GAL-ANA Help

 

Window 3D far field

Last update: 10 March 2009

          This screen displays the 3D far field radiation patterns, and has four main parts:

 

• Main menu.
• Main picture.
• Slice panel.
• Control panel.

 

• File - general commands.
  •    Save image as – save the graphic area Main picture to a  file *.bmp or *.jpg.
  •    Print – print of the graphic area Main picture.
  •    Close – close the 3D far field window.

   

• View – control the visibility and location of all objects.
  • Centered plot – center the Main picture graphic image.
  • Antenna – toggle on\off display of the antenna in the Main picture.
  • Antenna position – antenna position's control in the Main picture. This item is only active if the antenna display is turned on (see the previous item):
    • Horizontal – horizontal position:
      • As is – the coordinates X and Y are set as per description of the wires.
      • Centered – the antenna is centered to zero coordinates in the XY plane.
    • Vertical – vertical position:
      • Min height = 0 – selects the lowest point of the antenna to the Z = 0 coordinate.
      • Center of antenna = Z0 – puts the geometric centre of the antenna to the Z = 0 coordinate.
  • Width of the lines – selects of thickness (in pixels) of the antenna  lines.
  • Pattern – displays the 3D direction diagram as a plain surface.
  • Grid – displays 3D far field as a grid with the steps as specified in the menu item Scale > Step of the main grid.
  • Monochrome - selects the color and brightness of the 3D far field antenna image.
  • Monochrome gradient – selects the color of the 3D far antenna image. The brightness is proportional to the antenna gain (Ga).
  • Colors – displays the 3D far field antenna image in variable colors. Color and brightness depend of the antenna gain (Ga). The minimal gain is shown in dark-blue; the maximum gain is shown in light purple.
  • Control panel – toggles the Control panel on/off.

   

• Scale – setting the scale.
  • ARRL – select the half-logarithmic-dB scale, used by the ARRL, which shows the maximum detail at the expense of compressing minor details.
  • dB – logarithmic scale in dB.
  • Linear – is a relative linear scale , normal to 1 scale.
  • Set min dB – (is only active for the logarithmic (dB) scale) selects the initial value of the logarithmic scale. The maximal scale value is automatically set to the maximum gain.
  • Step of a main grid – selects the step  of the 3D far field grid:
    • Elevation step – selects the elevation angle step (1⁰, 2⁰, 5⁰, 10⁰).
    • Azimuth step – selects the azimuth angle step (1⁰, 2⁰, 5⁰, 10⁰).
    A larger step speeds up the computation of 3D images, but can result in graphical errors. Smaller steps increase the computation time, but provide the greatest accuracy.

 

• Colors – selecting the colors used in the displays.
  • Monochrom gradient – selects the color of the monochrome 3D far field.
  • Reference grid – selects the colors of the additional reference grid. (Reference grid is toggled on and off by the checkbox Ref. grid  on a Control panel.)
  • Background – selects the background color.
  • Slices – selects the color of the selected slices.
  • Cursor – selects the colour of the maker-ball, that can be is positioned anywhere along the slice  (see panel Slice).
  • Coordinate – selects the colors of the coordinate grids and fonts use in the flat projections display mode. This mode is set on panel Slice by checkbox Coordinate.
  • – 3 dB ARRL – selects  the color of the "– 3 dB" curve (select the half-logarithmic-dB scale, used by the ARRL, which shows the maximum detail at the expense of compressing minor details).
  • Axes – selects the color of coordinates' axes.
  • Gradient correction – selects the brightness gradient in the Monochrom gradient mode. This item is only active if selected the mode View > Monochrom gradient is selected.
  • Restore default colors – resets all colors to default.

 

• Font – selects the fonts in the Main picture displayed in the mode of flat 2D sections. This mode is set in the Slice panel by checking the Coordinate.
  • Font – selects the fonts' type and color.
  • dB font size – the font size of the gain scale.
  • Deg font size – the font size of the degrees scale. The font color corresponds the color of the coordinates' nets.

 

• Help
  • Help – embedded help.
  • Online help – online help.

 

This is the main area of exposition of all kinds of far fields, coordinates and an antenna.

Controls:

• Moving the mouse with the left button depressed rotates the image.
• Moving the mouse with the left button depressed + Shift key moves the image linearly.
• Popup menu (activated by the right mouse click) duplicates the following commands of the Main menu:
  • Centered – View > Centered plot.
  • View antenna – View > Antenna.
  • Save image as – File> Save image as.

 

This is the bottom panel with the display controls for he image in the  Main picture.

The panel includes:

• Checkbox Pattern – toggles the 3D far field image displayed in the Main picture on/off.
• Checkbox Ref. grid – toggles secondary reference grid with 10⁰ step on/off . It is only active if the 3D far field display by plain surface View > Pattern is turned On.
• Checkbox Slice – toggles the Slice panel on/off.
• Trackbar Zoom – selects the amount of zoom in the  Main picture.
• Panel Field – selects the type of field:
  • V – only vertical polarization.
  • H – only horizontal polarization.
  • Total – antenna’s total (V+H) fields.

 

This is control panel on the left hand side and is activated by the checkbox  Slice on the Control panel.

The panel includes:

• Checkbox Elevation – toggles the display of a flat vertical slice on/off.
• Checkbox  Azimuth – toggles the display of conical horizontal slice on/off.
• Horizontal slider control selects the azimuth angle of the slice
  • in Elevation mode it selects the azimuth angle, of the 3D image for displaying the vertical slice.
  • in Azimuth mode it controls the position of the cursor (red sphere) on the conical horizontal slice.
  The position of the slider control indicates the position of the slice. In the figure above the slide is set to 160⁰.
• Cursor – cursor position indicates the value of a current gain. In the figure above the display shows "cursor 3,4 dBi."
• Vertical slider controls the zenith angle of the slice
  • in Elevation mode selects the position of the cursor (red sphere) on the flat 2D vertical slice.
  • in Azimuth mode selects the elevation angle used for the construction of a conical horizontal slice.
  Adjacent to the vertical slider is a value corresponding to the current position of the slider. In the figure above the position is 130⁰.
• Checkbox Coordinate – toggles the "footprint" display for the antenna  on/off  as shown on the picture below.

Edited by G8ODE 10 March 2009