An output database contains the data generated during an ABAQUS/Standard or ABAQUS/Explicit analysis. You can import a part from an output database in the form of an orphan mesh. An orphan mesh part contains no feature information and is extracted from the output database as a collection of nodes, elements, surfaces, and sets with no associated geometry. In effect, the mesh information has been orphaned from its parent geometry. For more information, see “Importing a part from an output database,” Section 10.7.11. In addition, you can import a part into ABAQUS/CAE from an input file in the form of an orphan mesh. For more information, see “Importing a model,” Section 10.8. You can also create an orphan mesh part from the meshed assembly in the Mesh module. For more information, see “Creating an orphan mesh part,” Section 17.17.

An orphan mesh part appears in the model's list of parts; however, you cannot add geometric features to it. You can use the Edit Mesh toolset to edit the mesh definition. For more information, see Chapter 41, “The Edit Mesh toolset.”

In addition, in the Mesh module you can change the element type assigned to an orphan mesh, and you can verify and edit the mesh.