# Take screenshots of finite element results **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [September 5, 2023, 12:04pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793 "2023-09-05T12:04:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Megidd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/megidd/32/1875_2.png) [@Megidd](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Megidd)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2023, 12:04pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793/1 "2023-09-05T12:04:25Z")
I have a `result.frd` file containing the finite element results. I want to programmatically take screenshots of the _von Mises stress_ at different views like this: 1. Top. 2. Bottom. 3. Left. 4. Right. 5. Front. 6. Back. I want to have a max zoom. I mean, the screenshots are preferred to be auto-filled. For example, the final screenshots would look like this: ![2023-09-05 15_32_25-_New document 1 - Inkscape](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/calculix/original/2X/9/9ad757a326eca5b05d984f4c41f6201d8c00c166.png) # Question Is it possible to do it programmatically by CGX or PrePoMax? I mean by running their executables and passing some arguments? ---
**Author:** ![Calc\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Calc\_em](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Calc_em)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2023, 12:45pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793/2 "2023-09-05T12:45:50Z")
PrePoMax doesn’t have such a functionality. Maybe ParaView would be the best choice for this purpose. ---
**Author:** ![dichtstoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@dichtstoff](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/dichtstoff)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2023, 12:51pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793/3 "2023-09-05T12:51:27Z")
Hello, you can use maybe cgx for such things, create a fbd file and put these first: read example.frd read example.inp inp nom and add your commands #view elem #view sh #view disp #scal d 5 #plot fv all please check out example from mr. kraska: [GitHub - calculix/CalculiX-Examples: CalculiX examples by Prof. Martin Kraska from Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences. Excellent starting point to master parametric modelling with CGX and CCX.](https://github.com/calculix/CalculiX-Examples) wbr ---
**Author:** ![rsmith](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/rsmith/32/1684_2.png) [@rsmith](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/rsmith)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2023, 6:45pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793/4 "2023-09-05T18:45:42Z")
> [@Megidd](#): > > Is it possible to do it programmatically by CGX Yes. Write a CGX input file like this (e.g. `pictures.fbd`): ```auto # Change file name to the job name you used. read result.frd # Data set number depends on how may things you saved! ds 4 e 7 rot y frame hcpy png right rot r 90 frame hcpy png front rot r 90 frame hcpy png left rot r 90 frame hcpy png back rot y rot u 90 frame hcpy png top rot d 180 frame hcpy png bottom quit ``` Then run `cgx -b pictures.fbd`. ---
**Author:** ![Megidd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/megidd/32/1875_2.png) [@Megidd](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Megidd)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 6:15am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793/5 "2023-09-08T06:15:30Z")
Thanks. Your script is a great point for me to start. I adjusted this line: ```auto # Data set number depends on how many things you saved! ds 2 e 7 ``` # Error with CGX `2.10` I’m receiving this error with CGX version `2.10` on a Windows machine: ```auto key:HARDCOPY from string hardcopy png bottom not known key:QUIT from string quit not known done ``` # CGX `2.19` With CGX `2.19` the rotations are great. I can see that all 6 views are properly rotated ✅ 👍 But for some reason the final PNG files are not saved, along with this error: ```auto key:HARDCOPY from string hardcopy png bottom not known key:QUIT from string quit not known ``` ![2023-09-08 09_44_03-CalculiX GraphiX](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/calculix/original/2X/5/516051a925f841ea5eb9dbb2cdc87a153397c80a.png) ![2023-09-08 09_40_45-Select Command Prompt](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/calculix/original/2X/c/cf5ae85ebfcac4c8b22f1e65f6c7f4c2cd033775.png) # Latest version of CGX? I couldn’t find the latest version of CGX yet for Windows OS. If I find them, or if I build them, I will test them. Maybe the `HARDCOPY` and `QUIT` keywords of the script are available on the latest version of CGX 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Megidd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/megidd/32/1875_2.png) [@Megidd](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Megidd)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 6:24am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793/6 "2023-09-08T06:24:40Z")
I’m studying CGX `2.19` documentation about PNG hardcopy: ![2023-09-08 09_51_33-cgx_2.19.pdf — Mozilla Firefox](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/calculix/original/2X/6/6ce2716f547dd580a1118d91fe8441568f9ff762.png) > 7.12.4 Png-Hardcopy > To create a window dump in png format. The program convert must be installed. Maybe the command syntax is a bit different, or I have to install `convert`… 🤔 🙄 I will try… ---
**Author:** ![Megidd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/megidd/32/1875_2.png) [@Megidd](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Megidd)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 6:29am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793/7 "2023-09-08T06:29:37Z")
Looks like the command I’m looking for is actually `hcpy`: ![2023-09-08 09_58_24-cgx_2.19.pdf — Mozilla Firefox](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/calculix/original/2X/e/e0976218548574eae6dc0bdb060367d9bf8f63d7.png) ---
**Author:** ![dichtstoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@dichtstoff](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/dichtstoff)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 6:31am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793/8 "2023-09-08T06:31:39Z")
is the command not like these: hcpy png ? ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/calculix/original/2X/4/472bae2d5059a2a4a51b607409dc29c4f5bfb9e2.png) ---
**Author:** ![Megidd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/megidd/32/1875_2.png) [@Megidd](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Megidd)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 6:54am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793/9 "2023-09-08T06:54:04Z")
Finally, using `hcpy` command and installing `ImageMagick` along with its legacy utilities like `convert.exe`, `composite.exe`, etc. created the PNGs I wanted: ![2023-09-08 10_19_03-_New document 1 - Inkscape](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/calculix/original/2X/d/d34fc43fe0c1988d97699d96c13223e641d1eb94.png) I will study CGX documentation further. Maybe I can also control what sections of the legend and color spectrum are displayed and so on. But for now, it’s great ✅ ---
**Author:** ![Megidd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/megidd/32/1875_2.png) [@Megidd](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Megidd)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 7:01am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793/10 "2023-09-08T07:01:20Z")
# Quit For some reason, the `exit`, `quit`, `q`, and `terminate` commands don’t work. I’m studying the documentation to see how to terminate the FBD script and to close the accompanying CGX window 🔍 ---
**Author:** ![dichtstoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@dichtstoff](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/dichtstoff)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 7:04am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793/11 "2023-09-08T07:04:36Z")
good resources are examples from mr. kraska, [GitHub - calculix/CalculiX-Examples: CalculiX examples by Prof. Martin Kraska from Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences. Excellent starting point to master parametric modelling with CGX and CCX.](https://github.com/calculix/CalculiX-Examples/tree/master) ---
**Author:** ![Megidd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/megidd/32/1875_2.png) [@Megidd](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Megidd)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 7:07am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793/12 "2023-09-08T07:07:17Z")
Great, thanks 👍 I didn’t notice. I’m going to study them ✅ ---
**Author:** ![rsmith](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/rsmith/32/1684_2.png) [@rsmith](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/rsmith)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 8:40am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/take-screenshots-of-finite-element-results/1793/13 "2023-09-08T08:40:24Z")
> [@Megidd](#): > > `key:HARDCOPY from string hardcopy png bottom not known` That was a mistake on my part; it should be `hcpy`. I’ve edited my original answer