You can display X–Y plots of data written to the output database. For the tutorial you will display the vertical displacement of the rigid body reference node versus time.
The Visualization module also allows you to display X–Y plots of the following:
Data read from an ASCII file.
Data entered at the keyboard.
Existing data, either combined with other data or arithmetically manipulated.
You will now display an X–Y plot of displacement versus time.
To display an X–Y plot:
From the main menu bar, select Result
History Output.
ABAQUS displays the History Output dialog box.
Click the Variables tab, if it is not already selected. To see the complete description of the variable choices, increase the width of the History Output dialog box by dragging the right or left edge.
The Output Variables field contains a list of all the variables in the history portion of the output database. Select the vertical motion of the rigid body reference node Spatial displacement: U2 at Node 1000 in NSET PUNCH if it is not already selected.
The History Output dialog box allows you to select where in the history data the X–Y plot should begin and end; in most cases the X-axis is assumed to be time. To create an X–Y plot using data in all three steps, do the following:
Click the Steps/Frames tab.
Drag the cursor over all three steps, if they are not already selected.
You can also choose the frequency at which to read the frames. For the tutorial you can accept the default setting of Frames: Read all.
From the buttons across the bottom of the History Output dialog box, click Plot.
ABAQUS displays an X–Y plot of displacement versus time, as shown in Figure D–13.
Default options selected by ABAQUS include default ranges for the X- and Y-axes, axis titles, major and minor tick marks, the color of the line, and a legend.The legend labels the X–Y plot U2 N: 1000 NSET PUNCH. This is a default name provided by ABAQUS.
Dismiss the History Output dialog box.
By default, ABAQUS computes the range of the X- and Y-axes from the minimum and maximum values found in the data read from the output database. ABAQUS divides each axis into intervals and displays the appropriate major and minor tick marks. The XY Plot Options allow you to set the range of each axis and to customize the appearance of the X–Y plot. As in all plot modes, X–Y plot customization options apply only to the current viewport and are not saved between sessions.
To customize an X–Y plot:
From the main menu bar, select OptionsXY Plot.
ABAQUS displays the XY Plot Options dialog box.
Click the Scale tab, if it is not already selected.
Specify that the X-axis should extend from 20 (the X-axis maximum) to 0 (the X-axis minimum) and that the Y-axis should extend from 0 (the Y-axis maximum) to –200 (the Y-axis minimum).
Click Apply to view the customized X–Y plot and to keep the XY Plot Options dialog box active.
The axes of the X–Y plot change.
From the options in the XY Plot Options dialog box, do the following. (Click Apply as you work to check the effect of each setting.)
Select blue horizontal and vertical major grid lines. The line style should be solid.
Type a Y-axis title of Displacement U2 (mm).
Request that major tick marks appear on the X-axis at four-second increments.
Request a decimal format with zero decimal places for the Y-axis labels.
Request a minor tick mark every second along the X-axis and every 10 mm along the Y-axis.
From the XY Plot Options dialog box, click OK to view the customized X–Y plot, as shown in Figure D–14.
You will now display a second X–Y plot in a new viewport. To create a new viewport, select ViewportCreate from the main menu bar.
The new viewport appears. The same X–Y plot that you had in the first viewport appears in the new viewport.
The dark gray title bar on the new viewport indicates that it is the current viewport; all work takes place in the current viewport. For more information, see “What is a viewport?,” Section 4.1.1 of the ABAQUS/CAE User's Manual.
Create a similar X–Y plot of vertical velocity (V2) versus time. You cannot select velocity during the first step because the first step was not a dynamic step; ABAQUS/Standard computed velocity and acceleration only during the second and third steps. Use the same X-axis range as before, and use a Y-axis range from 1000 to –1000. Label the Y-axis Velocity V2. The finished plot is shown in Figure D–15.
