How to use PHOTON

First aid

If PHOTON is open, and you wish to escape from it, type the character e.
If PHOTON is open and you wish to activate commands which may be in the Q1 file, type use Q1.

1. The two PHOTONS

In addition to the VR-Viewer, PHOENICS has two further modules for the graphical display of flow fields. They are:

PHOTON, and
WinPHOTON

Both programs can be launched from the 'Run module' page; and opportunities for running them are also provided on the page which appears when any case has been run from within the 'Input-File Library' page.

PHOTON dates from the early years of PHOENICS, before the Windows operating system even existed; and it is a still the module which some users prefer to use.

The latter came into existence more recently. As its name suggests, its main role is to enable users to do by way of Windows-style mouse-clicks and dialog boxes what most users of PHOTON do by entering typed commands (although PHOTON does also possess a menu mode of operation, activated simply by entering 'm' at the keyboard ).

WinPHOTON can also accept typed commands; but, as well as having a more-modern-looking menu system, it also has several functions which PHOTON, and indeed even the VR-Viewer, do not possess. Among these are:

enabling users to display new variables, derived from the usual ones by way of interactively supplied formulae;
tabulating numerical values of user-selected varaiables at user-selected locations;
permitting users to declare and use integer, real or character variables for use in macros, i.e. the so-called 'use' files which contain a succession of PHOTON commands.

2. Help and Tutorials

Both programs contain Help and Tutorials which can be turned to at any time during the operation of the program. Beginners are advised to study at least the first few items of these.

In PHOTON, the tutorial is started by first activating the menu mode, and then mouse-clicking 'Set-uP' followed by 'Tutorial'.

The WinPHOTON tutorial is activated via the 'Help' button.

3. Other sources of information

Click here for the PHOENICS Encyclopaedia article on PHOTON

For a full account of WinPHOTON, click the 'about PHOENICS' button at the top of the Commander window, and then the WinPHOTON button which appears on the left.