===We strongly recommend that you read through the first few tutorials and study them carefully before setting up your own projects.===
Â
==1.1 Getting Started==
[[Image:Fdtd_lec1_2a_unitsfrequency.png|center]]
Â
==1.2 FDTD Module Navigation==
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_6_toolbar.png|center]]
Â
==1.3 Creating a Wire Object==
For your resonant dipole to be half-wave, it can be approximated at 150mm.
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_9_nevigationtree.png|350x|right]] Once your drawing is complete, you can zoom to fit your stucture into the screen using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+E or by clicking the Zoom Extents button of View Toolbar. After you have rotated or panned the view, you can always restore EM.Cubeâs standard perspective view using the keyboardâs Home Key or by clicking the Perspective View button of View Toolbar. Â In EM.Cubeâs [[FDTD Module]], objects are grouped together and organized by material under the âPhysical Structureâ node of the Naviation Tree. Since you selected no material for your line object, the first drawn object is automatically assigned a PEC_1 material group. The default perfect electric conductor (PEC) group is set as the active material. When a material group is set as active, its name appears in bold letters, and all subsequently drawn objects will be placed under that material node. Any material group can be set as the active material by right-clicking on its name in the Navigation Tree and selecting Activate from the contextual menu.
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_9_nevigationtree.png|350x|right]] In EM.Cubeâs [[FDTD Module]], objects are grouped together and organized by material under the âPhysical Structureâ node of the Naviation Tree. Since you selected no material for your line object, the first drawn object is automatically assigned a PEC_1 material group. The default perfect electric conductor (PEC) group is set as the active material. When a material group is set as active, its name appears in bold letters, and all subsequently drawn objects will be placed under that material node. Any material group can be set as the active material by right-clicking on its name in the Navigation Tree and selecting Activate from the contextual menu.
==1.4 omputational Domain & Boundary Conditions==
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_10_domainboundary.png|700px|center]]
Â
==1.5 Source Definition==
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_12_lumpedsourcefig.png|300px|left]] Your lumped source will have an Amplitude of 1V and a zero Phase. This means that the voltage source will excite the dipole with a modulated Gaussian pulse waveform centered at 1GHz with a frequency bandwidth of 1GHz, where the envelope of the signal reaches a maximum voltage of 1V. You will see the lumped source in the middle of the dipole, represented by an arrow pointing in the +Z direction.
Â
==1.6 Grid Settings & Mesh Generation==
EM.Cubeâs [[FDTD Module]] generates a Yee mesh of your physical structure. The mesh properties can be accessed by clicking the Mesh Settings button of the Simulate Toolbar (or using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+G or via the menu Simulate ï Discretization ï Mesh Settings). For this tutorial, accept the default value of 20 Cells/ï¬eff for Minimum Mesh Density.
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_13_meshsetting.png|700px|center]]
To view the mesh, click the Show/Generate Mesh button of the Simulate Toolbar (or alternatively use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+M). For this particular project, the mesh view does not reveal much because the mesh of a vertical line object conforms to the grid. In general, the mesh view shows how the simulation engine sees your physical structure. You can also display the three mesh grid planes by right clicking on one of the three items XY Grid Plane, YZ Grid Plane, or ZX Grid Plane in the âDiscretizationâ section of the Navigation Tree and selecting Show from the contextual menu. To remove the grid planes from the project workspace, open the same contextual menu and select Hide.