Application	PLAXIS 2D PLAXIS 3D
Version	All Versions
Date created	11 September 2026
Date modified	11 September 2026
Original author	Amrendra Thakur - Technical Support Group
Keywords	PLAXIS, Significant Digit, Decimal, Format, Visualization, Numbers

Overview

PLAXIS provides flexible controls to manage how numerical values are displayed in both the Input and Output applications. These controls help users adjust the displayed number of significant digits, decimal places, scientific notation, and scaling of tabular results based on their review or presentation needs. 

These settings are useful when small numerical differences need to be inspected, such as very small displacements, pore pressure changes, strains, or two nearly identical results. Increasing the displayed precision can make such differences easier to review, while simpler formatting may be more suitable for reporting and presentation.

These settings affect only the visual representation of numerical values and have no influence on the numerical precision of the finite element calculations, which are performed using PLAXIS internal floating-point precision. Displayed values may be rounded for visualization purposes, but the stored results and calculations are not affected by the chosen display format.

Number of significant digits in PLAXIS Input

In the Input application, the various values are presented using a configurable number of significant digits, which can be set via Options → Display numbers using.

Users can choose to display values using 4, 5, or 6 significant digits. Significant digits differ from decimal places; the displayed precision depends on the magnitude of the number.

When a significant-digit setting is selected, PLAXIS Input automatically chooses the most appropriate representation of numerical values based on the value magnitude and the selected number of significant digits. Depending on the value being displayed, numbers may be shown in either decimal or scientific notation.

Display formatting in PLAXIS Output:

PLAXIS Output provides formatting options within individual result tables, allowing users to select decimal or scientific notation and define the number of displayed decimal places for that specific table. For example, a small value such as 0.000000321 can be displayed in scientific notation as 3.21E-07.

Additionally, the Output environment supports the use of a view factor, which multiplies displayed values by a selected scaling factor without modifying the stored results. This can be useful when inspecting very small or very large quantities, such as strains, pore pressure changes, or bending moments, because the scaled display can make variations easier to compare while preserving the original result values.

In summary, these display options should be selected based on the purpose of the review: use more detailed decimal formatting, scientific notation, or a view factor for detailed checks, and use simpler formatting when preparing results for reporting or presentation. 
The chosen display format should therefore support readability and interpretation without being mistaken for a change in calculation accuracy.