When you create a part, you can create a deformable part, a discrete rigid surface, or an analytical rigid surface. You can subsequently change the type of the part.

You can create parts by adding features to the base feature. When you add a feature, you must select a face on which to sketch the profile of the feature. When you delete a feature from a part, ABAQUS/CAE also deletes any features that depend on the feature being deleted. These dependent features are called children.

You can edit features by modifying the sketch of the feature or a parameter associated with the feature, such as an extrusion depth. Editing features can cause dependent features to fail during regeneration.

The Datum toolset allows you to create datum points, axes, and planes. Datum geometry that you create on a part can also be used by the Sketcher. For example, if a suitable sketch plane does not exist, you can use the Datum toolset to create one.

Click OK in a dialog box to perform the selected operation and to close the dialog box; click Apply to leave the dialog box open while performing the selected operation. Click Cancel to close the dialog box without performing an operation.

You can use the view manipulation tools in the toolbar to change the view of the model to a more convenient one. Use mouse button 2 to stop any view manipulation. If you rotate or pan the sketch, use the cycle view manipulation tool to restore the original view.

You should save the model database at regular intervals.

When you create a part instance, the default position is based on the sketch of the base feature. You can ask ABAQUS/CAE to offset the new instance along the X-axis so that it does not overlap any existing instances. A graphic indicates the origin and the orientation of the global coordinate system in the Assembly module.

You position part instances relative to each other in the Assembly module using a sequence of constraint operations.

Part instances can be dependent or independent.

You use the step editor to control the time incrementation during the step.

You can use managers to display a list of the entities you have defined—for example, steps—and to help you perform repeated operations.

By default, ABAQUS/CAE propagates interactions or prescribed conditions defined in one step to all subsequent steps.

ABAQUS/CAE color codes the model to indicate how a region will be meshed. Green indicates that a region can be meshed with structured methods, yellow indicates that a region can be meshed with sweep methods, and orange indicates that a region cannot be meshed.

You use the Partition toolset to divide the model into regions that ABAQUS/CAE can mesh.

When you create and name a job, ABAQUS/CAE uses the same name for the input file it generates. Consequently, all files associated with the analysis (for example, the output database, the message file, and the status file) use the same name.

You can view the progression of a degree of freedom over the course of an analysis that you have chosen to monitor before submitting the job.

When you first open an output database, ABAQUS/CAE displays a fast plot of the model. You cannot customize a fast plot.

You use display groups to display selected regions of your model. A display group can be composed of any combination of selected part instances, geometry (cells, faces, or edges), elements, nodes, or surfaces.