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How to make pore space transparent or invisible in GeoDict visualization?

Started by Shunsuke Takai, May 26, 2026, 09:56:29 AM

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Shunsuke Takai

May 26, 2026, 09:56:29 AM
Hello,

I imported CT TIFF images of a fibrous catalyst layer into GeoDict and successfully reconstructed the structure.

However, I have a problem with the visualization.
The pore space is displayed as a white phase, so the internal fiber structure cannot be seen clearly.

I would like to know if it is possible to:

・make the pore space transparent,
・hide the pore phase completely,
・or directly visualize only the fiber structure inside the reconstructed model.

Could you please tell me how to change these visualization settings in GeoDict?

I attached an image showing the current problem.

Thank you very much for your help.

Jonas Schabernack

#1
May 26, 2026, 11:10:38 AM
Hello Shunsuke,

You can change the appearance of any material (including the pore space) directly from the Color & Visibility panel that is located on the right‑hand side of the GeoDict user interface. Below is a quick walk‑through of the most common options you mentioned.

Hide the Pore Material Completely

  • Open the Color & Visibility panel (second entry in the sidebar).
  • Find the row that corresponds to your pore phase. In your case it is ID00 Pore.
  • Uncheck the Visible checkbox next to that row. The pore volume will no longer be shown, so you will see only the fibers.

Tip: If you still see a gray background after doing this, you're probably looking at the CT images volume field that GeoDict keeps after segmentation. In the View Controls → Volume Field section, uncheck the Volume Field box to turn it off.

VisibilitySettings.png


Make the Pore Material Transparent

  • In the View Controls panel, expand the Structure tab.
  • Choose Transparency Mode → either Volume (entire materials) or Surface (only the material boundaries).
  • Click the Edit button below.
  • In the dialog, set the transparency slider for the Pore phase to the desired value (0% = fully transparent, 100% = fully opaque). Click Apply.

Transparency.png


Additional Visualization Options

  • Shadows: Go to Camera (in View Controls) → enable Shadows.
  • There are also other lighting options under the same tab.
  • Background: You can change the Background Color in the Color & Visibility panel.


More Help

For a deeper dive into all available visualization features, consult our GeoDict User Guide:

https://geodict-userguide.math2market.de/2025/visualization.html

Best regards,
Jonas

Shunsuke Takai

#2
May 28, 2026, 05:41:29 PM
Hello,

Thank you very much for your kind and detailed answer to my previous question.
I was able to solve the visualization problem successfully.

I have another question regarding the structural analysis capabilities of GeoDict.

My research focuses on understanding the structure of fuel cell catalyst layers.
I imported CT images of an actual fibrous catalyst layer into GeoDict and reconstructed the 3D structure.

I would like to analyze the reconstructed catalyst layer in GeoDict and evaluate structural properties related to mass transport and morphology, such as:

diffusivity,
tortuosity,
bottleneck diameter,
pore size distribution,
and other structural parameters.

My questions are:

What kinds of structural or transport properties can be evaluated from reconstructed CT structures in GeoDict?
How many different material properties can GeoDict calculate for this type of porous structure?
How accurate are these calculated properties compared with experimental measurements or real structures?

I am especially interested in evaluating transport characteristics inside fibrous catalyst layers for fuel cell applications.

Thank you very much for your support.

Jonas Schabernack

#3
Today at 02:37:10 PM
Hello Shunsuke,

you can compute a wide variety of material properties with GeoDict. Below I have listed the modules that are directly related to the properties you mentioned and added brief notes on other modules that might interest you for fuel cell applications. I recommend reviewing the corresponding sections of our user guide to get a full picture of what is possible.

Diffusivity
Diffusion can be simulated with our module DiffuDict (located under Predict). In general this allows you to simulate the net movement of molecules or atoms from a region of higher to lower concentration.
More information: https://geodict-userguide.math2market.de/2026/diffudict.html

Tortuosity
For the computation of the tortuosity there are many different approaches based on geometric or physical properties of the sample. All available approaches for calculating tortuosity are combined in the Compute Tortuosity GeoApp (located under GeoApp → General GeoApps → Geometric Properties → Compute Tortuosity).
More information: https://geodict-userguide.math2market.de/2026/geoapp_computetortuosity.html

Bottleneck Diameter & Pore Size Distribution
These properties are computed with PoroDict (located under Analyze), which offers several options for pore size distributions, percolation paths, and more.
More information: https://geodict-userguide.math2market.de/2026/porodict.html

Other structural parameters

Accuracy of calculated properties
A comparison of simulated and measured permeabilities and diffusivities for a gas diffusion layer is presented in the following publication:
Becker, J., Flückiger, R., Reum, M., Büchi, F. N., Marone, F., & Stampanoni, M. (2009). Determination of Material Properties of Gas Diffusion Layers: Experiments and Simulations Using Phase Contrast Tomographic Microscopy. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 156, B1175–B1181. https://doi.org/10.1149/1.3176876

Additional studies on fuel cells that employ GeoDict can be found here: https://www.math2market.com/showroom/scientific-publications.html?industry=fuel-cells

Additional resources

Best regards,
Jonas
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