume. This
option does not expand wells.
3. Turn on the Leave Gap toggle button if you want to leave a gap between the
cells. This way, the cells will remain the same size but the model expansion
will be accomplished by inserting a gap between cells. Otherwise, the cells
themselves will expand proportionally to fill the expanded volume.
5. If Apply or Auto have not been used, you can click the Reset button at any
6. When you are finished using the Expand feature, click the OK button to apply
your last settings and close the Expand Cell dialog. Or click Cancel to close
the form without applying your last settings.

Shrinking Cells
The Shrink Cell feature lets you shrink the overall size of the reservoir in each
direction by decreasing the space between layers/cells by a specified amount. Use
the following procedure:
1. Select Shrink Cell from the Grid menu. This displays the Shrink Cell panel.
Shrink Cell Panel
2. Adjust the sliders to indicate the amount of shrinkage desired in each

direction (X, Y, or Z). The overall size of the reservoir remains unchanged,
which results in having a proportionate amount of space between layers in the
direction of shrinkage.
4. If Apply or Auto have not been used, you can click the Reset button at any
5. When you are finished using the Shrink feature, click the OK button to apply
your last settings and close the Shrink dialog. Or click Cancel to close the
form without applying your last settings.
In Figure below, Shrink Cell has been selected from the Grid menu and the
sliders for X Shrink and Y Shrink have been set to 0.50 for both. Shrink Grid
Lines is active on the Grid/Display Options menu, which results in shrinkage of
the reservoir grid along with the reservoir cells. Using MB3 the area of interest
has been zoomed in on the display window.

Shrink Reservoir Cells and Grid
In Figure , the Shrink Grid Lines option has been turned off on the Grid/Display
Options menu. X Shrink and Y Shrink have both been set to 0.50. This shrinks the
individual reservoir cells but leaves the reservoir grid outlining the original cell
sizes unchanged.
Shrink Reservoir Cells Only

Controlling the Display of Gridblock Values

The Block Values option lets you control the printing of data values directly on
cell faces. You can control whether or not the values print and the exact face(s)
they print on.
In the following example, all cell faces have been selected for data value display
(by default all cell faces are turned on). The resulting display shows the value of
the variable being viewed for each cell of the reservoir.
Variable Values Displayed on Cell Faces
To use this feature:
1. Select Block Values from the Grid menu. This displays the following dialog
box for selecting the cell faces on which to display the values for the data
variables.

Block Values Panel
2. Turn on the Auto toggle button if you want to test the results of various
settings while you work.
3. Turn off any Faces you do not want to use for display of cell block values.
4. Click the Block Value Display button to turn on the display of cell block
values.
5. Use the slider for Hardcopy Text Size to control the size of the text displayed
on the cell faces when running in X11 mode or for hardcopy prints.
This will not affect the size of the text in the display window unless the
program is being run in X11 mode.
6. If the Auto button is not on, click the Apply button to see how the settings
look.

Viewing IsoSurfaces
The normal grid model shows the grid cells in clusters, without regard to their
value. You can clip cells from the model in the X, Y, and Z direction, but this type
of clipping does nothing more than slice and dice physical regions of the model.
A different type of visualization feature lets you create a surface of constant value,
or isosurface, so that you can easily see which parts of the model have achieved a
certain threshold.
For instance, the following illustration shows a model which has been rendered
semi-opaque using the Grid/Display options feature, then painted with isosurfaces
representing the occurrence of 85 percent oil saturation.
Example of Isosurface Display Inside Semi-Opaque Grid
Once you have data values represented inside the model this way, you may want
to step the model through various timesteps to see how the isosurfaces propagated
through the model over time. To use this feature, take the following steps:
1. Set up the model view for maximum visibility of the surface that will be
viewed. For instance, you might:
Use the Grid/Clip option to remove portions of the regular grid cell
display.
Use the Grid Face Opacity setting under Grid/Display Options to make
grid cells semi-opaque, so you will be able to see the isosurfaces inside of
them.
2. Select the IsoSurface option on the Grid menu. This displays the IsoSurface
panel.

IsoSurface Panel
3. Turn on the Auto button if you want to test how various settings on this panel
will affect the model display.
4. Turn on the IsoSurface Visible button to enable the viewing of isosurfaces.
5. Turn on the Clip to Grid button to enable grid clipping.
6. Set the Value slider to the desired value you want to view in the model. You
can also type in the value manually on this panel.
7. Select whether you want the surfaces to be Color or Gray. If you select the
Color option, the isosurfaces will retain normal color-coding. If you select the
Gray option, the isosurfaces will be displayed in shades of gray which you can
adjust using the Gray Color slider.
8. If desired, adjust the model to display different time steps during the
simulation, so you can see how the selected data setting propagates through
the model over time.
9. When finished viewing the isosurfaces, you can turn them off using the
IsoSurface Visible check box.
10. Click the OK button to exit this panel.

When the program attempts to display an iso-surface in the interior of the model
that may not be visible, the user is prompted with the following dialog panel:
Iso-Surface Viewing Options Panel
The three options are:
Set Grid Face Opacity To 0.25. This automatically changes the setting for
Grid Face Opacity under Display Options from 1.0 to 0.25. With this new
setting the model will be transparent, allowing the user to view the iso-
surface. Grid Face Opacity can then be reset to the any desirable value by the
user by selecting Display Options from the grid pulldown menu.
Turn Off Grid Faces/Grid Lines. This automatically turns off the settings
for Show Faces and Show Grid under Display Options. This will allow the
iso-surface to be clearly visible by disabling the drawing of the rest of the
model. Grid Faces/Grid Lines can then be turned back on by the user by
selecting Display Options from the Grid pulldown menu.
User Current Display Option Settings. If this option is selected, the

program will take no additional steps to make the iso-surface visible for the
user. The user may have to take some additional steps in order to see the iso-
surface (clip away some of the model, adjust model opacity, turn off grid
faces, etc.).

Analyzing Flow in the Model

The Flow Vector feature lets you analyze the flow within a model by presenting a
visual display of flow vectors in the shape of cones or arrows. For example, the
following illustration shows how flow vectors look when superimposed on a
model display. Notice how the relative size of each flow vector represents the
direction and relative volume of flow at the location where it appears. You can
easily shrink or enlarge the flow vectors, or change their shape, using the features
described in the following procedure.
Example of Model Close-up with Flow Vectors
WARNING: This feature will not work unless your model contains flow data.
NOTE: Flow vectors are created in VIP-EXEC by specifying FLOWVEC in the

Utility data and one or more of FLOWO, FLOWG, or FLOWW on the
MAPOUT keyword.

Setting Up Flow Vectors
To view flow vectors in the current model:
1. Select the scene for which you want to display flow vectors.
2. Select the Flow Vectors option on the Grid menu. This displays the Flow
Panel for the current scene, as shown in Figure .
Flow Panel
3. Turn on the Auto button.
4. Turn on the Flow Vectors toggle at the top of the panel, then select the
Viewing Options from the panel that pops up. You can use this panel to
quickly prepare the model for easier viewing of the flow vectors by either
setting the grid face opacity to 25 percent of normal fill, or turning off grid
faces and lines completely.

5. Use the Flow Panel options shown in the following table to adjust the display
of the flow vectors for maximum visibility. If you have the Auto turned on,
you will see any change in these settings immediately. Otherwise, you can use
the Apply button at any time to apply your changes.
Flow Panel Options
Option Purpose
Flow Vectors Turns the flow vector display on or off.
Clip To Grid Turns grid clipping on or off.
Cones/Arrows Controls whether the flow vectors are displayed as cones or

arrows. Changing this selection changes various field labels at
the bottom of the Flow Panel.
Draw Cone If the selected display method is Cones, this toggle lets you turn
Bottoms the display of cone bottoms on or off. You may want to turn off
the display of cone bottoms for a better visual effect, especially
if the bottoms are particularly wide.
Layer Clicking here allows you to turn flow vectors on or off for differ-
Grouping ent layers and different model components. See Layer Group-
ing on page -116 for details.
Scaling Meth- Select whether you want the flow vectors to be scaled using lin-
ods ear, logarithmic, or power law scaling. Linear scaling is based
on relative flow. Log scaling is based on the log of the flow
magnitude. Smaller flow rates will have comparatively larger
cones or vectors using this method, as compared to linear.
Power Law scaling is relative to the flow magnitude, to the
power set using the additional slider. When the slider is set to
1.00 (all the way to the right), this is the same as Linear scaling.
A value of 0.0 gives all vectors the same size.
Oil/Water/ If the model has multiple fluid components, you can select the
Gas/1Phase component for which you want to display flow vectors.
Phase Proper- Depending on the selection above under Oil/Water/etc., you can
ties click here and set the Flow Color and Minimum Visible Flow.
Use the Flow Color sliders to control the actual color of the flow
vector cones or arrows. Use the Minimum Visible Flow slider if
you want to create a cutoff value below which flow will not be
shown. For instance, very small flows may not be important to
you, and you may want to avoid having computer resources used
to draw them.
Max. Cone Controls the relative size of the flow vectors in relation to the
Size/ Cone model cells.
Scale
Width Factor Controls the relative width of base in a cone-shaped vector, or

the arrowhead in arrow vectors.

Flow Panel Options
Option Purpose
Cone Sides This controls the shape of the flow vectors. For instance, setting
this to 4 will produce a four-sided cone. Setting it to higher num-
bers produces a smoother looking cone (or arrow), but may
cause the model redrawing speed to slow down.
6. When you are finished setting the flow vector parameters, click the OK
button to apply your most recent settings and close the panel. You can use the
Cancel button any time to close the panel without applying your most recent
settings. Or you can use the Reset button to change the panel settings back to
their original values.
If You Are Still Having Trouble Seeing the Vectors
The flow vector positions coincide with the cell positions. If cell faces are visible,
this will hide the display of the flow vectors. For better visibility of the flow
vectors you may want to try these other options available on different menus and
panels:
Use the Grid/Clip option to remove portions of the regular grid cell display.
Use the Data/TimeStep option to advance the Time Step on the simulation to
a point where flow is known to occur. By default, the time step is set to the
beginning of the simulation, and flow has not started yet. You will not be able
to see flow vectors unless the current time step has measurable flow data.
Use the View-Point/Lights option to turn on the Lighting feature. The flow
vectors (especially cones) will be visible more easily with lighting turned on.
Use the MB2 mouse button to rotate the model to a position where the flow
can be viewed most easily. Typically, viewing the model from the top may
work best.

Automatic View Control
When the program attempts to display flow vectors in the interior of the model
Flow Vector Viewing Options Panel
setting the model will be transparent, allowing the user to view the flow
vectors. Grid Face Opacity can then be reset to the any desirable value by the
user by selecting Display Options from the Grid pulldown menu.
flow vectors to be clearly visible by disabling the drawing of the rest of the

program will take no additional steps to make the flow vectors visible for the
user. The user may have to take some additional steps in order to see the flow
vectors (clip away some of the model, adjust model opacity, turn off grid
faces, etc.).

Layer Grouping
The following panel pops up when you select Layer Grouping on the Flow Panel.
Layer Grouping Panel
You can use this panel to turn flow vector display on or off for various model
components and layers. To change the display status of any model phase/layer,
move the mouse pointer to the desired cell to be changed, hold down the right
mouse button, and select the On or Off option from the pop-up menu that appears.

Viewing and Tracking Tracer Data

Tracer data is now an integral part of the VIP database. If your model has tracer
data in it, you can use the following procedures to turn tracers on or off, change
the way tracers are displayed (symbol, color, paths), control the display of
individual particles, and step the tracers through time.
Setting Basic Tracer Options
To get started with the tracer tracking feature, follow these steps:
1. Select Grid Tracers.
This opens the Tracer Properties dialog box shown below.
This dialog box shows the basic settings for each of the tracers in the model,
including the tracer Name, the Symbol and Color used to display the tracer,
and whether the Clip to Grid option is turned on for each tracer. The example
above shows the tracer options for a model with four tracers.
2. To show or hide tracers, use the View Tracers check box at the top of this
panel, then click the Apply button to apply the change.
3. Edit the table to indicate your preferences, as desired:
Name. The tracer name cannot be changed.

Particles. This column lets you view a second table showing tracer
details. For a complete procedure, see Viewing Tracer Details on
page -119.
Symbol. The default symbol for particle displays is a sphere. Clicking

the right mouse on a particular cell of the table provides a pop-up menu
you can use to change it to a cube or any of several other different shapes.
If performance is an important consideration, the point marker option
produces the fastest redrawing speed.
Color. Right-click on any tracer particle color that you want to change. A
pop-up menu lets you select a new color. Default tracer colors are red for
gas, blue for water and green for oil.
Clip to Grid? By default, tracers will still display even when you clip the
grid (Clip To Grid = no). If you want tracer displays to be clipped along
with the grid, right-click the appropriate cell and select the Yes option.
4. Select the appropriate radio button to indicate your preference for viewing
tracer particles:
View Particle Fronts (default) lets you view the current position of each
particle at the currently selected timestep. It redraws each particle
location as you move through time.
View Particle Paths does not redraw the view for each timestep. Instead
it shows the path of each particle through all timesteps, so you can see a
continuous path for the particle through time. This method is slower
because 3DVIEW has to draw every one of the fronts.
Warning: This option can be VERY slow and graphics-intensive if you

are trying to view a large number of timesteps. For example, if the model
has 200 timesteps and you try to view the tracer paths at timestep 200, the
program will have to draw the tracer fronts at all the previous 199
timesteps.
5. If you selected View Particle Paths in the last step and you want to show all
possible paths between the particles, turn on the Connect Particles checkbox.
6. Click the appropriate button at the bottom of this panel:
OK to apply your settings above and close this panel.
Cancel to avoid applying your settings and close the panel.
Apply to apply your settings above and leave this panel open.
NOTE: To see propagation of tracer particles within the gridblock structure,

you will need to set the gridblock opacity to a value less than 1.0 or
turn off the display of gridblock faces. Both of these can be

accomplished using View Display Options.
Viewing Tracer Details

The tracer detail panel lets you view a more detailed listing of all available tracer
particle data in your simulation model.
1. Make sure the Tracer Properties dialog box is displayed. If not, select Grid
Tracers.
2. Find the tracer record for which you want to view more details, then click in
the Details column to display the Tracer Particles detail panel.
This display shows detailed data for each particle in the tracer record. Each
line of the table represents a separate particle, including the following data:
X/Y/Z. The absolute x,y,z location of each particle in space, relative to

the grid origin.

I/J/K. The gridblock location of the particle, expressed as gridblock

numbers in the I,J,K direction.
Grid Name. The name of the grid in which the particle is located. This is
ROOT unless the particle lies within a local grid refinement (LGR), in
which case the LGR name is shown.
Status. The current status of the particle (ACTIVE or INACTIVE).
Draw? Indicates whether or not the particle is drawn in the 3DVIEW

display. This can be changed by moving the sliders at the bottom of the
Tracer Particle panel.
By default every particle is drawn. You can turn individual particles on or off
by right clicking the appropriate cell of the Draw column and selecting Yes/
No from the pop-up menu. To control display of the entire particle list, right
click on the Draw column heading and select Yes/No for the whole column.
3. Change the sliders in the lower half of the panel to indicate your preferences
for drawing particles:
Beginning Particle. The first particle to be drawn for this tracer. For
instance, if you set this slider to 200, the tracer display will begin at
particle 200 and all previous particles will not be drawn.
Particle Increment. Use the slider to indicate the increment for drawing
particles. For instance, if you set this slider to 50, 3DVIEW will draw
every 50th particle and ignore the others.
These two settings work together to constrain the display of particles. For
instance, if you select a Beginning Particle of 200 and a Particle Increment of
50, 3DVIEW will begin the display at particle 200 and show every fiftieth
particle starting from there. The column labeled Draw? will be adjusted to
show which particles will be drawn (yes in column) and which will not (no in
column).
4. Change the Relative Particle Size if you want tracer particles to appear larger
or smaller in the model display.
5. You can also change whether or not individual particles are drawn by right-
clicking the Draw? column and selecting yes or no from the pop-up menu.
6. When finished, click the appropriate button at the bottom of this panel:
OK to apply your settings above and close this panel.
Cancel to avoid applying your settings and close the panel.
Apply to apply your settings above and leave this panel open.
Closing the panel redisplays the Tracer Properties dialog box, covered earlier
in this section (see Setting Basic Tracer Options on page -117).

Viewing Tracer Movement over Time

The Timestep panel now includes several tracer options, which let you see the
movement of tracer particles in the model over time. If there are no tracers in the
database, the Timestep panel will not show tracer options.
1. Open the Timestep panel (Data Timesteps) and review the tracer options
in the lower half of the panel.
This panel lets you control the time-related view of both map and tracer data.
You can step the model through time for the map and tracers independently, or
in a synchronized fashion. If the model contains no tracer data, you will not
see the tracer options shown here.
2. To view individual tracer records in the model, move the Tracer Record
slider, then examine the tracer display in the 3DVIEW main window.
3. To view tracer positions at a specific point in time, move the Time in Days
slider or type in the desired day for which you want to view tracer positions.
Watch how this changes the tracer display in the 3DVIEW main window.
4. Normally, 3DVIEW will show only the actual tracer records in the model,
which are produced at specific timesteps as defined in the VIP-EXEC

keyword input data file (*r.dat). If you want 3DVIEW to interpolate the data
for intermediate timesteps, turn on the Interpolate Data checkbox.
5. To synchronize time-related views of both the map data (oil saturations, etc.)
and tracer data, turn on the Synchronize Map/Tracer checkbox. This causes
both Time in Days sliders to synchronize. If you move either slider, both
sliders will move together.
6. Click OK to close this panel when you are finished viewing tracer movement.

Examples of Tracer Displays

The following examples show different views of tracers that you can produce
using the tracer options discussed on the previous pages.
Multiple Tracer Records Showing Particle Fronts

Single Tracer Record showing Particle Fronts

Single Tracer Record Showing Particle Paths/Connected

Adjusting the Shading (Contour)

The program allows you to change the shading of a model to produce two
different types of effects:
Contour shading averages the data value across the face of a cell based on
the data values at the four corner points of the cell and vary the display color
across the face of the cell accordingly. This tends to produce a more gradual
color change between cells.
Block fill will color the face of every cell based on the data value at the center
of the cell. This tends to produce a sharper color change between cells.
For example, the following illustration shows a reservoir displayed with Contour
shading across the cell faces.
Reservoir Display with Contour Shading
To control the shading, use the Contour option on the Grid menu and select the
desired shading type from the submenu.
Using Cutting Planes to Segment a Model

Normally, you can use the cross section and grid clipping features to produce
model views that expose inner layers. However, these features typically provide a
layer-by-layer approach. The Cutting Planes feature lets you segment a model in a

completely different way, by tracing a path through the grid and having the
program section the grid along those lines. For instance, the following illustration
shows a model which has been cut in a zig-zag pattern using the Cutting Planes
feature.
Example of Model with Zig-Zag Section
The Cutting Plane feature lets you add, modify, or remove cutting planes from the
model. The following procedures explain how.
Creating a New Cutting Plane
You can describe a new cutting plane in the model, either by tracing from point to
point in the model, by tracing along cell center-tops, or by tracing from well-to-
well. Regardless of the method used, you will need to take the following steps:
1. Set up the model view for maximum visibility of the surface that will be used
to describe the cutting plane. Normally, this will be a view that exposes the
top surface of the model. If you plan to cut along wells, make sure the wells
are set in perspective for maximum visibility
2. Select the Cutting Plane option on the Grid menu, then select Add from the
submenu. This displays the Add Cut panel.

Add Cut Panel
3. Select one of the three options on this panel and click the Add Plane button
(or click the Cancel button to quit without selecting a cutting plane.
Cut Along Point lets you trace points that the plane will intersect.
Cut Along Cell TopCenter lets you trace cells that the plane will
intersect.
Cut Along Wells lets you trace wells that the plane will intersect.
This displays the appropriate Cutting Plane Trace panel for picking points,
cells, or wells.
Cutting Plane Trace for Point Cuts

Cutting Plane Trace for Cell Cuts
4. Use MB1 on the mouse to click on the points, cells, or wells where the cutting
plane will intersect. As you do, the coordinates of your pick are added to the
Cutting Plane Trace panel. The result is a table of coordinates.
5. To insert or delete rows in this table, use MB1 to click on the row and click
the Insert or Delete button.
Insert inserts a blank row about the current row, which you can then use
to insert a new set of coordinates by clicking a point on the model grid.
Delete deletes the currently selected row.
6. When you are finished selecting all points, cells, or wells, click the Cut
button. This traces a cutting plane through the grid.
7. Use the Grid/Clip option, as desired, to peel back sections of the model and
see the cutting plane exposed. You will see an actual slice of data as it follows
along the cutting plane.
When the program attempts to display a cutting plane in the interior of the model
Cutting Plane Viewing Options Panel

setting the model will be transparent, allowing the user to view the cutting
planes. Grid Face Opacity can then be reset to the any desirable value by the
user by selecting Display Options from the Grid pulldown menu.
cutting planes to be clearly visible by disabling the drawing of the rest of the

program will take no additional steps to make the cutting planes visible for the
user. The user may have to take some additional steps in order to see the
cutting planes (clip away some of the model, adjust model opacity, turn off
grid faces, etc.).

Modifying a Cutting Plane
Once you have defined one or more cutting planes, you can easily modify them by
using the following procedure.
1. Select the Cutting Plane option on the Grid menu, then select Modify from
the submenu. This displays the Modify Cut panel.
Modify Cut Panel
2. Use MB1 on the mouse to click on the cutting plane to be modified.
3. Make sure the plane is highlighted, then click the Modify button in the
Modify Cut panel. This displays the Cutting Plane Trace panel for the selected
cutting plane. The panel contains a table of coordinates for the cutting plane
(Figure and Figure ).
4. To insert or delete rows in this table, use MB1 to click on the row number,
then click the Insert or Delete button.
Insert inserts a blank row about the currently selected row, which you can
then use to insert a new set of coordinates by clicking a point, cell, or well
on the model grid.
Delete deletes the currently selected row.
5. When you are finished modifying the table, click the Cut button. This traces a
cutting plane through the grid.

Deleting a Cutting Plane
Once you have defined one or more cutting planes, you can easily delete them by
using the following procedure.
NOTE: Deleting a cutting plane does not remove any part of the reservoir model, it
simply removes the sectioning effect that is made possible by the cutting
plane.
1. Select the Cutting Plane option on the Grid menu, then select one of the
following options from the submenu:
Remove/Single Plane to remove individual cutting planes.
Remove/All Planes to remove every cutting plane from the model.
If you select Remove/All, all cutting planes are removed automatically and
you can skip the rest of this procedure. If you select Remove/Single, this
displays the Remove Cut panel.
Remove Cut Panel
2. Use MB1 on the mouse to click on the cutting plane to be modified.
Make sure the plane is highlighted, then click the Remove button in the Remove
Cut panel. This automatically removes the selected cutting plane from the model.

Viewing Data for Cells and Wells

You can use the mouse button to point to cells or wells in the current scene to view
more detail. To do so, use the Modify Mouse Button on the control panel to
specify which mouse button/key combinations will be used to pick cells and
wells. Then use the appropriate mouse buttons in the following procedures.
Picking Individual Cells

In the Pick Cell mode (default mouse button is Ctrl-MB1), when you click on a
specific cell of the reservoir model, a panel is displayed indicating the value of the
currently displayed variable for that cell along with the X, Y, and Z coordinates.
Pick Cell Panel (Single Cell)
The slider bars for the X, Y, and/or Z coordinates may be changed to select
another cell or the cursor may be repositioned and MB1 pressed to select
another cell. The variable value and X, Y, Z coordinates for the new cell will
automatically be displayed on the Pick Panel. The selected cell will also be
outlined on the reservoir display.
R2003.4 Data Visualization Techniques: Viewing Data for Cells and Wells 133
Picking Multiple Cells

In the Pick Cells mode (default mouse button is Shift-MB1), the mouse is used to
select several model cells. For each cell selected, a panel is displayed indicating
the variable value for that cell as well as the cell location. Each selected cell will
be outlined on the reservoir display. To close these panels, select Close from the
File menu inside each panel, or select Clear Picks from the Display menu.
Data Display with Multiple Cells Picked
The following illustration shows a reservoir model display with multiple cells
picked. The cell is outlined and a dialog box displays the value and location for
each variable.
Display of Variable Values for Reservoir Cells Using Pick Cells
134 Data Visualization Techniques: Viewing Data for Cells and Wells R2003.4
Plotting the Values for Picked Cells

Notice that on both types of Pick Cell panels (Figure and Figure ), there is a pull-
down menu available that lets you plot the picked cell values. You can plot the cell
values versus time or depth. The values plotted are taken directly from the model
database, and for this reason represent a greater spectrum of values than you will
see in the current scene of the displayed model. To use this feature:
1. Select the Time or Depth option from the Plot menu on the Pick Cell panel.
This displays the Plotting Window with the cell values plotted versus time or
depth, depending on your selection.
Plotting Window for Cell Values
2. Use any of the available pull-down menus or pop-up menus to adjust the plot
display. The following table summarizes the available features and shows
how to activate them using various controls in the Plotting Window. Notice
that these features are identical to the plotting features in Landmarks
PlotView application.For more details on using each of these features, see the
PlotView Users Guide.
Plotting Window Features
Feature What It Does How To Activate
Printing Lets you print the current plot display Select Print option on File menu.
to a PostScript printer.
Attribute settings Lets you view all current attributes for Select Trace or Axis from the Plots
plot traces and axis annotation and reset menu, then use MB3 to pop-up avail-
them. able options for any attribute.
Title, legend Lets you set up a title or legend inside Select Attributes option from the Plots
the window. menu. Or use MB3 in plot window to
select this option.
Plotting Window Features (Continued)
Feature What It Does How To Activate
Fonts Lets you set fonts for title, legend, and Select Fonts from the Plots menu. Or
axis labels. use MB3 in plot window to select this
option.
Colors Lets you set the foreground and back- Select Color from the Plots menu.
ground colors for the display.
Plot sizing Lets you set the height and width of the Select Size option from the Plots menu.
plot display, in pixels.
Menu toggle Lets you toggle the menus on or off, so Hold down MB3 in plot window and
that the plot takes up more of the dis- select Menus.
play.
Axis Limits Lets you control how the limits of each Hold down MB3 in axis annotation area
axis are computed (data = compute and select Axis Limits option.
from data min/max, auto=auto adjust,
freeze=do not auto adjust).
Axis notation Lets you select whether axis notation Hold down MB3 in axis annotation area
will be exponential, floating (decimal), and select Notation option.
integers, or dynamic (best fit).
Axis precision Lets you set the precision for floating Hold down MB3 in axis annotation area
point axis notation. You can increase and select Precision option.
the precision a digit at a time.
Minimize axis Lets you minimize the current axis dis- Hold down MB3 in axis annotation area
play. and select Minimize option.
Opposite Lets you move the axis annotation to Hold down MB3 in axis annotation area
the opposite side of the plot. and select Opposite option.
Close Lets you close the Plotting Windows. Select Close from the File menu or use
MB3 in plot window to select this
option.
Picking Wells
Depending on the setting for mouse buttons on the control panel, you can use the
mouse cursor to select a well of interest. When the mouse is positioned on a well
and the appropriate mouse button is clicked (as defined in the control panel), the
well will be highlighted. The mouse can also be enabled to pick multiple wells.
Plotting Values for Picked Wells

You can use the PlotView data plotting program to plot values for Wells. The
following procedure shows how to get wells plotted in the PlotView window. For
complete instructions on using PlotView, see the PlotView Users Guide.
1. Pick the well(s) for which you want to plot data values. To pick multiple
wells, click on each well using the appropriate mouse button defined in the
3DVIEW control panel. The default mouse button is Ctrl-MB3 for picking
single wells and Shift-MB3 for picking multiple wells.
2. Select the PlotView option from the Wells menu. This displays the Well Plot
panel.
Well Plot Panel
3. Select the values to be plotted along the Left and Right Axis (Y), and along
the X Axis. You can plot multiple values along either the Left or Right Axis
by control-clicking the desired values. Use the Deselect All buttons, if
needed, to clear your selections from either column.
4. Use the next row of buttons to control the way properties are plotted in the
PlotView window. The options are summarized below:
Well Plotting Options
Option What It Does
Create Plot Lets you create a new set of plots for the selected property(ies)
and well(s).
...Single Plot Creates a new plot showing all selected properties for all
picked wells. For example, if you selected two properties and
picked three wells, you will see a single plot with six different
traces on it.
...By Well Creates a separate plot for each well, showing all selected
properties plotted for that well. For example, if you selected
two properties and picked three wells, you will see three sepa-
rate plots with two traces on each.
...By Property Creates a separate plot for each selected property showing all
picked wells. For example, if you selected two properties and
picked three wells, you will see two separate plots, with three
traces on both.
Add Lets you add more properties to the current set of plots. If the
plots are not already created, it creates them.
...Current Adds newly selected properties to the current plot. Be sure to

focus on the desired plot first before making this selection.
You can focus on a plot by clicking in the center of the plot
window.
...By Well Adds newly selected properties to the existing well plot(s).
...By Property Creates new plots for each of the additionally selected proper-
ties.
Replace Lets you replace plotted properties in the existing plots with
newly selected properties.
...Current Replaces the left or right axis values in the currently focused
plot window with new values selected from the Well Plot
panel. Be sure to select the plot to be affected before making
this selection. You can focus on a plot by clicking in the center
of the plot window.
...By Well Replaces the left or right axis values in the well plot(s) with
new properties selected from the Well Plot panel.
...By Property Replaces existing property plots with new properties selected
from the Well Plot panel.
Delete Lets you delete individual or multiple plot windows.
Well Plotting Options (Continued)
Option What It Does
...Current Deletes the currently focused plot window. Be sure to select

the plot to be affected before making this selection. You can
focus on a plot by clicking in the center of the plot window.
...By Well Deletes all the plots previously created by well.
...By Property Deletes any existing plots for the currently selected properties
in the Well Plot panel.
Delete All Deletes all open plot windows.
Depending on your selection, one or more well plot windows may be

displayed or modified. Each of these windows contains two pop-up menus
you can access using MB3. One pop-up menu for axis annotation appears
when you hold down MB3 in the axis annotation area. Another pop-up menu
with general selections appears when you hold down MB3 in the main display
area. The initial appearance of the plot window is shown in Figure . However,
the window is actually a simplified view of the PlotView data plotting
application provided by Landmark, with the menus and control panel hidden.
You can reveal the complete PlotView menus and control panels, by holding
down MB3 in the main display area and selecting Menus and Control Panel
from the pop-up menu. When you do, the plot window appearance will
change as shown in Figure .
Initial View of a Well Plot Window
Expanded View with PlotView Menus Exposed
5. When you are finished plotting wells, use the OK button when you are
finished using this window.
Hardcopy Output
Introduction
Various print options in 3DVIEW and 2DVIEW let you produce different types of
graphics output files for use in hardcopy printing, computer presentations, and
video displays. You can customize the hardcopy output in various ways. For
example, you can:
Control whether window borders print or not.
Control the output scaling of 2D model displays.
Display a legend containing user-defined information.
Select the output format.
Set up hardcopy dimensions.
Set environment variables.
Set the output filename.
Produce the final output.
This chapter explains how to use these various output formats to produce printed
hardcopy and presentations.
R2003.4 Hardcopy Output: Introduction 141

Setting Print Options for Model Displays

The Print Options menu at the top of each display window lets you set various
hardcopy options for that model display. These options control various aspects of
how the window will print including:
Whether or not the window borders will appear on hardcopy output.
The aspect ratio for converting model scale to hardcopy output scale.
The display and configuration of a legend for the current display.
This section explains how to use the Print Options menu for these various
purposes.
Controlling Window Borders

You can control whether various window borders will appear on hardcopy
versions of a model display. This feature does not apply to the display currently on
the screen, it only applies to the appearance of the hardcopy output. You can set
this feature individually for each display window available. To access this feature:
1. Make sure the model display for which you are setting this feature is the
current active window. If not, click on the desired window to bring it to the
front.
2. Choose the Print Options selection on the Display menu, then select
Hardcopy from the submenu. This displays the following panel:
Print Border Options
3. Select the kind of borders you want to appear on the hardcopy output. If the
toggle button is on (highlighted), the corresponding border type will appear
on the hardcopy. If the toggle button is off, the corresponding border type will
be hidden.
Grid Window Borders. This controls whether or not the borders on the
current model display window will appear on hardcopy output.
Spectrum Window Borders. This controls whether or not the borders on

the current spectrum window will appear on hardcopy output.
142 Hardcopy Output: Setting Print Options for Model Displays R2003.4
Legend Window Borders. This controls whether or not the borders on

the current legend window will appear on hardcopy output.
4. Click the OK button to close this panel.
The following figure shows the difference in output when you activate borders
(they are activated in the top figure and deactivated at bottom).
Grid
window
border
BORDERS
ACTIVATED
Spectrum
window
border
BORDERS
DEACTIVATED
Example of Activated/Deactivated Borders in Hardcopy Output
R2003.4 Hardcopy Output: Setting Print Options for Model Displays 143
Controlling the Fixed Scale (Ortho Projections Only)

The Fixed Scale option is a feature of 2DVIEW which lets you set the number of
feet or meters in model distance that will appear per inch of final hardcopy output.
For example, if you set the fixed scale to 2000, every 2000 feet of model surface
will take up exactly one inch on the hardcopy output surface. The fixed scale is
individually customizable for each model display. Use the following steps to
control this feature:
NOTE: This feature is not available with the 3DVIEW software.
1. Make sure the 2DVIEW model display for which you are setting this feature
is the current active window. If not, click on the desired window to bring it to
the front.
2. Choose the Print Options selection on the Display menu, then select Fixed
Scale from the submenu. This displays the following panel:
Fixed Scale Options
3. Use the first toggle button, Conform to Fixed Scale, to turn this feature on or
off for the current display window. If off, skip the next two steps.
4. Select the scaling method for scaling hardcopy output:
Feet/Inch. Every inch on the hardcopy will represent a certain number of

feet as selected in the next step.
Meters/Inch. Every inch on the hardcopy will represent a certain number

of meters as selected in the next step.
5. Set the Fixed Scale slider to indicate the number of feet or meters per inch
that will be scaled per inch of hardcopy output. For example, if you turn on
the feet/inch button and set this slider at 5000, then every 5000 feet of model
distance will appear an inch wide on hardcopy output.
6. Click the Apply button if you want to apply the settings and leave this panel
open, or click OK to apply the settings and close this panel.
NOTE: Anytime before using the Apply button, you can use the Reset button to
change the panel back to its original settings. Or you can use Cancel to close
this panel without changing the settings.
Setting Up the Legend Display

The Legend feature lets you create a legend for the current display window that
will also appear on hardcopy output. The legend is totally customizable. For
instance, the following legend display shows the case name, time, property class,
and variable, but there are many other types of information that could be shown.
Typical Legend Display
You can control the different types of information shown on the legend by setting
the legend options. Use the following steps if you want to set up a legend display:
1. Select the Legend option on the Display menu. This displays the following
panel:
Legend Setup Options
2. Click the Legend Panel button at the top of this panel to turn the legend
option on or off. The legend will not display at all unless this option is turned
on.
NOTE: If a legend is already displayed for the current model, you will not be able to
change the selections on this panel until you turn it off. Once you have made
the desired changes, you can turn the legend back on.
3. To change any options on this panel, turn off the Legend Panel toggle and
make the changes. The information types are listed in the following table.
Legend Options
Option What It Shows on Legend
Text 1/2/3 Up to three lines of customized text can appear on the legend.
You must turn on the toggle button for each line and enter the
text in the field to the right of the toggle.
Viewing Scales Shows the scale options selected from the View-Point menu.
Viewing Angles Shows the current viewing angle of the model display (not
available for 2DVIEW).
Legend Options (Continued)
Option What It Shows on Legend
Clip Range Shows the data clip ranges for up to three values (Clip 1,
Clip 2, or Clip 3), or you can select Clipping Ranges to show
all.
Left/Right/ Shows the min/max range on the spectrum setup for the current
Property Range model display. Select Right or Left Range to show only the
range minimum or maximum, respectively.
Map Scale Shows the current map scale settings.
Well Color Shows the color-coding for each well type (shut-in, producer,
injector, etc.).
Variable 1/2/3 Shows variable(s) currently displayed (one variable for regular
displays or three variables for ternary displays).
Property Class Shows the property class currently displayed for this model.
Time Slider/Time Displays the timestep at which the model is currently set or a
time slider you can use to reset the timestep
Case Name Shows case name for the current model database.
4. Click the OK button when you are finished using this panel.
Setting Up Hardcopy Options and Printing

The Print Scene option on the File menu of any 3DVIEW or 2DVIEW window
lets you quickly print the current scene. The printing that occurs is based on the
printing selections already defined on the Print Selection Panel. You can accept
the default selections already on this panel or change them to suit your purposes.
To open the Print Selections Panel, click the Print button on the control panel.
This displays the following menu panel for controlling hardcopy output.
The Print Selection Panel
The procedures in this section explain how to use the different options available
on the Print selection panel.
148 Hardcopy Output: Setting Up Hardcopy Options and Printing R2003.4

Selecting the Output Format

You can use any of the buttons in the left two-thirds of the Print selection panel to
select an output format for hardcopy. Only one format may be selected at a time.
The format you choose will apply to any future hardcopy output that you produce,
until or unless you select a different format. The following list shows the various
output formats available.
Hardcopy Output Formats
Output File
Format Description
Ext.
Object-Based Formats (Resizable)
PostScript Adobe PostScript file .ps
EPS Adobe encapsulated PostScript file .eps
CGM Text CGM clear text encoding .cgmtxt
CGM Binary CGM ANSI binary encoding .cgm
Image-Based Formats (Fixed Size)
Targa Truevision TARGA image file .tga
PICT Image PICT image file .pict
GIF CompuServe Graphics Image File .gif

format
JPEG Graphic file format which offers good balance .jpeg
between online color quality and compressed
file size.
PPM Portable pixmap file .ppm
PS Image Encapsulated PostScript image file .epsi
TIFF Image Tagged Image File format .tiff
3D Object Format (Tech Support Use Only)
MetaFile Hoops metafile .hmf
When you are finished selecting an output format for the hardcopy, you may use
any of the other selections discussed on the following pages to set up and generate
the actual hardcopy.
R2003.4 Hardcopy Output: Setting Up Hardcopy Options and Printing 149

Setting Up Hardcopy Dimensions

The Print Setup option lets you specify the height and width of hardcopy output in
either inches or pixels and to specify portrait or landscape orientation. A number
of convenience settings are available that let you specify typical output formats
(8.5 x 11, A4, etc.). The settings that you make using this option will apply to any
future hardcopy output that you produce, until or unless you change these options
again. To use the Print Setup feature:
1. Click the Setup button on the Print selection panel.
The Print Setup Panel
2. Turn on the Fit to Page toggle button if you want the program to
automatically fit the image onto the available page area. Otherwise, you can
use other settings on this panel to control the image size.

3. Use the Height/Width sliders or the Convenience Settings button to specify

an appropriate height and width for the hardcopy output.
Regardless of which you use, the others will adjust accordingly. For example,
assuming the DPI is set to 300 and you move a pixels slider to 300, the
corresponding inches slider adjusts automatically to 1, because at 300 DPI
there are always 300 pixels for every 1 inch.
NOTE: The size for PostScript and encapsulated PostScript files should be specified
in inches. The size for image files, such as TIFF, GIF, PICT, TARGA, and
PPM, should be specified in pixels.
The Convenience Settings button lets you set the Height/Width settings
automatically based on standard output formats. If you click this button, you
will see the following menu:
Print Format Menu
The following convenience settings are available on this menu.
8.5 x 11. Sets the output to the correct height and width to fill an 8.5-inch
by 11-inch page (American letter size).
A4. Sets the output to the correct height and width to fill an A4 page
(European letter size).
11 x 17. Sets the output to the correct height and width to fill an 11-inch
by 17-inch page (double American letter size).

A3. Sets the hardcopy output to the correct height and width to fill an A3
page (double European letter size).
NTSC. Sets the output to the correct height and width (640x480) to fill a
U.S. or Japanese video screen.
PAL. Sets the output to the correct height and width to fill a European
video screen.
SVGA. Sets the output to the correct height and width to fill a PC
computers Super VGA screen.
1280 x 1024. Sets the hardcopy output to the correct height and width to
fit a standard workstation graphics screen.
2048 x 1366. Sets the hardcopy output to the correct height and width to
fit a very high-resolution workstation graphics screen.
4. If the output is PostScript or EPS, you can use the Portrait/Landscape

buttons to control whether the output will be Portrait or Landscape mode.
Otherwise, only the Portrait option is available.
5. Enter the desired resolution in dots-per-inch in the DPI field.
NOTE: If you have not used Apply yet, you can use the Reset button only if you
want to change the settings back to their original values, or use Cancel to
close this panel without changing the settings.

Setting the Print Rendering Options

The Print Selection panel includes an extra button for setting various print
rendering options. These work a lot like the display rendering options, in that you
can select the algorithm to be used in creating the overall view of hidden and
revealed three-dimensional surfaces (see Hidden Surface Rendering on
page 53). Different settings may be required for printing, however, depending on
the output format used. Use the following steps to set the print rendering options:
1. Click the Options button on the Print Selection panel. This displays the Print
Rendering panel.
Print Rendering Panel
2. Select the appropriate Hidden Surface Removal option for rendering hidden
surfaces in the model. This option lets you control the order of model drawing
so portions of the reservoir that are hidden from view will not be displayed.
The following list ranks the available options for accuracy and speed, from
slowest/most accurate to fastest/least accurate:
Painters
Software Z Buffer
Hardware Z Buffer
Z Sort Only
Spider Web
No Hidden Surfaces
NOTE: Default for images is Software Z Buffer. Default for CGM/PostScript is

Painters.

3. Use the Anti-Alias settings if needed to improve the quality of low-resolution

images.
For example, if you are writing to a NTSC video screen at a resolution of 640
X 480 pixels, diagonal lines may appear somewhat jagged on the output
image. Using 2x2 AntiAlias would run the image through an anti-aliasing that
smooths out the jagged edges. This is how it works:
The 2x2 AntiAlias option doubles the pixel size of the image (e.g., from
640x480 to 1280x960).
This results in four times the original number of pixels (two more pixels
in each dimension).
The algorithm computes an average value for every block of four pixels.
The end result is an image with the same number of pixels before, but in
which the pixels all represent the average pixel values of a much higher
resolution image.
A similar approach is used for 3x3 AntiAlias. While it does result in less
jagged looking images, anti-aliasing also tends to reduce the contrast in the
image and tends to thin out solid lines to a certain degree. To compensate
for this, you may want to increase the line thickness. Some testing may be
needed to determine what setting produces the best effect.
NOTE: If you have not used Apply yet, you can use the Reset button only if you
want to change the settings back to their original values, or use Cancel to
close this panel without changing the settings.

Setting Environment Variables

To print correctly, you must set some of the environmental variables to control
how the printing occurs. These must be set before the program is started. If these
variables are not set correctly, you must exit the program, set them using setenv
(or other appropriate operating system command), then restart the program.
Environment Variables for Printing
Variable Description
VIPPRINTER Specifies the print command used to queue output.
VIPPOST Specifies the PostScript printer to be used for PostScript output.

Set this variable only if you want the output to be printed. Other-
wise, it will be appended to a file.
VIPCGM Specifies the CGM printer to be used for CGM output. Set this
variable only if you want the output to go to a printer. Otherwise, it
will be appended to a file.
Setting the Output File

The Set File option on the Print Selection panel lets you set the name of a file to
which the output will be saved. If VIPPOST or VIPCGM are set, for PostScript or
CGM files respectively, then the file is queued up to the local printer using the
command found in the environmental variable VIPPRINTER. This is done after
each scene is dumped to the file. When VIPPOST or VIPCGM are not set, then the
images are appended (not overwritten) to the specified file.

Producing the Final Output

Once you have finished setting all the print parameters explained in the previous
sections of this chapter, you are ready to produce the final output. To do this,
select one of the toggle buttons remaining on the Print selection panel and then
click the Print button at the bottom of the panel.
The following list explains each of the toggles along the right side of the Print
Selection panel:
NOTE: Results may vary, depending on whether you have set the VIPPRINTER,
VIPPOST, or VIPCGM environment variables.
Scene. Saves the current scene to the specified output file. If VIPPOST or
VIPCGM are set, the current scene will be printed using the command
specified in VIPPRINTER.
To End. Prints the scene for the current timestep through to the maximum
timestep. If VIPPOST or VIPCGM are set, each timestep is printed separately
using the command specified in VIPPRINTER.
Slides. Prints all frames stored in the screen definition file which has been
specified by the Screen/Video Definition option on the control panel. If
VIPPOST or VIPCGM are set, each definition is printed separately using the
command specified in VIPPRINTER.
Video. Interpolates a series of images and saves them to the specified type of
graphic file, based on your entries in the Screen/Video Definition portion of
the control panel. This is typically used to produce a video sequence that
simulates continuous changes in a model over time. See Capturing a Video
Sequence to Disk for Post-Processing on page 169 for detailed instructions
on interpolating multiple frames of a display sequence.
WARNING: Since some of these options involve output of multiple images, they may
take a considerable amount of time to finish -- from a few minutes to several
hours. Make sure you understand the magnitude of the printing job before
using any of these options. Once an option is selected, the only way to stop it
is to kill the process in the operating system.

Animation and Video
Introduction
Both 3DVIEW and 2DVIEW offer you the ability to animate, record, and replay
different views of your simulation model. In particular, you can:
Animate the display so that the model rotates about an axis.
Animate the display so that the model automatically cycles through its
timesteps.
Capture a series of display settings and replay them as a slide show.
Produce a video sequence by interpolating multiple views from a few key

views of the model.
This chapter explains how to perform each of the tasks listed above, along with
related tasks that the program lets you perform.
R2003.4 Animation and Video: Introduction 157

Animating a Scene
Selecting Animation on the control panel will display the following panel, which
you can use to animate a scene. Animation can include rotation as well as a cycled
display of model simulation changes over time. In 2DVIEW, rotation animation is
restricted to the 2D grid plane.
Animation Control
This panel remains open as long as you are using it to animate the model. You can
close the panel by clicking the OK button. The following options are available for
animating the model.
Continuous Rotation
The Fling feature lets you animate the model so that it rotates continuously. You
can start the rotation by dragging the mouse pointer in the desired direction of
rotation, and you can change the relative speed of rotation. To use this feature:
1. Move the mouse pointer into the display window, hold down MB2, and drag
the mouse in the desired direction of rotation.
2. Select Fling on the Animation panel and the model image will rotate
continuously in the specified direction
3. Adjust the Refresh slider to make the rotation slower or faster. For example, a
refresh rate of 2.5 means the model will change position every 2.5 seconds.
4. Turn off Fling when you want to stop the rotation.
158 Animation and Video: Animating a Scene R2003.4

Cycling Through Timesteps

The Run feature lets you animate the model so that it cycles through each of the
timesteps in the simulation data. This feature can be used with or without the
Fling feature (which rotates the model, as discussed earlier in this section). To use
the Run feature:
1. Select the Run option on the Animation panel.
When Run is selected, the program automatically displays the reservoir at

each timestep, starting with the current one and cycling through all
subsequent timesteps. After the last timestep is displayed, the program returns
to the first timestep and continues stepping through timesteps until Run is
turned off.
2. Adjust the Refresh slider as desired to make the animation run slower or
faster.
For example, a refresh rate of 2.5 provides a delay of at least 2.5 seconds
between each screen update.
3. If you want the program to automatically interpolate the model view between
timesteps, set the Interpolation slider to the number of days between views.
For example, if the simulation timesteps are 30 days apart and you set the
Interpolation slider to 15, the program will interpolate and display a model
view for every 15 days during the simulation time period (i.e., twice for each
timestep).
4. Turn off the Run option when you want to stop the animation.
R2003.4 Animation and Video: Animating a Scene 159

Creating Slide Shows and Videos

The Screen/Video Definition button on the control panel allows you to capture
and replay specific model displays, either individually, as a simple slide show of
selected displays, or as a video-like sequence of interpolated images. When you
click this button, the Video Frame Window opens as shown below.
Video Frame Window
This window contains all the controls you need to capture and manipulate a series
of model displays. Each display can be saved as a separate frame in a special file
called a screen definition file (.3df). The screen definition file contains
information on the display options used to produce each frame, including the
scale, spectrum type, lighting, colors, etc. As you capture frames, the information
about each frame is displayed in a list in the center of the window. You can
rearrange the list in any sequence and control the speed and method of replay. You
can even save the screen definition file and reopen it whenever you want to play
back the frames.
The following procedures explain how to accomplish sophisticated effects using

the Video Frame Window.
160 Animation and Video: Creating Slide Shows and Videos R2003.4
Creating a New Frame File

Each set of captured frames will be saved in a separate screen definition file.
When you open a new file, it clears the Video Frame Data Table in the center of
the Video Frame Window, so you can start capturing a series of new frames for
storing in a new file. Make sure you have saved the previous screen definition file
before opening a new one. Use the following steps to start a new file containing a
new set of frames.
1. Select the New option from the File menu in the Video Frame Window. If
there are unsaved changes in the current file, you may see the following
message:
2. Click OK to proceed without saving your changes or Cancel to go back and

save the changes.
3. Capture video frames into the file (see Capturing Frames into the Current
File on page -164).
4. Save the file (see Saving a File on page -163).
R2003.4 Animation and Video: Creating Slide Shows and Videos 161
Opening an Existing Frame File

You can reload existing screen definition files saved in previous sessions. When
you open an existing file, it replaces all the frames in the Video Frame Data Table
with the frames in the file you are now opening. To use this feature, take the
following steps:
1. Select the Open option from the File menu in the Video Frame Window.
This displays the following dialog box.
Frame File Open Dialog
2. Select the desired file to be opened from the Files list, then click the OK
button.
If you do not see the desired file, it may be in a different directory. You can
double-click the Directories list to see other directories, or type a pathname
on the top line and click the Filter button.
Appending Screen Definition Files

You can add the frames in one screen definition file to the end of another. To do
this:
1. Open the first screen definition file using the Open option as described in the
previous procedure.
The frames in this file are displayed automatically in the Video Frame Data
Table.
2. Select the Append option from the File menu in the Video Frame Window.
This displays the File Selection Box shown in the previous figure.
3. Select the screen definition file to be appended. This has a file extension of
*.3df.
4. Click the OK button.
The frames in the second file are added to the end of the Video Frame Data
Table. Now, if you do a File/Save or File/SaveAs, the entire list will be saved
to the original screen definition filename opened in step 1.
Saving a File
After you have captured a series of frames in the current file, it is a good idea to
save the file. Saving does not close the file, it only writes the current information
to disk. You can save a screen definition file at any point in a work session. When
you do, all frames listed in the Video Frame Data Table are saved to the file. To
use this feature:
1. Select the Save option on the File menu in the Video Frame Window.
If the file has been saved at least once before, it will be saved again
automatically when you make this selection. If this is a new file that has never
been saved before, you will see the File Selection Box shown in Figure on
page -162.
2. Click on the end of the Selection line, type in a filename (no prefix required)
and click the OK button. The file is saved automatically.
Saving a File Under a Different Name

Sometimes you may want to save a frame file under a different name, or create
multiple copies of the same file, each with different names. To use this feature:
1. Select the SaveAs option from the File menu in the Video Frame Window.
This displays the File Selection Box shown in Figure on page -162.
2. Click on the end of the Selection line, type in a filename (no prefix required)
and click the OK button. The file is saved automatically.
Closing a File
When you are finished working with a screen definition file, you can close the file
and the Video Frame Window by selecting the Close option on the File menu in
Capturing Frames into the Current File

A frame is like a snapshot of the current models display state. When you are
ready to start capturing frames, use the following procedure:
1. Decide how you plan to use the frames.
For instance, if you want to create a slide show, you will need to capture a
frame for each different model view you want to show, and you will be able to
replay them one-by-one. If you want to create a continuous video sequence,
you only need to capture key frames in the sequence and the program will
interpolate between them automatically to provide continuous motion.
2. Set up the model view you want to capture.
A frame capture is simply a way to save a group of display settings, so make

sure all the settings are adjusted just the way you need them for the desired
view. This includes lighting, rotation angle, timestep, variable, etc.
3. Change the Default Frame Name in the lower left corner, if desired.
This is the name that will be given automatically to every frame you capture.
The default frame name is Key-Frame, but you can change this to any desired
name. You can also change frame names individually after they are added to
the list.
4. To capture each frame, select the Insert After option from the Edit menu in
Each time you select Insert After, the current display state is added as another
entry in the Video Frame Data Table. This list happens to represent the
sequence in which frames will be played back. For this reason, you may
occasionally want to insert a frame into the middle of the list by clicking on an
entry and using Insert Before or Insert After. Do not be too concerned about
the overall sequence of the list, since you can use the other Edit options to
rearrange the list (as described next).
5. After capturing each frame, make your desired changes to the display before
capturing the next frame.
If you want to return to the same view more than once in a sequence, you can
use the Copy and Paste options on the Edit menu to duplicate that frame as
often as desired in the sequence.
Editing the Frame Table

The Video Data Frame Table in the center of the Video Frame Window shows
information about the frames already captured in the current screen definition file.
Each of these fields is entirely editable.
Name. The name of the frame captured. By default, this name is Key-Frame
(or whatever words are entered in the Default Frame Name field at the lower
left corner of the window). You may want to change this to something more
descriptive, such as numbered names or a short descriptive title. You can also
use the Description field below for lengthier descriptions.
Count /Increment. Used to set up parameters for interpolating a continuous-

motion sequence. For more details, see Creating a Video Sequence on
page -168.
Start Time/Increment. Used to show the start time and time increment for
interpolated video sequences. For more details, see Creating a Video
Sequence on page -168.
Description. This field is initially blank, but you can use it to enter an
extended description of each key frame.
The order of frames in the list represents the playback sequence for slide shows
and video. Before setting up a slide show or video sequence based on the current
list of frames, you may want to reorganize the list in some way. You can
reorganize the sequence of key frames by cutting, copying, and pasting the entries
to different positions in the table, as explained in the following procedures.
Moving an Entry
To move an entry to a different position in the list:
1. Click on the entry to be moved.
2. Select the Cut option from the Edit menu in the Video Frame Window.
3. Click on the entry nearest the point where you want to move it.
4. Select the Paste Before option if you want to paste it before the selected
entry, Paste After if you want to paste it after, or Overwrite if you want to
replace it.
Copying an Entry
Sometimes, you may want the same frame to appear at more than one point in a
sequence. If so, you can copy the frame to a different position in the table. To do
this:
1. Click on the entry to be copied.
2. Select the Copy option from the Edit menu in the Video Frame Window.
3. Click on the entry nearest the point where you want to copy it.
4. Select the Paste Before option if you want to paste the copy before the
selected entry, Paste After if you want to paste it after, or Overwrite if you
want to replace it.
Undeleting an Entry
You can undelete the last entry that you cut by selecting the Undelete option from
the Edit menu in the Video Frame Window. This is like the Undo option in many
other software programs.
Creating a Slide Show

Once you have key frames captured and arranged in an appropriate sequence, you
can view them in sequence or set up a slide show that automatically cycles
through the different frames in the list. This is done using the controls at the
bottom of the window.
1. To view a selected frame, click on the frame in the list then click the View
button.
2. To view the next frame in the list, click the Next button.
3. To view the previous frame in the list, click the Previous button.
4. To cycle through the frames automatically like a slide show:
Adjust the Slide Delay. This slider controls the delay between frames (in
seconds). For example, if it is set to 2, the slide show will pause two
seconds between each frame.
Click the Slide Show button.
Creating a Video Sequence

The program provides a special interpolation feature that lets you easily produce
continuous-motion sequences of model displays. Instead of having to capture
every intermediate position of the model in a sequence, you can capture a few key
frames then automatically interpolate the movement of the model from one key
frame to the next.
The interpolation is controlled through the use of several settings in the Video
Frame Window, as discussed below:
Frame Decimation. This slider controls the selection of frames for viewing.
If it is set to 1, the slide show will show every frame in the list. If set to 2, the
slide show will show every other frame in the list. If set to 3, it will show
every third frame in the list, and so forth.
Count /Increment. These two fields are initially set to one (1) and zero (0)
respectively for each frame captured. To do a video sequence, you can change
them to reflect the desired interpolation frequency between frames. For
example, if you have captured two key frames and you want the program to
interpolate 10 frames between the first one and the next, you would set the
increment to 10 for the first frame. The count for the first key frame would
then be 1 and the count for the second key frame would be 11.
For instance, in the following sequence there are a total of 21 frames. The key
frames are at positions number 1, 11, and 21. All the other frames will be
interpolated automatically between them. The actual creation of the
interpolated frames does not occur until you press the Interpolation button.
Frame Name Count Increment
Key Frame 1 1 10
Key Frame 2 11 10
Key Frame 3 21 0
Start Time/Increment. Initially set to 00:00:00, these fields will change

automatically when you enter an increment. The Start Time will show the start
time of each key frame based on number of frames being displayed per
second (see Frames/Second below). The Time Increment is simply keyed to
the Increment setting for each key frame.
Frames/Second. This is the number of frames/second. For example, if you

change this slider to 30, then there will be 30 frames displayed for each
second of viewing time. As you change the setting, the Start Time field is
adjusted automatically for each key frame to show how soon after the
beginning of the sequence the key frame will appear. This setting is used
strictly to provide information about the video start time and increment. The
application which generates the video will actually control the true number of
frames per second.
To set up a video sequence, make sure you have all the key frames captured that
you need to represent key model views in the sequence. Then set the interpolation
parameters accordingly as described above. Once you have the parameters set up,
you can view the video sequence inside the program or capture it to disk for post-
processing, as described in the following sections.
Playing Back the Video Sequence

Once you have the interpolation parameters set up as described in the previous
section, you can test the video sequence and play it back any time inside the
program. To do this, simply click the Interpolate button at the bottom of the
Video Frame Window.
For a video sequence with a very large count, it may take some time to play back
the entire sequence. Depending on the speed of your hardware, the sequence may
not be able to play back in real time.
Capturing a Video Sequence to Disk for Post-Processing

For true video playback, you will need to capture the interpolated images to disk
and create a video using third-party video production software. You can use
various Print options to produce the series of graphics files that can be used for
this purpose. To capture the appropriate files to disk:
1. Click the Print button on the control panel. This displays the Print selection
panel shown below:
The Print Selection Panel
2. Select the appropriate output format for the graphics files, as required by your
video production software.
3. Click the Setup button and set the page size or video resolution. This can be
done using the sliders or the Convenience Settings button. This displays the
Print Format menu:
Print Format Menu
4. If the video will be played back on a computer monitor, select SVGA,

1280x1024 or 2048x1366 depending on the resolution of the workstation
monitor (SVGA is usually used for PCs; the others for graphic workstations).
If the video will be played back on a TV screen, select NTSC for American or
Japanese or PAL for European. Your selection automatically dismisses the
menu above. (For more details about the selections options on this panel, see
page -151.)
5. Click the OK button on the Print Setup panel to close it.
6. Click the Set File button on the Print selection panel to set the base filename
for your graphics files. For example, if you set the base filename to spe1.tiff,
the program will create the following graphics files:
spe1_001.tiff
spe1_002.tiff
spe1_003.tiff
spe1_004.tiff
7. Click the Video option on the Print Selection panel, then click the Print
button to begin saving the graphics files to disk. If there are many graphics
files to be saved, this may take awhile.
Command Line Parameters
Definitions and Examples

-r <definition filename> Use the first definition within the file to set the initial input
data file and menu selections. (See Saving a File on
page -163 for information on saving a screen definition.)
3dv -r my_definitions.3df
-p Use a temporary file for generating PostScript files. This

option must be used in conjunction with the -r option. The
combination of -p and -r will print all the definitions within
the definitions file to a temporary file. If VIPPOST is set,
each definition is queued separately to the printer, if VIP-
POST is not set, all the definitions are printed to the tempo-
rary file as a new page.
3dv -p -r my_definitions.3df
-p <filename> Use the specified filename instead of a temporary file (see

above for a complete description of the -p option). The file
name extension determines the type of file created. (see
Chapter5 for a list of extensions.)
3dv -p my_definitions.ps -r my_definitions.3df
-c <1-256> Specifies the number of colors to be used in the color map.

The default value is 250.
-b Dump out drawing statistics. The times are at the start of each
area. To get the time for a specific area subtract the time
stated for the area from the time stated for the next area.
When used in conjunction with the -r option it will cycle
through all the timesteps for the first definition within the
definition file and then quit.
R2003.4 Command Line Parameters: Definitions and Examples 171

172 Command Line Parameters: Definitions and Examples R2003.4

File Extensions
Data Files
Files used with the program typically have the following extensions: 00
.vdb VIP data base file
.3df Screen definitions file
.spc User-defined spectrum file.
Print Files
.ps Adobe PostScript file
.eps Adobe Encapsulated PostScript file
.cgmtxt CGM clear text encoding
.cgm CGM ANSI binary encoding
.pict Apple Macintosh Quickdraw/PICT File
.tga Truevision TARGA image file
.pict PICT image file
.gif Compuserve Graphics Image File
.jpeg Graphic file format (not optimal for hardcopy)
.ppm Portable pixmap file
.epsi Encapsulated PostScript image file
.tiff Tagged image file
.hmf Hoops metafile
R2003.4 File Extensions: Data Files 173

174 File Extensions: Print Files R2003.4

Color Spectrum File
Introduction
Chapter 3 of this manual explained how to create a customized color spectrum
using the Customize button on the Spectrum/Scale option. If desired, you can also
create a customized spectrum file manually using any text editor. The customized
file should use a filename extension of *.spc, but can contain as much or as little
information as desired.
General Procedure
Use the following procedure to create color spectrum file manually:
1. Start the text editor and name the file: For example:
vi /user/mydirectory/myspectrum
2. Type in the spectrum information. Be sure to follow the formatting rules

explained later in this section. For example:
object{
name = Ternary2;
type = ternary;
step = -2;
repeat = 1;
values = {
50, 25, 25,
250, 225, 225,
};
}
3. Save the file.
4. Set the environment variable VIPSPECTRUM to point to the location of the

file: setenv VIPSPECTRUM /user/mydirectory/myspectrum
The new spectrum will now be accessible on the spectrum type panel.
Formatting Rules for the Spectrum File

Each spectrum must be contained within an object definition, which, has the form:
object { }
R2003.4 Color Spectrum File: Introduction 175

The spectrum must contain a variable called name which is equated to a string
enclosed within single quotes. The line must be terminated by a semi-colon:
name = 'my name';
The spectrum must also contain a variable called type which is either continuous,
discrete or ternary. The word continuous or discrete must be enclosed within
single quotes and the line must be terminated by a semi-colon:
type = 'continuous';
or
type = 'discrete';
or
type = ternary.
Continuous means the values in the spectrum are evenly incremented between the
specified values. It will vary red, green and blue concurrently. Discrete means the
values within the spectrum are only the specified values. The spectrum is divided
up evenly between all the values specified in the value array (see below).
The spectrum can optionally contain a step. Step must be a numeric value and the
line must be terminated by a semi-colon:
step = 10;
The step value determines the number of labels to displayed on the spectrum. If
the value is not -1 the label count is set to the total number of colors in the
spectrum divided by the step. A label is placed on the spectrum after colors/step
colors are placed on the spectrum. If the step is -1 (the default) then a label is
placed only on the spectrum where the values are explicitly set in the values array
(see below).
The spectrum can optionally contain a repeat variable. Repeat must be a numeric
value and the line must be terminated by a semi-colon:
repeat = 10;
The repeat value determines the number of times the specified values are repeated
within the entire spectrum. A good example of this is the built in spectrum, Multi-
Rainbow.
The value array is an array of numbers enclosed within braces and separated by
comas. The array must be terminated by a semi-colon:
values = { 0, 0, 255,
0, 0, 255,
0, 0, 255,
176 Color Spectrum File: Formatting Rules for the Spectrum File R2003.4
0, 255, 255,
0, 255, 0,
255, 255, 0,
255, 0, 0,
255, 0, 0,
255, 0, 0 };
The array is the red, green, blue, red, green, blue, ... values to be used by the
spectrum. How they are interpreted depends on the type of spectrum specified.
The values must range from 0 - 255.
R2003.4 Color Spectrum File: Formatting Rules for the Spectrum File 177
Example Spectrum File

object {
name = 'Continuous 1';
values = { 0, 0, 255,
0, 0, 255,
0, 0, 255,
0, 255, 255,
0, 255, 0,
255, 255, 0,
255, 0, 0,
255, 0, 0,
255, 0, 0 };
}
object {
name = 'Continuous 2';
step = 4;
repeat = 2;
values = {
130, 162, 90,
169, 211, 142,
182, 212, 93,
188, 168, 42,
181, 140, 64,
165, 107, 69,
152, 91, 91,
135, 100, 154,
137, 125, 191,
135, 151, 209 };
}
object {
name = 'Discrete 1';
type = 'discrete';
step = 4;
repeat = 2;
values = {
130, 162, 90,
169, 211, 142,
182, 212, 93,
188, 168, 42,
181, 140, 64,
165, 107, 69,
152, 91, 91,
135, 100, 154,
137, 125, 191,
135, 151, 209 };
}
178 Color Spectrum File: Example Spectrum File R2003.4

object {
/* colors retreived from /user/lib/X11/rgb.txt */
name = X11;
step = 10;
repeat = 1;
values = {
21, 53, 255, /*blue*/
43, 96, 222, /*RoyalBlue*/
102, 152, 255, /*SkyBlue*/
72, 99, 160, /*SteelBlue*/
115, 124, 161, /*SlateBlue*/
173, 223, 255, /*LightBlue*/
174, 235, 236, /*PaleTurquoise*/
62, 169, 159, /*LightSeaGreen*/
82, 208, 23, /*YellowGreen*/
255, 254, 220, /*LightYellow*/
253, 218, 163, /*NavajoWhite*/
252, 213, 176, /*PeachPuff*/
236, 216, 114, /*LightGoldenrod*/
249, 150, 107, /*LightSalmon*/
225, 139, 107, /*Salmon*/
231, 116, 113, /*LightCoral*/
179, 132, 129, /*RosyBrown*/
248, 122, 23, /*Orange*/
246, 34, 23, /*Red*/
244, 62, 255, /*Magenta*/
};
}
object{
name = Ternary2;
type = ternary;
step = -2;
repeat = 1;
values = {
50, 25, 25,
250, 225, 225,
};
}
R2003.4 Color Spectrum File: Example Spectrum File 179

180 Color Spectrum File: Example Spectrum File R2003.4

Screen Definition File
Startup Screen Definition File

Whenever 3DVIEW is started, a screen definition file, 3dview.3df, is accessed
which controls the programs initial display. A master screen definition defaults
file is delivered with each installation and is stored as 3dview.3df.master in the
$VIPEXEC directory. 00
The user can create a personal defaults file which contains different startup
preferences when 3DVIEW is started. It is a recommended that this file is created
by copying the master default file, provided with the installation, to a default file
in the current working directory, or the users home directory, by issuing the
following command: 00
cp $VIPEXEC/3dview.3df.master 3dview.3df
The copy of the defaults file can be edited, using vi or any other editor, to
customize the default display for the users preferences. 00
NOTE: Changes should not be made to the master file. 3DVIEW will look
for the defaults file to be used first in the current directory, next in
the users home directory, and last in the VIPEXEC directory.
The startup screen definition file has the same format and is a subset of a screen
definition file that can be created and saved at other times during the course of
running 3DVIEW, such as creating a video sequence. 00
Screen Definition File Format

Each screen definition must be contained within an object definition which has the
form:
object { }
The screen definition file was not intended to be created manually. However, once
a screen definition file has been created there are certain variables that can be
modified using an editor. This is often beneficial for batch printing or can be used
to make global changes to a screen file. Also, complete definitions can be
removed by deleting an object definition (i.e., object { }). Variables that are most
commonly changed are:
colortable variables:
direction (1 or 0, swaps the direction of the spectrum)
R2003.4 Screen Definition File: Startup Screen Definition File 181

name (string, selects the spectrum name from one listed in this
file)
sceneobject variables:
wellscale (float, set the well scaling factor)
dataobject variables:
database name (string)
data_class (integer)
variable (string, the default variable in the class to display)
gridobject variables:
show_grid (1 or 0, grid on or off)
clip_grid (1 or 0, clip grid to data, on or off)
show_data (1 or 0, data on or off)
exclusive_clip (1 or 0, exclusive clipping is on or off)
low_x (integer, low x clip)
high_x (integer, high x clip)
low_y (integer, low y clip)
high_y (integer, high y clip)
low_z (integer, low z clip)
high_z (integer, high z clip)
low_x_fence (integer, low x fence)
high_x_fence (integer, high x fence)
low_y_fence (integer, low y fence)
high_y_fence (integer, high y fence)
low_z_fence (integer, low z fence)
high_z_fence (integer, high z fence)
x_step (integer, x stepping value for excluding rows)
y_step (integer, y stepping value for excluding columns)
z_step (integer, z stepping value for excluding layers)
property_clip (1 or 0, inclusive or exclusive data clip)
low_property (float, minimum property value to display)
high_property (float, maximum property value to display)
spectrum_min (float, minimum spectrum value)
spectrum_max (float, maximum spectrum value)
timestep (integer, time step to display)
viewobject variables:
xscale
yscale
zscale
large_factor
incl
azim
window3d variables:
lights
182 Screen Definition File: Screen Definition File Format R2003.4

dtiwindow variables:
buffer_mode
back_face
well_list variables:
visible
spectrumgadget variables:
direction
visibility
R2003.4 Screen Definition File: Screen Definition File Format 183

184 Screen Definition File: Screen Definition File Format R2003.4

Landmark
000000Subject Index
Numerics
2DVIEW
how to start 12
how to stop 13
overview of 3
summary of features 4
3DVIEW
how to start 12
how to stop 13
overview of 1
summary of features 4
A
Add Scene button
general description 18
use of 31
animation
applying to model display 158
Animation button
Fling option 158
Run option 159
use in timestep control 27
use of 158
using to rotate in automatic mode 40
anti-aliasing 154
areal clipping
example of 90
B
Broadcast button
use for simultaneous control of multiple views 31
use with active scenes 32
R2003.4 185
C
cell shrink/expand
examples of 104
clicking the mouse iv
clipping data 85
cloning a window 34
closing a file 22
color coding
see spectrum
colors
grid, text, and background 51
command line
parameters for 171
control panel
description of 18
Quit button 13
Control-clicking the mouse iv
cross section
how to set up 88
cross section displays 85
cross sections
direct control over 102
example of 92
zig-zag effect 126
cross-section views
how to produce 84
cursor
setting with the mouse iv
cutting planes
how to modify 131
how to remove 132
how to set up 127
D
Data menu
Data Clip option 28
Timestep option 26
Variable option 23
data values
clip, fence, cross section 85
controlling the range displayed 28
display of 106
viewing for individual cells 133
viewing for multiple cells 134
DESKTOP-VIP
starting from 13
186 R2003.4
Display menu
Clear Picks option 134
Colors option 51
Legend option 145
Movement Options option 49
Print Options selection 142, 144
Rendering Options option 53
display window
cloning 34
description of 15
splitting 35
viewing cross sections in 84
double-clicking the mouse iv
dragging the mouse iv
E
environmental variables
for printing 155
exclusive clip
example of 96
expanding grid cells 103
F
face clip
example of 99
fence display
example of 90
fence displays 85
fence step
example of 94
how to set up 88
file extensions 173
File menu
Activate Scene option 32
Change File option 22
Close Scene option 22
Deactivate Scene option 32
New/Clone options 34
New/New File option 21
New/Split options 35
Print Scene option 148
flow analysis 111
R2003.4 187
flow vectors
how to display 112
frame files
saving 163
saving under a different name 164
frames
appending screen definition files 163
closing a file of 164
creating video from 168
editing table of 165
how to capture 164
opening a file of 162
saving to a file 161
G
grid
tracers 117
grid cell faces
controlling display of 87
grid clip
how to set up 87
grid display
hiding or viewing 81
grid fence
how to set up 87
Grid menu
Active LGR option 78
Block Values option 106
Clip option 84, 85
Contour option 126
Cross Section option 102
Cutting Plane/Add option 127
Cutting Plane/Modify option 131
Cutting Plane/Remove option 132
Display Options option 81
Displayed LGR option 79
Expand Cell option 103
Flow Vectors option 112
Iso Surface option 108
Shrink Cell option 104
grid refinement
activating 78
isolation of 78
188 R2003.4
grid step
example of 94
how to set up 87
H
hardcopy
setting up 150
hidden surfaces
rendering of 53
I
interface
operating instructions for v
summary of display components 14
Iso Surfaces
how to set up 108
L
layer numbering method 85
legend
setting for the current display 145
lighting
adjustments to 46
M
MB1/MB2/MB3
definition of iv
menu bar
description and summary of options 16
mouse
button definitions iv
overview of buttons and operations iv
using to control display 38
moving the model
features displayed while 49
using a mouse 38
using View menu 43
R2003.4 189
N
newlink Setting Basic Tracer Options 117
O
opening a new file 21
opening an existing file 22
OpenVision
connecting to 36
Outline Only button
output
available formats 149
P
plotting cell values 135
plotting well values 137
Plotting Window
Time or Depth option 135
PlotView
options in 3DVIEW or 2DVIEW 135
pointing the mouse iv
Print button
Print All Definitions option 156
Print Interpolation option 156
Print Scene option 156
Print To End option 156
Set File option 155
use of 148
print formats
available types 149
Print Selection panel
Setup button 150
printing the current scene 148
projection method
changing 48
Q
Quit button 13
190 R2003.4
R
Reset button
rotating the model
using a mouse 38
using menu options 39
S
scene
definition of 31
scenes
adding 31
controlling 32
deleting 34
displaying or hiding 33
making active or inactive 32
Scenes button
use of 32
screen definition
valid format for 181
screen definition files
see frames
Screen/Video Definition button
selecting
with the mouse iv
Selection Mode
Pick Cell 133
Pick Cells 134
Translate 38
shading
adjusting the 126
Shift-clicking the mouse iv
shrinking grid cells 104
SIMOUT
relation to 2DVIEW 3
single layer displays
example of 89
slide shows
procedure for creating 167
spectrum
adjusting the range of 56
changing position of 55
configuration control 65
spectrum file
how to customize 175
R2003.4 191
Spectrum menu
Options option 65
Realign option 55
Scale option 56
spectrum window
description of 17
T
ternary spectrum
description of 17
text
setting the cursor in iv
shading with the mouse iv
time step
selecting for view 26
timesteps
animating display of 159
U
user interface
operating instructions for v
summary of display components 14
V
variable
selecting for display 23
video frames
see frames
videos
interpolating from static frames 168
playback of 169
saving to disk 169
View-Point menu
Lights option 46
Projection option 48
Rotate option 39
Scale option 44
Translate option 43
Zoom option 42
192 R2003.4
W
wells
control pick tolerance 74
display or hiding of 70
displaying specific ones 67
Wells menu
PlotView option 137
Well Colors option 73
Well List option 67
Well Options 70
Well Picking option 74
windows
operating instructions for vii
Z
zooming the model
using a mouse 38
using menu options 42
R2003.4 193

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3DVIEW User Guide

2001, 2002 by Landmark Graphics Corporation

Part No. 159672 R2003.4

Landmark Graphics Corporation

00 About This Manual

Chapter 1- Overview. Explains the purpose and major features of the

Chapter 2 - Getting Started. Explains how to start 3DVIEW and 2DVIEW,

Chapter 3 - Adjusting the Display. Describes various display control

Chapter 4 - Data Visualization Techniques. Describes some of the

Chapter 5 - Hardcopy Output. Describes how to produce hardcopy

R2003.4 About This Manual: Purpose iii

Appendices. Provides additional information on subjects such as file data file

System Operation and Conventions

MB1 Activates the menu controls and expands/contracts (zooms) the

MB2 Rotates the model image in the display.

MB3 Moves the model image (pans) in the display.

The following terms are used to describe various mouse operations:

Point Move mouse until pointer is at desired location.

Click Press MB1 and release rapidly.

Double-click Press MB1 two times rapidly.

Control-click Hold down Control key and click once.

Shift-click Hold down Shift key and click once.

Select Click once or double-click at the indicated location.

Shade Drag the mouse pointer across a group of text, double-click to

iv About This Manual: System Operation and Conventions R2003.4

Operating the Interface Controls

Menu/Submenu activation. Click on a menu item to select it. The

R2003.4 About This Manual: System Operation and Conventions v

minimum/maximum range of the slider (the range changes automatically to

Option Button. Users may select or cycle through available selections by

vi About This Manual: System Operation and Conventions R2003.4

Operating Motif Windows

(any edge or corner) 00

Window Control Menu 00 Iconize 00 Full Screen Toggle 00

window and will not exit the restores the window to

Depending on the system settings, it may be necessary to click on the edge of a

setenv VIPXDEFAULTS $VIPEXEC/DeskTopVIP.NoMWM

R2003.4 About This Manual: Related Manuals vii

VIP-CORE Reference Manual. A complete summary of all keywords and

VIP-EXECUTIVE Reference Manual. A complete summary of the

VIP-EXECUTIVE Technical Reference. A detailed discussion of the

VIP-THERM Reference Manual. A summary of the keywords and data

DESKTOP-PVT Users Guide. A summary of the keywords and data entry

GRIDGENR Users Guide. A complete guide to the GRIDGENR software,

viii About This Manual: Related Manuals R2003.4

3DVIEW Advanced Reservoir Visualization

R2003.4 Overview: What Is 3DVIEW? 1

2 Overview: What Is 3DVIEW? R2003.4

NOTE: Like SIMOUT before it, 2DVIEW is offered as an integral part of

2DVIEW Two-Dimensional Reservoir Visualization

R2003.4 Overview: What Is 2DVIEW? 3

Ability to handle very large models.

Fast real-time 3D animation (not available in 2DVIEW).

Visualization on low-cost hardware.

High-quality presentation output.

Easy to use OSF/Motif user interface.

Integrated with other commercial or in-house reservoir simulators.

Ternary Display with Local Grid Refinement

4 Overview: Summary of Features R2003.4

Data Visualization Features

Instant switching between simulation attributes.

Overlay simulation grid on data display.

Single-layer or multi-layer displays.