DB, this wasn't some trick questions.
Here is a page from my Eznec Manual where Roy discusses Currents. Maybe it will give you a better sense as to how 4Nec2 might work with currents as well, since it too uses the NEC2 engine.
IMO, the problems you might be finding with the current magnitudes and their phase signs might have to do with how NEC handles the current data reported out.
Roy built his interface for ease of use for the novice and the professional alike. Since I'm sure this is a problem with NEC, I figure that 4Nec2 did something similar with their utility programs.
Some of Roy's ease of use utility routines like Create Radials, Connect Wires End to, and others violate NEC rules for data entry...if we want to correctly see the proper phase and current magnitudes per segment for our model. That said, all other performance details reported out for a model with such violations will be correctly reported. Otherwise NEC will require strict conformity to the rule for connecting wires, and IMO that can make its use far more difficult.
To be clear, these utilities do serve the user to do work to produce accurate performance results, within the scope of the limitations, even though the tabular currents indicated may be skewed if the rule on page #97, below is not followed. This skewing of current data only happens when all wire definitions for the model do not conform to the rules noted near the middle of page #97, else you cannot depend on the tabular currents data report as noted. If you correct the errors in your Eznec model the currents and phase details will be corrected, while all reporting for performance, match, and far field pattern, etc., will remain unchanged.
Read the rest in the attached image below.
DB you can check this out using a simple two wire 1/2 wave dipole. Just connect wire 1 end 1 to wire 2 end 1, and add you source.
The model should report out performance data correctly just like a dipole for match, gain, angle, SWR, etc. However, if I'm right, and you check the tabular current data...you should see that wire one will show a (-) current phase while wire two will show a (+) current phase. We know that a dipole has two poles that are in phase in order to radiate. The currents may look wrong, but the details will remain correct if you 4Nec2 works like my Eznec does.
I prefer the current indicator red line in Eznec too, but if I want to know the specific magnitude and phase segment by segment...I find it better to check out the tabular currents report. I can also turn the currents on or off. In the on position you can also get a sense of the phase as well. That said, there is more information in the details.
This is a test to see if I can still edit this post.
