ABAQUS/AMS is an add-on analysis capability for ABAQUS/Standard that allows you to select the automatic multi-level substructuring (AMS) eigensolver when performing a natural frequency extraction.

• “Automatic multi-level substructuring (AMS) eigensolver” in “Natural frequency extraction,” Section 6.3.5 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

ABAQUS/Aqua is an add-on analysis capability for ABAQUS/Standard that provides wave loading, drag, and buoyancy calculation capabilities for modeling offshore piping and floating platform structures.

• “ABAQUS/Aqua analysis,” Section 6.10.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

ABAQUS/CAE is a Complete ABAQUS Environment that provides a simple, consistent interface for creating, submitting, monitoring, and evaluating results from ABAQUS simulations. ABAQUS/CAE is divided into modules, where each module defines a logical aspect of the modeling process; for example, defining the geometry, defining material properties, generating a mesh, submitting analysis jobs, and interpreting results.

• Part I, “Interacting with ABAQUS/CAE”

ABAQUS/Design is an add-on capability for ABAQUS/Standard and ABAQUS/Explicit that allows an ABAQUS model to be defined with parametric variables. Parameter studies with such models can be performed easily with scripts that generate models with various values for the parametric variables, run the analyses, and gather the results. These scripts are developed using Python, an interpreted language.

• “Parametric input,” Section 1.4.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

ABAQUS/Explicit is a batch input, finite element program that provides nonlinear, transient, dynamic analysis of solids and structures using explicit time integration. Its powerful contact capabilities, reliability, and computational efficiency on large models also make it highly effective for quasi-static applications involving discontinuous nonlinear behavior.

• “Introduction: general,” Section 1.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

ABAQUS/Standard is a batch input, general-purpose finite element program that can be used for analysis of static, dynamic, heat transfer, and a variety of coupled problems. ABAQUS/Standard provides both automatic and direct user control of the time step and is effective for analyzing the static, dynamic, thermal, and electrical response of both linear and nonlinear models.

• “Introduction: general,” Section 1.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

ABAQUS/Viewer is a subset of ABAQUS/CAE that contains only the Visualization module to provide graphical display of finite element models and results. It obtains model and result information from the output database (ODB). The major capabilities of ABAQUS/Viewer include undeformed and deformed shape plotting, results contour and symbol plotting, X–Y plotting and reporting, field output reporting, plot customization, and animation.

• Part V, “Viewing results”

ACIS is an industry-standard library of geometric modeling functions that reads and writes ACIS (file extension .sat) format files. ACIS files give you a way to move geometry between ABAQUS/CAE and third-party modeling products. You can import the base feature of a part from an ACIS file; in addition, you can export a part or the part instances in the assembly to an ACIS file.

• “Using the File menu,” Section 9.6

ABAQUS provides an automated process to adaptively remesh your model. Adaptive remeshing is used to obtain a mesh that approaches targets on selected error indicator output variables and provides a balance between solution cost and desired accuracy.

• “Adaptive remeshing: overview,” Section 12.3.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

An adaptivity process is a succession of analysis jobs that ABAQUS/CAE creates during adaptive remeshing. Each job uses a mesh that was generated by ABAQUS/CAE based on the values of the error indicator output variables in the output database and the settings in your remeshing rule.

• “Understanding adaptivity processes,” Section 18.3

Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) adaptive meshing is used to control element distortion in cases where large deformation or loss of material occurs. Adaptive meshing allows the mesh to move independently of the material but does not alter the topology (elements and connectivity) of the mesh. The adaptive meshing technique in ABAQUS combines the features of pure Lagrangian analysis and pure Eulerian analysis.

• “ALE adaptive meshing: overview,” Section 12.2.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

See input file.

The analysis input file processor is a computer program within ABAQUS that processes the input file and submits the resulting data to the appropriate analysis program, either ABAQUS/Standard or ABAQUS/Explicit. The functions of the analysis input file processor are to interpret the ABAQUS options, perform the necessary consistency checking, and prepare the data for the analysis program.

• “Defining a model in ABAQUS,” Section 1.3.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

See procedure.

You can use analytical fields to define spatially varying parameters for selected interactions and prescribed conditions, such as the variation of a pressure over a region in a pressure load. The Analytical Field toolset allows you to create and manage analytical fields in the Interaction module or in the Load module.

• Chapter 39, “The Analytical Field toolset”

Use rigid parts to model rigid bodies in ABAQUS/CAE. You can create analytical rigid parts only from sketched lines, arcs, and parabolas. You use the sketched profile to create extruded or revolved three-dimensional analytical rigid parts or two-dimensional planar analytical rigid parts. If possible, you should use an analytical rigid part instead of a discrete rigid part because it is computationally less expensive.

• “Rigid parts,” Section 11.7.1

Analytical rigid surfaces are geometric surfaces with profiles that can be described with straight and curved line segments. These profiles can be swept along a generator vector or rotated about an axis to form a three-dimensional surface.

Using analytical rigid surfaces instead of defining element-based rigid surfaces provides two important advantages in contact modeling: analytical rigid surfaces can model some surfaces because of the ability to parameterize the surface with curved line segments; and using analytical rigid surfaces instead of rigid surfaces formed by element faces may result in decreased computational cost incurred by the contact algorithm.

• “Defining analytical rigid surfaces,” Section 2.3.4 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

ABAQUS/CAE uses anchor points to control the motion of text and arrow annotations. You can define anchor points based on predefined points (the upper right viewport corner, for example), arbitrary viewport points, or nodes or vertices in the model. Text annotations are anchored to a single point, but you can anchor each end of an arrow separately. You can also offset the position of your annotations from the controlling anchor points. An anchor symbol appears next to the anchor point or points while you create or edit text and arrow annotations.

• “What are arrow and text annotations?,” Section 4.1.2

In complicated models, selecting individual faces or edges from a native part or selecting element faces or nodes from an orphan mesh can be time consuming and prone to error. For example, when creating a surface from an orphan mesh, you must select the individual element faces that make up the surface and append them to your selection. To speed up the selection process, ABAQUS/CAE provides the angle method for selecting multiple faces, edges, elements, element faces, or nodes.

The angle method is a two-step process:

• “Using the angle method to select multiple objects,” Section 6.2.3

You can create viewport annotations when working with ABAQUS/CAE; in addition, ABAQUS/CAE automatically generates several types of annotations. Viewport annotations generated by ABAQUS/CAE include the triad as well as the legend, title block, and state block of Visualization module plots.

• “What are arrow and text annotations?,” Section 4.1.2Chapter 37, “Customizing viewport annotations”

An ABAQUS/CAE assembly is composed of part instances that you orient relative to each other in the global coordinate system. Loads, boundary conditions, and interactions are applied to the assembly, and the finite element mesh is generated on the assembly. The model contains only one assembly.

• Chapter 13, “The Assembly module”

Use the ABAQUS/CAE Assembly module to create instances of your parts and to construct an assembly by positioning those instances relative to each other in a global coordinate system.

• Chapter 13, “The Assembly module”

Assembly-related modules are ABAQUS/CAE modules in which the assembly is displayed in the viewport. The Assembly, Step, Interaction, Load, and Mesh modules are considered assembly-related modules.

• “What is a module?,” Section 2.3”

Assembly sets are sets that contain regions of an ABAQUS/CAE assembly. Assembly sets have many uses; for example, you can use assembly sets to indicate where on an assembly to apply a load or boundary condition or from which regions you want data output during an analysis.

• “How do part sets and assembly sets differ?,” Section 48.2.2

Two-dimensional profiles stored in AutoCAD (file extension .dxf) files can be imported into ABAQUS/CAE as stand-alone sketches.

• “Imported sketches,” Section 19.3.2

The first feature you create when building an ABAQUS/CAE part is called the base feature; you construct the remainder of the part by adding more features that either modify or add detail to the base feature. All other features of the part are children of the base feature; therefore, the base feature cannot be suppressed or deleted.

• “The base feature,” Section 11.3.2

Base solution is a term used in adaptive remeshing. ABAQUS/Standard uses the base solution to compute the normalized form of the error indicator. When you create a remeshing rule in ABAQUS/CAE and request a particular error indicator output variable, ABAQUS automatically writes the corresponding base solution variable to the output database.

• “Characteristics of error indicators” in “Solution-based mesh sizing,” Section 12.3.3 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The variable selected to use in the calculation of the base solution. Base solution variables are expressed as element averages of the base solution and have an “AVG” suffix; for example, MISESAVG.

• “Finite element discretization error” in “Error indicators,” Section 12.3.2 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

Basic managers are ABAQUS/CAE dialog boxes that contain lists of all of the objects of a certain type that you have created in the current model. For example, the material manager contains a list of all of the materials that you have created. Basic managers also contain Create, Edit, Copy, Rename, and Delete buttons that you can use to manipulate existing objects and to create new ones. See also step-dependent manager.

• “What are basic managers?,” Section 3.4.1

See boundary condition.

You can create beam sections to define the properties of slender, rod-like structures that provide axial strength and bending stiffness. Beams represent structures in which the cross-section is assumed to be small compared to the length. Beam sections can be assigned only to wire regions. In addition, you must assign an orientation to the regions with beam sections.

• “Defining sections,” Section 12.2.3

ABAQUS/CAE uses the term bias factor when you create an adaptive remeshing rule in the Mesh module. If you choose the Minimum/maximum control sizing method, the bias factor determines the distribution of element sizing between the locations of minimum and maximum solution intensity.

• “Bias factor” in “Solution-based mesh sizing,” Section 12.3.3 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

When you are performing a steady-state dynamic analysis, you can use the bias parameter to bias the frequency points for which results are required toward the ends of the user-defined frequency range. The bias parameter provides closer spacing of the results points either toward the middle or toward the ends of each frequency interval. The bias parameter is not supported by ABAQUS/CAE.

• “The bias parameter” in “Mode-based steady-state dynamic analysis,” Section 6.3.8 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

A blend feature smooths an edge of a three-dimensional solid part. You can smooth the edge using a chamfer or a round.

• “Blend features,” Section 11.9.5

A blind cut is a cut that penetrates a three-dimensional object only to a specified depth, rather than passing all the way through it. In ABAQUS/CAE this depth is stored as a parameter of the cut feature and can be modified.

• “Adding a cut feature,” Section 11.24

You use boundary conditions to prescribe the values of basic solution variables, such as displacement, rotation, or temperature.

• Chapter 16, “The Load module”

• “Boundary conditions,” Section 27.3.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

A boundary face is a face of a three-dimensional element that is shared by only a single element.

• “Understanding the role of the Query toolset,” Section 45.1

The boundary mesh refers to the mesh generated on the boundary faces of a three-dimensional geometric region.

• “What is a tetrahedral preview mesh?,” Section 17.9.4

The canvas is the region of the ABAQUS/CAE main window where work takes place. The canvas can be thought of as an infinite screen or bulletin board on which you post viewports. You can imagine the canvas extending beyond the main window and your monitor; the visible portion of the canvas is called the drawing area, which you can increase by increasing the size of the main window.

• Chapter 4, “Managing viewports on the canvas”

CATIA is a CAD/CAM/CAE software package marketed by IBM and Dassault Systemes. You can import CATIA-format parts generated by CATIA Version 4.1.9 through Version 4.2.4. You can import parts in CATIA-format; however, you cannot export a CATIA-format part. For more information, see “Importing parts,” Section 10.7.2.

• “What kinds of files can be imported and exported from ABAQUS/CAE?,” Section 10.1.1

You can use the blend tools in the Part module to chamfer or bevel selected edges of the part in the current viewport. You enter the distance that the chamfer extends into each face, and ABAQUS/CAE uses the distance to define the chamfer. A chamfer creates a straight blend; a round creates a rounded blend.

• “Blend features,” Section 11.9.5

When you import a part from an IGES file, ABAQUS/CAE can check the part for precision errors that require healing.

• “Importing a part from an IGES-format file,” Section 10.7.7

You can toggle the check boxes that appear in some ABAQUS/CAE dialog boxes to turn a particular option alternately off or on.

• “Using basic dialog box components,” Section 3.2.1

A child feature is one that, when created, depends on an existing feature called the parent feature for geometric and dimensioning information. When you modify a parent feature, the modification may change its child features. Likewise, when you delete a parent feature, ABAQUS/CAE automatically deletes all of its child features.

• “The relationship between parts and features,” Section 11.3.1

When ABAQUS/CAE is adaptively remeshing your model, the coarsening rate limit that you specified in the remeshing rule modulates the rate at which larger elements are introduced into the mesh.

• “Refinement and coarsening rate factors” in “Solution-based mesh sizing,” Section 12.3.3 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

Two meshes that meet at a common interface are compatible if the mesh topology is consistent across the interface. Currently, it is not possible to use ABAQUS/CAE to create compatible meshes between two or more part instances automatically.

• “Compatible meshes between part instances,” Section 17.12.3

You use a coupling constraint to constrain the motion of a surface to the motion of a single point. The constraint control point defines the point to which the motion is constrained.

• “Defining coupling constraints,” Section 15.14.4

You use a coupling constraint to constrain the motion of a surface to the motion of a single point. The constraint region defines an element-based or node-based surface on which the points to be constrained are located.

• “Defining coupling constraints,” Section 15.14.4

You use construction geometry (points, lines, or circles) in the ABAQUS/CAE Sketch module to help you position and align objects in your sketch. Construction geometry is visible only when you are sketching; it is not visible on the part or assembly you are creating or modifying after you exit the Sketch module.

• “Construction geometry,” Section 19.5.2

The context bar is located directly under the toolbar in the ABAQUS/CAE main window. The context bar contains a Module list from which you can select a module. Other items in the context bar are a function of the module in which you are working. (ABAQUS/Viewer contains only the Visualization module.)

• “Components of the main window,” Section 2.2.1

Context-sensitive help allows you to gain immediate access to specific information in the ABAQUS/CAE online manual. You invoke context-sensitive help by selecting HelpOn Context from the main menu bar and then clicking almost any feature of an ABAQUS/CAE window or dialog box. The help consists of a short description of how to use the feature, shown in a separate window.

• “Displaying context-sensitive help,” Section 2.6.1

A contour plot displays the values of a particular analysis variable at a specified step and frame. These values are shown as colored lines, colored bands, or colored faces on the model, depending on the customization options that you select.

• Chapter 26, “Contouring analysis results”

CORM is an abbreviation for components of relative motion. Components of relative motion are relative displacements and rotations that are local to a connector.

• “Creating connector sections,” Section 15.11.6

CSYS is an abbreviation referring to an ABAQUS/CAE datum coordinate system, either rectangular, cylindrical, or spherical.

• “Creating datum coordinate systems,” Section 40.9

The current viewport is the one in which all work in ABAQUS/CAE takes place. There is only one current viewport at any time, and it is indicated by a different color title bar than other viewports.

• “What is a viewport?,” Section 4.1.1

ABAQUS/CAE allows you to apply one of eleven predefined custom views to the object in a selected viewport. (A view is a particular combination of position, orientation, and scale factor.) The custom views are front, back, left, right, top, bottom, isometric, and four user-defined views.

• “Custom views,” Section 5.2.8

When a damage initiation criterion is met, material damage has begun. You can specify several kinds of material damage in ABAQUS/CAE, and you can define multiple damage initiation criteria and damage evolution models to accurately represent the behavior of a material.

• “Defining damage,” Section 12.8.3

The damage evolution definition defines how the material degrades after one or more damage initiation criteria are met. Multiple forms of damage evolution may act on a material at the same time—one for each damage initiation criterion that was defined.

• “Damage evolution” in “Defining damage,” Section 12.8.3

A data check run is an abbreviated ABAQUS/Standard or ABAQUS/Explicit execution that checks only that the model is consistent and that all required model options have been set.

• “Selecting a job type,” Section 18.2.5

• “Execution procedure for ABAQUS/Standard and ABAQUS/Explicit,” Section 3.2.2 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

An ABAQUS/Standard or ABAQUS/Explicit input file is composed of a number of option blocks, each containing data that describe a part of the model. Each option block begins with a keyword line, which is usually followed by one or more data lines. The data required in the data lines for particular option blocks are specified in the ABAQUS/Standard and ABAQUS/Explicit User's manuals.

• “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

A datum is a feature that represents auxiliary geometry which can be used for reference when modeling a part or assembly. The following types of datum are available: points, axes, planes and coordinate systems.

• “Understanding the role of datum geometry,” Section 40.1

You use the ABAQUS/CAE Datum toolset to create datum geometry. The Datum toolset allows you to create datum points, axes, planes, and coordinate systems with respect to a combination of existing geometry, such as vertices, planes, edges, and existing datum geometry.

• Chapter 40, “The Datum toolset”

In ABAQUS/CAE viewport decorations are defined as the viewport title and the viewport border.

• “Working with viewports,” Section 4.3

A deformable part is one that can deform under load. Any arbitrarily shaped axisymmetric, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional part that you can create or import in ABAQUS/CAE can be specified as a deformable part.

• “Part types,” Section 11.4.2

The deformation scale factor is the factor that is applied to the deformation field when you display a plot of a deformed model in ABAQUS/CAE. You can scale the deformations to magnify, reduce, or otherwise distort the deformed model shape.

• “Scaling deformations,” Section 36.4.1

The deformed field output variable is the variable whose values control the shape of the model in a deformed shape plot in ABAQUS/CAE. Deformed field output variables can only be vector quantities such as displacement or velocity.

• “Selecting the deformed field output variable,” Section 24.4.3

An ABAQUS/CAE deformed shape plot displays the shape of a model at a specified step and frame of the analysis results, according to the values of the deformed field output variable that you specify.

• Chapter 25, “Plotting the undeformed and deformed shapes”

Degrees of freedom are the fundamental variables calculated during an analysis. For example, in a stress/displacement analysis the degrees of freedom are the translations and, for shell and beam elements, the rotations at each node. The degrees of freedom active at a node are determined by the element types associated with the node.

• “Conventions,” Section 1.2.2 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

Any arbitrarily shaped axisymmetric, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional part that you can create or import in ABAQUS/CAE can be specified as a discrete rigid part. Rigid parts are used to model rigid bodies in ABAQUS/CAE.

• “Rigid parts,” Section 11.7.1

An ABAQUS/CAE discrete set is composed of either nodes or elements that you have selected from an orphan mesh.

• Chapter 48, “The Set and Surface toolsets”

An ABAQUS/CAE display group is a collection of selected model components and can contain any combination of part instances, geometry (cells, faces, or edges), nodes, elements, and surfaces, or the default (entire) model. Display groups allow you to reduce clutter on your screen and focus on an area of interest within your model.

• Chapter 52, “Using display groups to display subsets of your model”

Display lists are used in ABAQUS/CAE to help you display repeated images faster. When an object is displayed repeatedly (for example, in an animation) the system must perform many computations to render each animation frame. If you enable the display list option, the results of these computations are stored in a display list the first time you display the animation. The next time you display the animation, ABAQUS/CAE refers to the display list instead of performing the calculations again; as a result, the animation is faster.

• “Using display lists,” Section 7.3

Double buffering is a graphics rendering technique used in ABAQUS/CAE to prevent screen flicker when the viewport is refreshed.

• “Using double buffering,” Section 7.2

In ABAQUS/CAE drag mode controls the render style and, therefore, the speed with which intermediate images are drawn during mouse manipulations such as panning, zooming, and rotating.

• “Controlling drag mode,” Section 7.5

The drawing area, which is the visible portion of the canvas, is the area of the ABAQUS/CAE main window in which viewports and annotations are displayed.

• “Components of the main window,” Section 2.2.1

In ABAQUS/CAE an edge parameter represents a position along an edge, expressed as a fraction of its length. You can use an edge parameter to partition an edge and to position a datum along an edge. ABAQUS/CAE displays an arrow along the edge indicating the direction of increasing parameter value from the start vertex (corresponding to an edge parameter value of zero) to the end vertex (corresponding to a value of one).

• “Creating a datum point by entering an edge parameter,” Section 40.6.5

• “Using the enter parameter method to partition edges,” Section 44.5.2

An element set is a named collection of elements. In ABAQUS/CAE you can create element sets directly only by selecting elements from an orphan mesh. ABAQUS/CAE automatically generates element sets for each geometry set that you create and mesh.

• Chapter 48, “The Set and Surface toolsets”

• “Element definition,” Section 2.2.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

Elysium is a plug-in product that can be used to generate an Elysium Neutral File with the following products:

You can import parts in Elysium Neutral File format; however, you cannot export parts in Elysium Neutral File format. For more information, see “Importing parts,” Section 10.7.2.

• “What kinds of files can be imported and exported from ABAQUS/CAE?,” Section 10.1.1

ABAQUS/CAE allows you to save images of selected viewports in EPS-format files. EPS is a variation of PostScript that describes a single graphic designed to be included in a larger document without modification. EPS files are identical to PostScript files except for some information that describes the size and positioning of the image. Most word processing and graphics applications support the inclusion of EPS files.

• “Printed image formats,” Section 8.1.1

Equation solver refers to the linear equation solver in ABAQUS/Standard.

• “Direct linear equation solver,” Section 6.1.4 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

Error indicators are used during adaptive remeshing and indicate the error in the base solution. The error indicator and base solution have common units. ABAQUS/CAE uses error indicators to determine where a mesh needs refinement to achieve an error goal. The error indicators are computed by ABAQUS/Standard during an analysis using a patch recovery technique and are written to the output database. Error indicator formulations differ for different error indicator variables.

• “Error indicators,” Section 12.3.2 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The output variable selected to use in the calculation of the error indicator. Error indicator output variables have an “ERI” suffix; for example, MISESERI.

• “Error indicators,” Section 12.3.2 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The user-defined remeshing goal. An error target is described as a percentage target for a normalized form of the error indicator output variable. The normalized form of the error indicator for a particular variable is the ratio of the value of the error indicator to the value of the base solution.

• “Error indicators,” Section 12.3.2 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

Each native part and assembly that you create using ABAQUS/CAE is composed of geometric features and the parameters that define each feature. ABAQUS/CAE retains the parameters that define each feature, such as size, location, and depth, and uses the information to regenerate a part or assembly if a feature is modified.

• “What is feature-based modeling?,” Section 11.3

You can suppress the visibility of some element edges in a meshed ABAQUS/CAE model by varying the feature angle. The edge between two elements is suppressed if the angle between their normals is less than the feature angle.

• “Defining model feature edges,” Section 36.3.2

• “Defining mesh feature edges,” Section 50.5

The Feature Manipulation toolset contains tools that you use to create and manage features.

• Chapter 42, “The Feature Manipulation toolset”

Field output is the output of variables that are written relatively infrequently to the output database. Typically, you request field output from your entire model or a large region of your model; ABAQUS/Standard and ABAQUS/Explicit write every component of the variable to the output database at the selected frequency. In the ABAQUS/CAE Visualization module you can view field output in the form of a deformed, contour, or symbol plot, and you can produce a report of field output.

• “Which variables are in the output database?,” Section D.2 of Getting Started with ABAQUS

A fillet is a circular arc that joins two lines in a continous manner. Fillets of a specified radius are used in both sketches and parts in ABAQUS/CAE. When you are using the Sketch module, you can create a fillet between two lines meeting at an angle. When you are creating or modifying a three-dimensional solid part, you can fillet, or round, selected edges.

• “Sketching fillets between two lines,” Section 19.10.9

• “Blending edges,” Section 11.27

The fixed part instance is the part instance whose position remains fixed during the application of an assembly constraint in ABAQUS/CAE.

• “How the position constraint methods differ,” Section 13.4.2

ABAQUS/CAE undeformed, deformed, contour, and symbol plots all display your model at a particular point in the analysis. The specific step and increment (or mode in the case of an eigenvalue analysis) at which you display the plot is called a frame. In addition, the term "frame" applies to a single plot in an animating series.

• “Selecting the results step and frame,” Section 24.2

• Chapter 33, “Animating plots”

Unlike structured meshing, free meshing uses no preestablished mesh patterns. When you mesh a region using the structured meshing technique, you can predict the pattern of the mesh based on the region topology. In contrast, it is impossible to predict a free mesh pattern before creating the mesh.

Because it is unstructured, free meshing allows more flexibility than structured meshing. The boundaries of regions that you mesh with the free mesh technique can be very complex.

• “Free meshing,” Section 17.9

The frustum is the three-dimensional space visible in a viewport in movie camera mode; it is a truncated pyramid with its apex at the camera position. The frustum begins at the near plane (a plane parallel to the pyramid base but closer to the camera) and extends to the far plane (the pyramid base). The near plane and far plane positions are determined by the view options in ABAQUS/CAE.

• “Understanding camera modes and view options,” Section 5.1

Geometric nonlinearity refers to the nonlinear stiffness variations caused by large deformations.

• “Linear and nonlinear procedures,” Section 14.3.2

• “General and linear perturbation procedures,” Section 6.1.2 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

An ABAQUS/CAE geometry set is composed of geometric objects (cells, faces, edges, and vertices) that you have selected from an unmeshed part or assembly. The geometric objects in a set can be of different types; for example, you can include a face and an edge in the same set.

• Chapter 48, “The Set and Surface toolsets”

A geometry surface is a surface you create in ABAQUS/CAE by selecting faces or edges from native or imported geometry in an assembly.

• Chapter 48, “The Set and Surface toolsets”

Grid coordinates are the cursor coordinates that appear in the upper-left corner of the Sketcher as you create new sketch geometry. They are tied to the current origin and rotation of the sketch grid.

• “Realigning the sketch grid relative to the sketch,” Section 19.4.4

When you import a part, ABAQUS/CAE can heal the part and remove any precision errors.

• “Importing parts,” Section 10.7.2

The activity of a step-dependent object through the course of an analysis is called its history. For example, you might create a load in one step, modify it in the next step, and then deactivate it in a later step. In ABAQUS/CAE you can view the histories of step-dependent objects by displaying the appropriate step-dependent manager.

• “What are step-dependent managers?,” Section 3.4.2

History data form the portion of an ABAQUS input file that defines what happens to the model—the sequence of events or loadings for which the model's response is sought.

• “Defining a model in ABAQUS,” Section 1.3.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

History output is the output of variables that are written relatively frequently to the output database—as often as every increment. You typically select history output for a small area of your model, such as a single integration point or a small region. You can use history output in the ABAQUS/CAE Visualization module to generate X–Y plots.

• “Which variables are in the output database?,” Section D.2 of Getting Started with ABAQUS

Homogeneous solid and shell sections define the section properties of solid and shell elements and refer to a single material.

• “Defining sections,” Section 12.2.3

• “Using a shell section integrated during the analysis to define the section behavior,” Section 23.6.5 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

• “Using a general shell section to define the section behavior,” Section 23.6.6 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

• “Solid (continuum) elements,” Section 22.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

Hyperlinks are electronic links between sections in the online documentation. You can use hyperlinks to display material that is related to the material that you are currently reading.

The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) is a neutral data format designed for graphics exchange between computer-aided design (CAD) systems. You can import IGES-format parts, and you can export parts in IGES format. In addition, you can import and export a sketch from an IGES file.

• Chapter 10, “Importing and exporting geometry data and models”

An initial condition is a condition you prescribe to define the initial value of a solution, state, or field variable such as displacement, stress, or temperature. You can define initial conditions by creating predefined fields in the Load module.

• “Creating and modifying prescribed conditions,” Section 16.4”

• “Initial conditions,” Section 27.2.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

An input file is an ASCII file that is read and processed by ABAQUS/Standard or ABAQUS/Explicit. It contains keywords and data that define your model. When you submit a job for analysis using ABAQUS/CAE, it generates an input file based on the model you have defined. If necessary, you can modify the input file generated by ABAQUS/CAE using the Keywords Editor. In addition, you can import input files into ABAQUS/CAE; ABAQUS/CAE translates the options and data lines in the imported input file into a new ABAQUS/CAE model.

• “Understanding the files generated by creating and analyzing a model,” Section 9.4

• “Importing a model from an ABAQUS/Standard or an ABAQUS/Explicit input file,” Section 10.5.1

• “Defining a model in ABAQUS,” Section 1.3.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The parametric input capability in ABAQUS/Design allows the user to create an input file in which parameters are used in place of input quantities. The parameters are evaluated according to their definition and are substituted for the parametrized quantities before an analysis is performed by ABAQUS/Standard or ABAQUS/Explicit. See also keyword parameter to learn how keyword parameters are used in an ABAQUS input file.

• “Scripting parametric studies,” Section 15.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

See part instance.

ABAQUS is capable of modeling mechanical, thermal, coupled thermal-mechanical, coupled pore fluid-mechanical, and coupled thermal-electrical interactions between bodies. In ABAQUS/CAE an elastic foundation is also considered a form of interaction.

• Chapter 15, “The Interaction module”

Use the ABAQUS/CAE Interaction module to define interactions between regions of a model or between a region of a model and its surroundings.

• Chapter 15, “The Interaction module”

An interaction property is a collection of data that is necessary to completely define certain types of interactions in ABAQUS/CAE; you include the name of the interaction property of your choice in the interaction definition. You define interaction properties independent of any particular interaction.

• Chapter 15, “The Interaction module”

A job is a process you submit for execution on any computer or network. You submit an ABAQUS model for analysis in the form of an analysis job.

• Chapter 18, “The Job module”

• “Execution procedure for ABAQUS/Standard and ABAQUS/Explicit,” Section 3.2.2 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

A journal file (file extension .jnl) is a file containing commands that ABAQUS/CAE can use to replicate the model database, should it become corrupted. When you save a model database, ABAQUS/CAE also saves the journal file automatically.

• “Recreating an unsaved model database,” Section 9.5.3

The ABAQUS/CAE Job module allows you to create a job, submit it for analysis, and monitor its progress.

• Chapter 18, “The Job module”

All data definitions in ABAQUS/Standard and ABAQUS/Explicit are accomplished with option blocks. Each option block is introduced by a keyword line that begins with a particular keyword (also known as an "option"). The keyword (or option) indicates the kind of information specified in the option block. For example, if you want to use a particular material in an analysis, you must add an option block beginning with the keyword *MATERIAL to the input file. Keywords are always preceded by an asterisk and appear in upper case in the ABAQUS documentation.

• ABAQUS Keywords Reference Manual

• “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The first line of an option block in an ABAQUS input file is called the keyword line. Keyword lines begin with a particular keyword, followed, in some cases, by parameters associated with the keyword. For example, the keyword line of an option block describing a material might appear as *MATERIAL, NAME=name. In this case *MATERIAL is the keyword and NAME is a parameter that allows you to specify the name of the material being defined.

• “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

Keywords in an ABAQUS input file are often followed by parameters on the keyword line of an option block. Keyword parameters, which can be optional or required, provide additional information concerning the keyword. For example, the keyword *ELEMENT requires the keyword parameter TYPE to specify what type of element (such as solid, beam, or shell) is being defined. See also input parameter to learn how input parameters are used in ABAQUS/Design.

The keywords editor is a specialized text editor that allows you to modify the ABAQUS input file generated by ABAQUS/CAE before submitting it for analysis.

• “Adding unsupported keywords to your ABAQUS/CAE model,” Section 9.9.1

A load causes deformation or, in general, change of state of a structure, such as concentrated or distributed tractions or concentrated or distributed fluxes.

• Chapter 16, “The Load module”

• “Applying loads: overview,” Section 27.4.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

A load case is a set of loads and boundary conditions used to define a particular loading condition in a model.

• “Modeling load cases,” Section 21.7

• “Multiple load case analysis,” Section 6.1.3 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The ABAQUS/CAE Load module allows you to define prescribed conditions such as loads, boundary conditions, and predefined fields.

• Chapter 16, “The Load module”

You interact with ABAQUS/CAE through the main window. The main window contains a menu bar, toolbar, prompt area, and a variety of other components that allow you to perform the tasks necessary for creating and analyzing a model and viewing analysis results. Certain aspects of the main window, such as the menu bar and the toolbar, can change as you work through the modeling process.

• “Overview of the main window,” Section 2.2

See basic manager and step-dependent manager.

ABAQUS/CAE indicates the material directions of elements in your model by displaying material orientation triads at the element integration points in the Visualization module.

• “Customizing material orientation plot triads,” Section 28.4.1

Membranes represent thin surfaces in space that offer strength in the plane of the surface but have no bending stiffness. Membrane sections consist of a material name, membrane thickness, and section Poisson's ratio.

• “Defining sections,” Section 12.2.3

A mesh is an arrangement of finite elements defined on an ABAQUS model. In ABAQUS/CAE meshes can be defined only on the assembly.

• Chapter 17, “The Mesh module”

• “Element definition,” Section 2.2.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The ABAQUS/CAE Mesh module contains tools that allow you to generate meshes on assemblies created in ABAQUS/CAE. In addition, the Mesh module contains query functions that provide information about existing meshes.

• Chapter 17, “The Mesh module”

You can use the ABAQUS/CAE Surface toolset to create a mesh surface by selecting element faces or edges from orphan meshes in an assembly.

• Chapter 48, “The Set and Surface toolsets”

ABAQUS/CAE displays information and warnings in the message area, which is located at the bottom of the main window.

• “Overview of the main window,” Section 2.2

The message file (job_name.msg) contains diagnostic or informative messages about the progress of an ABAQUS/Standard or ABAQUS/Explicit analysis.

• “Understanding the files generated by creating and analyzing a model,” Section 9.4

• “Diagnostic printing,” Section 14.5.3

• “Output,” Section 4.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

A finished model contains all the data that are needed to conduct an analysis. The term model also refers just to the physical object being analyzed.

• “What is an ABAQUS/CAE model?,” Section 9.2

• “Defining a model in ABAQUS,” Section 1.3.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The term model data refers to the portion of an ABAQUS/Standard or ABAQUS/Explicit input file that defines a finite element model: the elements, nodes, element properties, material definitions, and so on—any data that specify the model itself. Model data include all data in an ABAQUS input file that appear before the *STEP keyword.

• “Defining a model in ABAQUS,” Section 1.3.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The model definition is the internal ABAQUS representation of the model.

• “What is an ABAQUS/CAE model?,” Section 9.2

• “Defining a model in ABAQUS,” Section 1.3.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

ABAQUS/CAE uses model databases to store your models and analysis jobs. While you may have multiple model databases stored on your computer or network, ABAQUS/CAE can work on only one at any time. The model database in use is known as the current model database, and ABAQUS/CAE displays its name across the top of the main window.

• “What is an ABAQUS/CAE model database?,” Section 9.1

In ABAQUS/CAE, modeling space refers to the space a part inhabits rather than to the topology of the part itself. Thus, you can create a part in three-dimensional modeling space that contains shells or wires, which are two-dimensional features. A part can inhabit three-dimensional, two-dimensional, or axisymmetric modeling space.

• “Part modeling space,” Section 11.4.1

ABAQUS/CAE is divided into modules. Each module defines a logical aspect of the modeling process, such as defining the geometry, defining material properties, and generating a mesh.

• “What is a module?,” Section 2.3

The monitor capability in ABAQUS provides you with several ways to monitor the progress of an analysis job that you have submitted.

• “Monitoring the progress of an analysis job,” Section 18.2.6

• “Output,” Section 4.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The movable part instance is the part instance whose position can change during the application of an assembly constraint in ABAQUS/CAE.

• “How the position constraint methods differ,” Section 13.4.2

You create a native mesh using the ABAQUS/CAE Mesh module. You use the Mesh module to mesh native parts that you positioned in the assembly. A native mesh and its attributes are feature based, and a native mesh maintains its association with the original parts and with the assembly.

• “What is feature-based modeling?,” Section 11.3

You create native parts using the ABAQUS/CAE Part module. ABAQUS/CAE stores each native part in the form of an ordered list of features. The parameters that define each feature—extruded depth, hole diameter, sweep path, etc.—define the geometry of the part.

• “What is feature-based modeling?,” Section 11.3

NLGEOM is an abbreviation for geometric nonlinearity.

A node set is a named collection of nodes. In ABAQUS/CAE you can create node sets directly only by selecting nodes from an orphan mesh. ABAQUS/CAE automatically generates node sets for each geometry set whose underlying geometry is meshed.

• Chapter 48, “The Set and Surface toolsets”

• “Node definition,” Section 2.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The ABAQUS online documentation contains versions of many of the printed ABAQUS manuals, as well as some manuals that are not available in print. You can search an online manual for a word or a phrase.

• “Getting help,” Section 2.6

The word "option" has multiple meanings in ABAQUS. In some cases the word is used interchangeably with the word "keyword." In other cases it refers to choices presented to you by the ABAQUS/CAE graphical user interface.

• “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

ABAQUS input files are composed of option blocks. Each option block contains data concerning a particular option (or keyword) that describes part of the problem definition. An option block begins with a keyword line and is often followed by one or more data lines. The user chooses those options that are relevant for a particular application.

• “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

An orphan mesh is a collection of nodes, elements, surfaces, and sets with no associated geometry. In effect, the mesh information has been orphaned from its parent geometry. You can import a part into ABAQUS/CAE from an output database or from an input file in the form of an orphan mesh. You can also create an orphan mesh part from the meshed assembly in the Mesh module. 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 in the Part module to edit the mesh definition, and you can change the element type assigned to the mesh in the Mesh module.

• “What can I do with the Edit Mesh toolset?,” Section 41.1

Output database files (job_name.odb) contain the results from your analysis. You use the Visualization module to open an output database and to view a graphical representation of the contents. In addition, you can import a part from an output database in the form of an orphan mesh.

• “Opening a model database or an output database,” Section 9.7.2

• “Understanding the files generated by creating and analyzing a model,” Section 9.4

You create output requests to instruct ABAQUS to write data of interest to various output files, such as the data file (.dat), the output database (.odb), and the restart files. The variables that ABAQUS writes during a step, the rate at which they are written, the region of the model associated with the output, and the section points of interest define an output request.

• “Understanding output requests,” Section 14.4

• “Output,” Section 4.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

In general, a parameter is a variable quantity that restricts or gives particular form to the thing that it characterizes. This term is used in ABAQUS/CAE to refer to modifiable parameters that define features (for example, the length of an extrusion). It is also used in the term "edge parameter" to describe a position along an edge, expressed as a fraction of its length. See also keyword parameter to learn how parameters are used in ABAQUS/Standard and ABAQUS/Explicit, and see input parameter to learn how they are used in ABAQUS/Design.

• Chapter 42, “The Feature Manipulation toolset

• “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

Parasolid is a solid modeling system developed by Unigraphics and marketed by EDS. You can import Parasolid-format parts generated by Parasolid Version 7 through Version 13. You cannot export parts in Parasolid format. For more information, see “Importing parts,” Section 10.7.2.

• “What kinds of files can be imported and exported from ABAQUS/CAE?,” Section 10.1.1

See child feature.

Parts are the building blocks of an ABAQUS/CAE model. You assemble parts to create an assembly that you can then mesh and analyze.

• “Understanding the role of the Part module,” Section 11.1

You use the ABAQUS/CAE Part module to create, edit, and manage the parts in the current model.

• Chapter 11, “The Part module”

Part-related modules are ABAQUS/CAE modules in which parts are displayed in the viewport. The Part and Property modules are considered part-related modules.

• “What is a module?,” Section 2.3”

An ABAQUS/CAE part set is a set consisting of a region of a part. Part sets are available only when you are in the Part or Property modules.

• “How do part sets and assembly sets differ?,” Section 48.2.2

An ABAQUS/CAE part instance can be thought of as a copy of the original part, except that an instance also maintains its association with the original part so that if you modify the part, the part instance is also modified at the same time. When you assemble your model, you work with part instances and not with the original parts.

• “Working with part instances,” Section 13.3

Partitions are features that are used to divide an ABAQUS/CAE part or assembly into regions. Such regions have many uses; for example, applying loads or assigning mesh attributes.

• Chapter 44, “The Partition toolset”

Use the tools in the ABAQUS/CAE Partition toolset to create partitions.

• Chapter 44, “The Partition toolset”

A path is a line you define by specifying a series of points through your model. You can view results along the path in the form of an X–Y plot.

• Chapter 31, “Viewing results along a path

The Visualization module offers the following distinct types of plots for viewing your model and results: Undeformed shape, Deformed shape, Contour, Symbol, Material orientation, History or X–Y data, Time history animation, Scale factor animation, and Harmonic animation.

Each of these plots corresponds to a “plot state”. Plot states are important because some of the customization options provided by the Visualization module pertain only to a particular plot state.

• “What is a plot state?,” Section 22.3.1

PNG is an industry standard for storing bitmap images. The use of PNG files has been popularized by the World Wide Web, and PNG images are displayed by most popular web browsers running on a variety of operating systems. A PNG file consists of color information and a compressed bitmap representation of the image. ABAQUS/CAE allows you to save images of selected viewports in PNG-format files.

• “Printed image formats,” Section 8.1.1

A position constraint is a constraint used to prescribe the positions of part instances during assembly in ABAQUS/CAE.

• “How the position constraint methods differ,” Section 13.4.2

A predefined field is a time-dependent, non-solution-dependent condition that exists over the spatial domain of the model.

• “Creating and modifying prescribed conditions,” Section 16.4”

• “Predefined fields,” Section 27.6.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

A prescribed condition is an external condition, such as a load or a boundary condition, that you apply to a model.

• Chapter 16, “The Load module”

• “Prescribed conditions: overview,” Section 27.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

Preselection changes the appearance of objects on the screen to help you make the desired selections for a particular ABAQUS/CAE procedure. Two types of preselection are available:

• “Selecting and unselecting individual objects,” Section 6.2.1

• “The Sketcher cursors and preselection,” Section 19.4.5

There are two cursors active within the ABAQUS/CAE Sketch module: the primary cursor and the secondary cursor. The primary cursor is the one you use with most applications on your computer, including ABAQUS/CAE. The primary cursor usually appears as an arrow pointer; you position this cursor by moving the mouse.

• “The Sketcher cursors and preselection,” Section 19.4.5

The printed output file (file extension .dat) contains information generated by the ABAQUS analysis input file preprocessor, including the model definition and any error or warning messages that were detected while processing the input data. In addition, the printed output file contains any printed output data written during the analysis.

• “Understanding output requests,” Section 14.4

• “Output,” Section 4.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

When you select ToolsQuery from the main menu bar or use the tool in the toolbar, ABAQUS/CAE enters probe mode, as indicated in the prompt area. In this mode ABAQUS/CAE displays information as you move the cursor around the current viewport. Probing a model plot displays model data and analysis results; probing an X–Y plot displays X–Y curve data. You can write this information to a file.

• Chapter 30, “Querying and probing"

The word procedure has two meanings in ABAQUS. When you use ABAQUS/CAE, many tasks that you perform are broken into step-by-step procedures. When you perform one of these procedures, ABAQUS/CAE displays instructions for each step at the appropriate time in the prompt area near the bottom of the main window.

In addition, the type of analysis to be performed during an analysis step is referred to as the analysis procedure. For each step in an analysis, you must specify the analysis procedure. Static stress, dynamic stress, eigenvalue buckling, and transient heat transfer are examples of analysis procedures.

• “Using the prompt area during procedures,” Section 3.1

• “Procedures: overview,” Section 6.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

A profile specifies the engineering properties of a beam section that are related to its cross-sectional shape and size (for example, cross-section area and moments of inertia). When you define a beam section, you must include a reference to a profile in the section definition.

• “Defining profiles,” Section 12.2.2

The prompt area is located at the bottom of the ABAQUS/CAE main window, just above the message area. The prompt area displays instructions for you to follow during a procedure.

• “Using the prompt area during procedures,” Section 3.1

The Property module allows you to define the material and section properties of a model by creating section definitions and assigning them to parts or to regions of parts. Most section definitions refer to material definitions, which you also create using the Property module.

• Chapter 12, “The Property module”

PostScript is a page-description language developed by Adobe Systems that offers flexible font capability and high-quality graphics. The best-known page-description language, PostScript uses English-like commands to control page layout and to load and scale outline fonts. PostScript is used in many printers, either as the only print mode or as an alternative among several. ABAQUS/CAE allows you to print images of selected viewports directly to a PostScript printer or to save the same image in a PostScript-format file.

• “Printed image formats,” Section 8.1.1

The Query toolset allows you to obtain information about your model. ABAQUS/CAE displays the requested information in the message area, and, in most cases, the same information is written to the replay file. Select ToolsQuery from the main menu bar to use the Query toolset, or select the query tool from the toolbar.

• Chapter 45, “The Query toolset”

A queue allows you to execute jobs on a computer in a sequential manner. When you configure a job in the ABAQUS/CAE Job module, you can choose between running the job locally in the background or submitting the job to a named batch queue on a host machine.

• “Submitting a job remotely,” Section 18.2.7

• “Customizing ABAQUS/CAE startup,” Section 4.3.3 of the ABAQUS Installation and Licensing Guide

Radio buttons allow you to choose between mutually exclusive options in some ABAQUS/CAE dialog boxes. When a particular option is controlled by radio buttons, you can choose only one of the buttons at a time. For example, you can control the drag mode in the Graphics Options dialog box by clicking either the Fast or the As is radio button.

• “Using basic dialog box components,” Section 3.2.1

A recovery file is a file containing commands that ABAQUS/CAE can use to replicate the model database currently in memory, should it become lost due to a catastrophic interruption of your ABAQUS/CAE session such as a power outage. The recovery file contains only those commands that were executed since the last time the model database was saved; all remaining commands are saved in the journal file.

• “Recreating an unsaved model database,” Section 9.5.3

Reference dimensions indicate the size of geometry in a sketch while allowing the size to change, as opposed to regular dimensions that fix the geometry at the dimensioned size. You can use reference dimensions to indicate the size of reference geometry or to provide alternate dimensions without overconstraining a sketch.

• “Constraining, dimensioning, and parameterizing a sketch,” Section 19.12

When you sketch a feature, ABAQUS/CAE first projects lines and vertices from any existing features onto the sketch plane. These projected lines and vertices are called reference geometry; you can select reference geometry to help position objects and to constrain the sketch to the underlying geometry.

• “Reference geometry,” Section 19.5.1

The nodes of a shell element are located at its reference surface, which is usually coincident with the shell's midsurface.

• “Defining a temperature field,” Section 16.11.2

• “Defining the initial geometry of conventional shell elements,” Section 23.6.3 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

• “Shell elements: overview,” Section 23.6.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

When ABAQUS/CAE is remeshing your model adaptively, the coarsening rate limit that you specified in the remeshing rule modulates the rate at which smaller elements are introduced into the mesh. The refinement factor has a significant effect on the convergence of the adaptive meshing procedure and may help you achieve faster and more efficient mesh convergence.

• “Refinement and coarsening rate factors” in “Solution-based mesh sizing,” Section 12.3.3 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The process of regeneration recalculates model geometry after a feature of an ABAQUS/CAE model has been modified; by default, ABAQUS/CAE automatically regenerates all dependent features if you modify a feature. For example, if you modify a feature of a part, ABAQUS/CAE regenerates the part, any instances of the part in the assembly, and the final mesh.

• “Using the Feature Manipulation toolset,” Section 42.1

A region is any particular portion of an ABAQUS/CAE model. A region can be a vertex, edge, face, cell, node, element, or a collection of these entities. You can specify and name specific regions of a part or assembly by creating sets and surfaces that contain those regions. You can divide a part or an assembly into more regions by partitioning it.

• Chapter 48, “The Set and Surface toolsets”

ABAQUS/CAE uses a remeshing rule to adapt your mesh iteratively to meet specified error targets. A remeshing rule describes:

• “What are remeshing rules?,” Section 17.11.1

Render style is the style in which you display an object in a viewport in ABAQUS/CAE. Examples of render style are Wireframe, Hidden, and Shaded.

• “Choosing a render style,” Section 50.2

Almost every operation that you perform in ABAQUS/CAE is recorded automatically in the replay file (abaqus.rpy) in the form of ABAQUS commands. Executing the replay file is equivalent to replaying the original sequence of operations.

• “Recreating an unsaved model database,” Section 9.5.3

The restart file (job_name.res) is used to continue an analysis job.

• “Restart output requests,” Section 14.5.2

• “Restarting an analysis,” Section 9.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The Results Tree provides a visual description of the output data available in your session, including all open output databases and session-specific data such as X–Y data and X–Y plots. This tool shares the left side of the ABAQUS/CAE interface with the Model Tree.

• “An overview of the Results Tree,” Section 3.5.2

In ABAQUS/CAE, resuming a suppressed feature fully restores it to the part or assembly. See also suppress.

• “Using the Feature Manipulation toolset,” Section 42.1

You create a revolved solid or shell in ABAQUS/CAE by sketching the two-dimensional profile of the feature and sweeping it through a specified angle about the axis of revolution. A construction line in the sketch defines the axis of revolution.

• “Defining the axis of revolution for axisymmetric parts and for revolved features,” Section 11.13.5

In general, a rigid body is one that is so much stiffer than the rest of the model that its deformation can be considered negligible. In ABAQUS/Standard and ABAQUS/Explicit a rigid body is a collection of rigid elements. See also analytical rigid part or discrete rigid part for information about rigid bodies in ABAQUS/CAE.

• “Defining analytical rigid surfaces,” Section 2.3.4 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The rigid body reference point is a selected point that is used to define the motion of a rigid body (a rigid part in ABAQUS/CAE) or to apply constraints to a rigid body. The rigid body reference node is the node located at the rigid body reference point. When constraining the rigid body, you apply constraints to the degrees of freedom of the rigid body reference node.

• “The reference point,” Section 11.8.1

• “Defining analytical rigid surfaces,” Section 2.3.4 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

You can use the blend tools in the Part module to round selected edges of the part in the current viewport to the desired radius. A chamfer creates a straight blend; a round creates a rounded blend.

• “Blend features,” Section 11.9.5

In ABAQUS/CAE a scale factor animation displays a series of plots created from a single step and frame of the output database (ODB). The different plots are formed by multiplying the deformation scale factor by a range of animation scale factors.

• “Scale factor animation,” Section 33.1.2

A script is a type of program that consists of a set of instructions to an application. In ABAQUS/CAE almost every operation that you perform during a session can be duplicated by a script containing a set of ABAQUS/CAE commands. You can find examples of ABAQUS/CAE commands in the replay file (abaqus.rpy) that is written automatically during every ABAQUS/CAE session.

• “Understanding the files generated by creating and analyzing a model,” Section 9.4

There are two cursors active within the ABAQUS/CAE Sketch module: the primary cursor and the secondary cursor. The secondary cursor looks like a plus sign (+) and appears near the primary cursor whenever the Sketch module prompts you to select a point. By default, if you move the primary cursor near a point that is eligible for selection, the secondary cursor jumps directly to the point while the primary cursor remains fixed; therefore, you can easily see exactly which point is selected before committing the selection.

• “The Sketcher cursors and preselection,” Section 19.4.5

A section definition is the data that specify the properties of regions in an ABAQUS/CAE assembly or in a set of elements in an ABAQUS/Standard or ABAQUS/Explicit model. A section definition can contain information such as a material name, Poisson's ratio, transverse shear data, and various other parameters.

• Chapter 12, “The Property module”

When you define shell or beam sections that are integrated during an analysis, you must specify the number of section integration points through the thickness of the section. A group of section points is located at each material integration point over the surface of a shell element or along the length of a beam element.

• Chapter 12, “The Property module”

In ABAQUS/CAE, seeds are markers that you place along the edges of an unmeshed assembly to indicate the desired density of the mesh. By default, mesh seeds provide only a target mesh density; if necessary, the mesh generator alters the original seed distribution to successfully generate the mesh. You can prevent this redistribution by constraining seeds.

• “Understanding seeding,” Section 17.4

Session refers to the time during which a program accepts input, processes information, and responds to user commands. An ABAQUS/CAE session begins when you start ABAQUS/CAE and continues until you exit.

• “Starting and exiting ABAQUS/CAE,” Section 2.1

ABAQUS/CAE creates a session step to contain field output that you have created by either operating on existing field output variables or combining results from several analysis frames. The data contained in the session step are saved only until you end the ABAQUS/CAE session or close the output database from which the field output originates.

• “Starting and exiting ABAQUS/CAE,” Section 2.1

A set is a named region or collection of objects on which you can perform various operations. For example, you can assign section properties or apply a load to a set. See also node set, element set, geometry set and discrete set.

• “Understanding sets and surfaces,” Section 48.2

• “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The Set toolset is a collection of ABAQUS/CAE tools that allows you to create and manage sets.

• Chapter 48, “The Set and Surface toolsets”

Shell sections define the section properties of shell regions. Shells model structures in which one dimension (the thickness) is significantly smaller than the other two dimensions and in which the stresses in the thickness direction are negligible. A homogeneous shell section includes the shell thickness, material name, section Poisson's ratio, and optional transverse shear data.

• “Defining sections,” Section 12.2.3

The method used by ABAQUS/CAE to generate new element sizes during the adaptive remesh process. For a particular variable, a sizing method reads and operates on a field of base solution values and their corresponding error indicator output variables from a region defined by the remeshing rule. ABAQUS uses the sizing method to calculate new element sizes. ABAQUS/CAE provides two sizing methods: Uniform and Minimum/Maximum.

• “Sizing methods” in “Solution-based mesh sizing,” Section 12.3.3 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

A sketch forms the two-dimensional profile of an ABAQUS/CAE feature. You use sketches to create planar or axisymmetric features, or you can extrude, revolve, or sweep a sketch to form a three-dimensional feature.

• Chapter 19, “The Sketch module”

Sketch coordinates are the cursor coordinates that appear in the upper-right corner of the Sketcher as you create new sketch geometry. Sketch coordinates appear only when they differ from the current grid coordinates—when the grid origin or rotation has been changed.

• “Realigning the sketch grid relative to the sketch,” Section 19.4.4

Use the ABAQUS/CAE Sketch module to create and manage stand-alone sketches.

• Chapter 19, “The Sketch module”

Use the Sketcher to sketch the two-dimensional profile of a feature. You can also use the Sketcher to sketch a partition on a selected face.

• Chapter 19, “The Sketch module”

Some ABAQUS/CAE dialog boxes contain sliders that you drag to set the value of an option that has a continuous range of possible values.

• “Using basic dialog box components,” Section 3.2.1

Solid sections define the section properties of two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and axisymmetric solid regions. Homogeneous solid sections refer to a single material. If the section will be used with a two-dimensional region, you must also specify the section thickness.

• “Defining sections,” Section 12.2.3

Solver usually refers to the linear equation solver in ABAQUS/Standard. (See equation solver.)

A spline is a curve defined by a mathematical function that connects separate points with a high degree of smoothness. Use the spline tool in the ABAQUS/CAE Sketch module to sketch a smooth curve that connects a series of points. ABAQUS/CAE calculates the shape of the curve using a cubic spline fit between all the points along the spline; as a result, the first and second derivatives of the spline are continuous.

• “Sketching splines,” Section 19.10.10

Stand-alone sketches are ABAQUS/CAE sketches that are independent of any particular feature; you can incorporate a stand-alone sketch into the current sketch.

• “Stand-alone sketches,” Section 19.3.1

The status file (file extension .sta) is generated during an ABAQUS/Standard or ABAQUS/Explicit analysis job and contains information about the progress of the analysis.

• “Degree of freedom monitor requests,” Section 14.5.4

• “Output,” Section 4.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The STandard for the Exchange of Product model data (STEP ISO 10303–1) is a replacement standard for IGES that attempts to overcome some of the shortcomings of IGES. The STEP format is designed to provide computer-interpretable representation of a product throughout its life cycle, independent of any particular system. You can import STEP format parts, and you can export parts in STEP-format. In addition, you can import and export a sketch from a STEP file. For more information, see “Importing parts,” Section 10.7.2; and “Exporting geometry and model data,” Section 10.9.

• “Importing files into and exporting files from ABAQUS/CAE,” Section 10.1

Within a model you define a sequence of one or more analysis steps. The step sequence provides a convenient way to capture changes in the loading and boundary conditions of the model, changes in the way parts of the model interact with each other, and any other changes that may occur in the model during the course of the analysis. In addition, steps allow you to change the analysis procedure, the data output, and various controls. You can also use steps to define linear perturbation analyses about nonlinear base states.

• “What is a step?,” Section 14.3.1

• “Defining a model in ABAQUS,” Section 1.3.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

Step-dependent managers in ABAQUS/CAE contain a list of all of the objects of a certain type that you have created. They are similar to basic managers in that they contain Create, Edit, Copy, Rename, and Delete buttons that you can use to manipulate existing objects and to create new ones. However, unlike basic managers, step-dependent managers contain additional information concerning the history of each object listed in the manager. They also provide buttons that you can use, in some cases, to manipulate the history of each object.

• “What are step-dependent managers?,” Section 3.4.2

Step-dependent objects are objects that you can create and, in some cases, modify and deactivate in particular steps of an analysis. Loads, boundary conditions, and interactions are step-dependent objects.

• “What are step-dependent managers?,” Section 3.4.2

Use the Step module to create and define analysis steps and to request output for each step. You can also use the Step module to specify adaptive meshing as well as contact and general solution controls.

• Chapter 14, “The Step module”

The structured meshing technique generates structured meshes using simple predefined mesh topologies. ABAQUS/CAE transforms the mesh of a regularly shaped region, such as a square or a cube, onto the geometry of the region you want to mesh.

• “Structured meshing and mapped meshing,” Section 17.8

Suppressing a feature temporarily deletes it from an ABAQUS/CAE model and can simplify the appearance of a part or assembly. In addition, suppressing a feature can increase the speed of regeneration. See also resume.

• “Using the Feature Manipulation toolset,” Section 42.1

A surface is a named region that can be defined on the faces or edges of a geometric rigid body or a discrete finite element model. A surface definition can also contain information to distinguish between the positive and negative sides of the surface.

• Chapter 48, “The Set and Surface toolsets”

• “Surfaces: overview,” Section 2.3.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The Surface toolset is a collection of tools that allows you to create and manage surfaces.

• Chapter 48, “The Set and Surface toolsets”

ABAQUS/CAE uses swept meshing to mesh complex extruded or revolved solid regions as well as revolved surface regions. The swept meshing technique involves two phases:

• “Swept meshing,” Section 17.10

An ABAQUS/CAE symbol plot shows the magnitude and direction of a particular vector or tensor variable at a specified step and frame of the analysis. ABAQUS/CAE represents the values as symbols (arrows) drawn at the locations in the model where the results were obtained.

• Chapter 27, “Plotting analysis results as symbols”

When you animate data in multiple viewports in the Visualization module, ABAQUS/CAE synchronizes the animations. Synchronization depends on the time history that you choose. When the time history is frame-based, the animation increments frame by frame; when the time history is time-based, the animation increments along a common time line.

• “Controlling animations in multiple viewports,” Section 33.4.6”

For the sake of organization and convenience, the objects in some ABAQUS/CAE dialog boxes are arranged on separate pages. You can view each page by clicking its labeled tab. Tabs are arranged either horizontally or vertically along the edge of a dialog box.

• “Using dialog boxes separated by tabs,” Section 3.2.6

Text fields are areas in ABAQUS/CAE dialog boxes in which you can enter information. For example, when you create a material, you must enter the name of the material in the Name text field in the Edit Material dialog box.

• “Using basic dialog box components,” Section 3.2.1

A through hole passes completely through a three-dimensional solid object. The path of the hole continues to infinity and cuts the object anywhere it intersects.

• “Adding a cut feature,” Section 11.24

TIFF is a standard bitmap graphics file format commonly used for storage of graphic images. Depending on the display device, the TIFF format provides options to adjust both color and greyscale images and can encode very high-quality images. ABAQUS/CAE allows you to save images of selected viewports in TIFF-format files. ABAQUS/CAE does not compress the data stored in TIFF-format files, and, as a result, the files can consume large amounts of disk space.

• “Printed image formats,” Section 8.1.1

The time history determines the manner in which animated viewports display data. If the time history is frame-based, the animation increments frame by frame; if the time history is time-based, the animation increments along a common time line.

• “Customizing the time history of synchronized viewports,” Section 33.4.7

A time history animation displays a series of plots that vary according to result values over time. See also scale factor animation.

• “Time history animation,” Section 33.1.1

The toolbar is located directly under the ABAQUS/CAE main menu bar. It contains a convenient set of tools for managing your files and for viewing results. Items in the toolbar are shortcuts to functions that are also available from the main menu bar.

• “Components of the toolbar,” Section 2.2.3

Toolboxes are collections of icons that provide quick access to commonly used ABAQUS/CAE functions. The tools available in a toolbox are also available from the main menu bar.

• “Understanding and using toolboxes,” Section 3.3

See view orientation triad or material orientation triad.

Trusses, like beams, are used in two and three dimensions to model slender, rod-like structures. A truss provides axial strength but, unlike beams, it provides no bending stiffness. Truss sections consist of a material name and the cross-sectional area.

• “Defining sections,” Section 12.2.3

If ABAQUS/CAE cannot mesh a solid region automatically using hexahedral elements, that region is considered unmeshable. Unmeshable regions become orange when you enter the Mesh module. An unmeshable region can be made meshable by partitioning or by assigning tetrahedral elements to the region.

• Chapter 17, “The Mesh module”

In ABAQUS/CAE you can save the current position, orientation, and scale factor as one of four user-defined views. You can subsequently apply the view to any viewport. User-defined views are saved for the duration of the session.

• “Saving a user-defined view,” Section 5.5.8

User subroutines are subroutines you write to increase the functionality of several ABAQUS options for which data line usage may be too restrictive. User subroutines are typically written as FORTRAN code.

• “User subroutines and utilities,” Section 13.2 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual

The position, orientation, and scale factor define the view of an object in an ABAQUS/CAE viewport.

• “Understanding the view manipulation tools,” Section 5.2

Each part or assembly is positioned relative to a default Cartesian coordinate system. The orientation of this default coordinate system within a viewport is indicated by the view orientation triad.

• “Customizing the view triad,” Section 5.3

Viewports are areas on the ABAQUS/CAE canvas where you can display models or analysis results. You can create multiple viewports, and they can be moved, resized, and deleted.

• “What is a viewport?,” Section 4.1.1

The Visualization module provides graphical display of finite element models and results. It obtains model and result information from the output database (ODB). Major capabilities of the Visualization module include undeformed and deformed shape plotting, results contour and symbol plotting, X–Y plotting and reporting, field output reporting, plot customization, and animation.

The Visualization module is also licensed separately as ABAQUS/Viewer.

• Chapter 22, “Visualization module basics”

The Virtual Topology toolset includes tools that allow you to ignore small details, such as very small faces and edges, when you mesh a part or a part instance. While these details may be significant for the detailed machining or packaging of a component, they can be redundant in the numerical analysis or may unduly constrain the generation of the mesh.

• Chapter 49, “The Virtual Topology toolset”

A wedge angle is used to define initial curvature of the model when you create a generalized plane strain section. Wedge angles are given about the global 1- and 2-axes at the reference point indicating the reference node required by generalized strain plane elements.

• “Creating generalized plane strain sections,” Section 12.11.2

The work directory is the directory into which ABAQUS/CAE writes files during a session. The work directory is the directory from which you started ABAQUS/CAE unless you specified the directory using FileSet Work Directory. When you are opening or saving a file, an icon at the top of the file selection dialog box provides a shortcut to the work directory.

• “Setting the work directory,” Section 9.7.7“Using file selection dialog boxes,” Section 3.2.10

An X–Y data object is a two-dimensional array that ABAQUS/CAE stores in two columns: an X-column and a Y-column. You can use the Visualization module to display X–Y data in the form of an X–Y plot.

• “What is an X–Y data object, and what is an X–Y plot?,” Section 29.1.1

An X–Y plot is a two-axis graph of one variable versus another. ABAQUS/CAE can display X–Y data objects in the form of an X–Y plot.

• Chapter 29, “X–Y plotting”

An X–Y report is a tabular listing of X and Y data values. ABAQUS/CAE can generate an X–Y report from the data contained in X–Y objects.

• Chapter 35, “Generating tabular data reports”