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ParaView

ParaView is the post-processing and visualization tool for ACE3P: it displays meshes, mode and field files, particle trajectories and wake data. It is free, open-source software from Kitware. ACE3P results are read through the SLAC toolbar, a plugin shipped with every ParaView release, which loads a mesh (.ncdf) together with mode or field files (.mod) in one step.

ParaView on Perlmutter

ParaView 5.11.0 with the SLAC toolbar is installed in the ACE3P project area. In a ThinLinc desktop:

$CFS/ace3p/tools/ParaView-5.11.0-MPI-Linux-Python3.9-x86_64/bin/paraview &

This is the version the tutorials and the CW23 macros were tested with. NERSC also provides newer ParaView releases (5.12 and later) and a client-server mode for very large datasets, where the GUI runs on your computer and the data stays on Perlmutter. Setup is in the NERSC ParaView guide; the client version must match the server version listed there.

ParaView on S3DF

ParaView 5.11.1 is installed at /sdf/group/rfar/software/ParaView-5.11.1-MPI-Linux-Python3.9-x86_64/. Start bin/paraview from a NoMachine desktop.

Installing ParaView on your own computer

Download the installer for Windows, macOS or Linux from paraview.org/download. No license is needed. Use version 5.11 or later; the SLAC toolbar is included. Running ParaView locally means copying .ncdf and .mod files down from the HPC system with scp.

Enable the SLAC toolbar

Do this once per ParaView installation, on the HPC system or your laptop:

  1. Open Tools, then Manage Plugins.
  2. Select SLACTools and click Load Selected.
  3. Expand the entry and check Auto Load so it is active on every start.

A SLAC button appears in the toolbar. Click it, pick the .ncdf mesh and the .mod field file, and the model loads with the field data attached.

Load the ACE3P macros

The CW23 materials include Python macros for common ACE3P plots. Add each one through Macros, then Add new macro:

Macro Used with Purpose
nextmode.py Omega3P, S3P, T3P, TEM3P Step through modes or time steps
enhancement.py Track3P Plot the enhancement counter
resonant_lineplot.py, resonant_location.py Track3P Resonant particles: energy vs field level, impact locations
trajectory.py Track3P Animate particle trajectories
wakeplot.py T3P Plot wake potentials
timeFFT.py T3P FFT of a time signal

The macros are in $CFS/ace3p/cw23/macros on Perlmutter and /sdf/group/rfar/ace3p/cw23/macros on S3DF. If you run ParaView on your laptop, copy that directory down first.