[[Image:PROP15.png|thumb|400px|EM.Terrano's Domain Settings dialog.]]
[[Image:PROP4.png|thumb|400px|EM.Terrano's Global Ground Settings dialog.]]
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=== Why Do You Need a Finite Computational Domain? ===
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The SBR simulation engine requires a finite computational domain for ray termination. All the stray rays that emanate from a source inside this finite domain and hit its boundaries are terminated during the simulation process. Such rays exit the computational domain and travel to the infinity, with no chance of ever reaching any receiver in the scene. When you define a propagation scene with various elements like buildings, walls, terrain, etc., a dynamic domain is automatically established and displayed as a green wireframe box that surrounds the entire scene. Every time you create a new object, the domain box is automatically adjusted and extended to enclose all the objects in the scene.
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To change the ray domain settings, follow the procedure below:
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* Open the Ray Domain Settings Dialog by clicking the '''Domain''' [[File:image025.jpg]] button of the '''Simulate Toolbar''', or by selecting '''Menu > Simulate > Computational Domain > Settings...''', or by right-clicking on the '''Ray Domain''' item of the navigation tree and selecting '''Domain Settings...''' from the contextual menu, or simply using the keyboard shortcut {{key|Ctrl+A}}.
* The size of the Ray domain is specified in terms of six '''Offset''' parameters along the ±X, ±Y and ±Z directions. The default value of all these six offset parameters is 10 project units. Change these values as you like.
* You can also change the color of the domain box using the {{key|Color}} button.
* After changing the settings, use the {{key|Apply}} button to make the changes effective while the dialog is still open.
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=== Understanding the Global Ground ===
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Most outdoor and indoor propagation scenes include a flat ground at their bottom, which bounces incident rays back into the scene. EM.Terrano provides a global flat ground at z = 0. The global ground indeed acts as an impenetrable surface that blocks the entire computational domain from the z = 0 plane downward. It is displayed as a translucent green plane at z = 0 extending downward. The color of the ground plane is always the same as the color of the ray domain. The global ground is assumed to be made of a homogeneous dielectric material with a specified permittivity ε<sub>r</sub> and electric conductivity σ. By default, a rocky ground is assumed with ε<sub>r</sub> = 5 and σ = 0.005 S/m. You can remove the global ground, in which case, you will have a free space scene. To disable the global ground, open up the "Global Ground Settings" dialog, which can be accessed by right clicking on the '''Global Ground''' item in the Navigation Tree and selecting '''Global Ground Settings... '''Remove the check mark from the box labeled '''"Include Half-Space Ground (z<0)"''' to disable the global ground. This will also remove the green translucent plane from the bottom of your scene. You can also change the material properties of the global ground and set new values for the permittivity and electric conductivity of the impenetrable, half-space, dielectric medium.
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Alternatively, you can use EM.Terrano's '''Empirical Soil Model''' to define the material properties of the global ground. This model requires a number of parameters: Temperature in °C, and Volumetric Water Content, Sand Content and Clay Content all as percentage.
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{{Note|To model a free-space propagation scene, you have to disable EM.Terrano's default global ground.}}
=== Buildings, Terrain & Obstructing Blocks ===
Once a base set node has been added to the navigation tree, it becomes the active node for drawing new objects. Under base sets, you can only draw point objects. All other object creation tools are disabled. A point is initially drawn on the XY plane. Make sure to change the Z-coordinate of your point, otherwise, your radiator will fall on the global ground at z = 0. You can also create arrays of base points under the same base set. This is particularly useful for setting up receiver grids to compute coverage maps. Simply select a point object and click the '''Array Tool''' of '''Tools Toolbar''' or use the keyboard shortcut "A". Enter values for the X, Y or Z spacing as well as the number of elements along these three directions in the Array Dialog. In most propagation scenes you are interested in 2D horizontal arrays along a fixed Z coordinate (parallel to the XY plane).
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== EM.Terrano's Ray Domain & Global Ground ==
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=== Why Do You Need a Finite Computational Domain? ===
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The SBR simulation engine requires a finite computational domain for ray termination. All the stray rays that emanate from a source inside this finite domain and hit its boundaries are terminated during the simulation process. Such rays exit the computational domain and travel to the infinity, with no chance of ever reaching any receiver in the scene. When you define a propagation scene with various elements like buildings, walls, terrain, etc., a dynamic domain is automatically established and displayed as a green wireframe box that surrounds the entire scene. Every time you create a new object, the domain box is automatically adjusted and extended to enclose all the objects in the scene.
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To change the ray domain settings, follow the procedure below:
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* Open the Ray Domain Settings Dialog by clicking the '''Domain''' [[File:image025.jpg]] button of the '''Simulate Toolbar''', or by selecting '''Menu > Simulate > Computational Domain > Settings...''', or by right-clicking on the '''Ray Domain''' item of the navigation tree and selecting '''Domain Settings...''' from the contextual menu, or simply using the keyboard shortcut {{key|Ctrl+A}}.
* The size of the Ray domain is specified in terms of six '''Offset''' parameters along the ±X, ±Y and ±Z directions. The default value of all these six offset parameters is 10 project units. Change these values as you like.
* You can also change the color of the domain box using the {{key|Color}} button.
* After changing the settings, use the {{key|Apply}} button to make the changes effective while the dialog is still open.
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=== Understanding the Global Ground ===
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Most outdoor and indoor propagation scenes include a flat ground at their bottom, which bounces incident rays back into the scene. EM.Terrano provides a global flat ground at z = 0. The global ground indeed acts as an impenetrable surface that blocks the entire computational domain from the z = 0 plane downward. It is displayed as a translucent green plane at z = 0 extending downward. The color of the ground plane is always the same as the color of the ray domain. The global ground is assumed to be made of a homogeneous dielectric material with a specified permittivity ε<sub>r</sub> and electric conductivity σ. By default, a rocky ground is assumed with ε<sub>r</sub> = 5 and σ = 0.005 S/m. You can remove the global ground, in which case, you will have a free space scene. To disable the global ground, open up the "Global Ground Settings" dialog, which can be accessed by right clicking on the '''Global Ground''' item in the Navigation Tree and selecting '''Global Ground Settings... '''Remove the check mark from the box labeled '''"Include Half-Space Ground (z<0)"''' to disable the global ground. This will also remove the green translucent plane from the bottom of your scene. You can also change the material properties of the global ground and set new values for the permittivity and electric conductivity of the impenetrable, half-space, dielectric medium.
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Alternatively, you can use EM.Terrano's '''Empirical Soil Model''' to define the material properties of the global ground. This model requires a number of parameters: Temperature in °C, and Volumetric Water Content, Sand Content and Clay Content all as percentage.
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{{Note|To model a free-space propagation scene, you have to disable EM.Terrano's default global ground.}}
== Defining Sources & Observables for Your SBR Simulation ==