To help you understand the channel porosity calculation, and to give you dramatic graphics for your publications and presentations, PoreXpert visualises the calculation it has carried out. It does that by spreading the layers it has averaged into a square two-dimensional grid representing the surface of the sample you have viewed in a micrograph. For the default case of averaging over 9 layers with Approximation level 2, the spreading is into a 3x3 layer as shown in the diagram below.
Use of 9 layers to obtain an average value of channel poroity, with the nine layers spread into a 3x3 grid surface for visualisation
To invoke this calculation, request an Engineering | Targeted Modification operation as shown below.
Wait for all the features to be selected, which may take a while (yellow Selecting will change to green Selected), whereupon the Visualise channel porosity button will become active:
Click the Visualise channel porosity button , and a vignetted preview will then appear:
Click the Accept button. You will then be returned to the Operations List screen. Click on Targeted Modification: Complete, then 3D fullscreen view to view the complete visualisation. The view of this visualisation can be manipulated and captured in virtual reality using the mouse controls. Note that you cannot capture this visualisation using the Print Screen button on your computer. Instead, click the letter c. The image will then be saved in your PoreXpert directory under a name such as externalCellView.poreXpert_0_0.jpg .
Visualisation of surface-connected throats and their adjoining pores ( - i.e the default Approximation level 2) for the calcium carbonate paper coating example.
Move or copy this file to wherever you want to save it, and rename it. If you leave it where it is, it may be over-written during subsequent modelling sessions.
Note that the visualisation does not impact the calculation, which has already been carried out.