The GeoDict Base package
GeoDict Base
The GeoDict Base package forms the basis for "The Digital Material Laboratory" and, with several integrated modules, provides the basic GeoDict functionality for all applications.
The powerful modules integrated in the GeoDict Base generate complex models from imported data, allow editing them interactively, and after the simulations, prepare the results for presentations in a realistic way. Thanks to its interfaces to Matlab®, Python®, and Microsoft Excel®, GeoDict is seamlessly integrated into established development processes. An automation interface based on Python offers full control and optimization of the running GeoDict workflows.
GeoDict Base provides a user-friendly environment for material analysis, research, and development. GeoDict Base can be tailored and extended to meet the user's exact application needs, with dedicated GeoDict modules for image processing and image analysis, material analysis, material modeling, and property computation and prediction.
Basic features of GeoDict Base
- A structured, clear, and user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI).
- Raycaster-Render-Engine for fast and advanced 2D and 3D visualization of material models and simulation results.
- Voxel- and analytic object-editing tools for easy and interactive fine-tuning voxel-by-voxel and by object for adjustment of material models in 3D.
- Image and video capturing and processing tools for professional editing of images and the creation of sophisticated videos from material models and simulation results.
- Scripting interfaces to Python and MATLAB® to automate processes and seamlessly integrate GeoDict into pre-established workflows.
The ImportGeo-Base module provides an additional way to open files in GeoDict formats (.gdt, .leS, .g32, .gad) besides using the File menu. ImportGeo-Base supports 4-bit color (.gdt, .les) and 32 bit color (.g32) files for the visual representation of the structure geometry. After opening their files with ImportGeo-Base, the loaded structures may be analyzed with other GeoDict modules for property simulation.
Features
ImportGeo-Base provides advanced pre-loading options of geometrical structures (.gdt, .leS) and analytic data (.gad), such as:
- Setting new X, Y or Z dimensions,
- Changing the discretization size (voxel length)
- Changing the origin position of the loaded structure geometry
Additionally useful is that the user may select to load only a portion of the structure, saving resources by reading only a small section of a relatively large (e.g. 10003 voxels) but fairly homogeneous structure.
The ExportGeo-Base module makes possible to convert GeoDict file formats into various non-GeoDict formats, and so, to integrate GeoDict structure models into user-known and routine workflows.
ExportGeo-Base exports the following file formats:
- GeoDict Analytic Data (*.gad), an analytic description of material models generated by GeoDict
- RAW Data (*.raw), a 3D picture of 1-byte integer values without a header
- VOL Data (*.vol), a 3D picture of 4-byte float values without a header
- Avizo Binary Files (*.am), the binary format of Avizo for structures
- 2D Image Stack (*.png), all image slices of a structure as .png pictures.
GadGeo allows the construction of any geometry built from analytic objects e.g. spheres, ellipsoids, fibers, etc.
Features
- Single geometry-objects can be added, placed, re-colored and deleted. The objects can also be placed in existing structures or CT-images.
- The constructed models are available as 3-dimensional images and as analytical data (.gad, GeoDict analytic data), which can be used to export surface triangulations (*stl-files) for CAD-programs.
- Material properties can be calculated directly on the geometry models using other GeoDict modules, for example::
- pore-size distribution
- flow resistivity (permeability, pressure drop)
- effective thermal and electrical conductivity
- effective elasticity
- effective diffusion
- filter efficiency
- filter capacity
- and many more
The ProcessGeo module and the LayerGeo module constitute GeoDict's model modifiers. They are frequently used in sequence to construct complex structures, before further property analysis with the appropriate module for digital Material analysis.
ProcessGeo offers a number of manipulations or operations to transform material models generated from imported CT-, µCT- or FIB/SEM-scans (with the ImportGeo-Vol module) or with other GeoDict modules for digital Modeling & Design.
The LayerGeo module, together with the ProcessGeo module, is a tool for modifying structures modelled from imported scans or generated directly in GeoDict with the modules for digital Modeling & Design. Using LayerGeo, two structure models can be combined in different ways for further analysis with the modules for digital Material analysis.
GeoLab is a collection of MATLAB functions and scripts that make possible to execute GeoDict from MATLAB and to edit GeoDict simulation results within MATLAB.
GeoLab provides an easy way to link problems implemented in MATLAB with GeoDict and so automatically use many features already existing in GeoDict. An example is PleatLab, developed by the Fraunhofer ITWM and the University of Nancy for a project on deep-bed filtration in filter pleats.
GeoPy is the GeoDict-Python Interface included in the GeoDict Base Package. The GeoPy scripting interface is a full-featured, tightly integrated Python interpreter that provides direct programmatic control over GeoDict.
GeoPy is intended to replace the traditional GeoDict GMC macro language and, to this end, GeoPy scripts can be directly recorded and executed from the GeoDict GUI. The recorded GeoPy scripts can be extended using the functionality described below, allowing for fully customizable pre- and postprocessing and automation from within GeoDict.
GeoDexcel allows a detailed post-processing and a deep analysis of GeoDict results with Microsoft Excel®.
GeoDexcel automatically loads the GeoDict result files (*.gdr) of all GeoDict modules into Excel® spreadsheets. For many GeoDict modules, e.g. for FilterDict, predefined charts are available to graphically characterize the results. Furthermore, GeoDexcel allows to automatically compare and post-process results for different structure models in one Excel® spreadsheet.