A list of all the 2D output data files generated at the end of a simulation can be viewed in EM.Cube’s Data Manager. To open this dialog, click the <b>Data Manager</b> [[Image:fdtd_datamanagerb.png]] button of Simulate Toolbar, or use the keyboard shortcut <b>Ctrl+D</b>, or access the menu <b>Simulate → Data Manager</b>, or right click on the Data Manager item in the “Observables” section of the Navigation Tree and select <b>Open Data Manager…</b>
Select the two data files “Probe_1_E_Time” and “Probe_1_H_Time” and click the Plot button of Data Manager to open <b>EM.Grid</b>. For multiple file selection, use the keyboard’s <b>Ctrl Key</b>, or use the <b>Shift Key</b> to select a range of rows in the list. The Ex E<sub>x</sub> and Hx H<sub>x</sub> field components are plotted as functions of time on two Cartesian graphs in EM.Grid.
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_22_ExHx.png|center]]
Next, you will visualize the electric and magnetic field distributions on the near field sensor plane. The field sensor section of the Navigation Tree has a list of tweleve amplitude and phase plots for all the six field components: E<sub>x</sub>, E<sub>y</sub>, E<sub>z</sub>, and H<sub>x</sub>, H<sub>y</sub>, H<sub>z</sub>. There are also two additional plots for the magnitude of total electric field and total magnetic field. Click on any of these plots to display them in the project workspace. You can use the standard view operations such as dynamic zoom, rotate view, pan view, etc. to better examine these plots.
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_24_totalEH.png|center]]
The Far Fields section of the Navigation Tree contains three different 3D radiation pattern plots: the Theta component of the far‐zone electric field, the Phi component of the far‐zone electric field, and the Total far field. You will notice that the Far Field plots are all centered at the origin of coordinates. This is due to the fact that the radiation patterns are calculated in a standard spherical coordinate system center at (0, 0 , 0). Once you are in a near field or far field visualization view, you can always go back to the Normal view mode of the project workspace using the keyboard’s <b>Esc Key</b>.
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_23_3dtotal.png]]
Besides 3D visualization of the radiation patterns, you can plot 2D graphs of the patterns at certain plane cuts. The 2D radiation patterns can be plotted as both Cartesian and polar graphs. Open up the Data Manager dialog and spot Cartesian pattern data files with a “.DAT” file extension as well as the polar (angular) data files
with a “.ANG” file extension. The figure below shows the Cartesian and polar radiation pattern plots in the YZ
plane cut. Besides the three principal XY, YZ and ZX plane cuts, there are also data files for one additional user
defined Phi‐plane cut, which by default is calculated at φ = 45°.
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_.png|500px]]
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_.png|500px]]
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_.png|500px]]
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_.png|500px]]
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_.png|500px]]
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_.png|500px]]
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_.png|500px]]
[[Image:fdtd_lec1_.png|500px]]