A good post-processing tool should not only provide the user with qualitative flow visualisation, but also the means to extract quantitative data for performance comparison.

... As problem sizes continue to increase, post-processing technology must keep pace. CFX-Post employs efficient storage and graphics algorithms to optimise the use of computer resources. It has also been designed to accommodate a range of future needs and will be extensible to parallel post-processing and collaborative visualisation.

This opens the topic of whether pre- and post-processing software should come from the flow solver vendor. There are obvious advantages to having a pre- or post-processor tailored for a particular flow solver, but do the flow solver vendors have the expertise of third-party pre- and post-processor vendors in these areas? What happens if you choose to switch flow solvers? Or use more than one? Are the flow solver vendors forced to develop their own pre- and post-processing solutions because their clients demand a single-source solution?