ABAQUS/CAE is divided into functional units called modules. Each module contains only those tools that are relevant to a specific portion of the modeling task. For example, the Mesh module contains only the tools needed to create finite element meshes, while the Job module contains only the tools used to create, edit, submit, and monitor analysis jobs. ABAQUS/Viewer is a subset of ABAQUS/CAE that contains only the Visualization module.
You can select a module from the Module list in the context bar. Alternatively. you can select a module by switching to the context of a selected object in the Model Tree; for more information, see “An overview of the Model Tree,” Section 3.5.1. The order of the modules in the menu and in the Model Tree corresponds to the logical sequence you follow to create a model. In many circumstances you must follow this natural progression to complete a modeling task; for example, you must create parts before you create an assembly. Although the order of the modules follows a logical sequence, ABAQUS/CAE allows you to select any module at any time, regardless of the state of your model.
The following list of the modules available within ABAQUS/CAE briefly describes the modeling tasks you can perform in each module. The order of the modules in the list corresponds to the order of the modules in the context bar's Module list and in the Model Tree:
Part
Create individual parts by sketching or importing their geometry. For more information, see Chapter 11, “The Part module.”
Property
Create section and material definitions and assign them to regions of parts. For more information, see Chapter 12, “The Property module.”
Assembly
Create and assemble part instances. For more information, see Chapter 13, “The Assembly module.”
Step
Create and define the analysis steps and associated output requests. For more information, see Chapter 14, “The Step module.”
Interaction
Specify the interactions, such as contact, between regions of a model. For more information, see Chapter 15, “The Interaction module.”
Load
Specify loads, boundary conditions, and fields. For more information, see Chapter 16, “The Load module.”
Mesh
Create a finite element mesh. For more information, see Chapter 17, “The Mesh module.”
Job
Submit a job for analysis and monitor its progress. For more information, see Chapter 18, “The Job module.”
Visualization
View analysis results. For more information, see Part V, “Viewing results.”
Sketch
Create two-dimensional sketches. For more information, see Chapter 19, “The Sketch module.”
Modules can be classified by the objects that are displayed in the viewport. Parts are displayed when you are in the Part and Property modules; the assembly is displayed when you are in the Assembly, Step, Interaction, Load, Mesh, and Job modules; and output database results are displayed when you are in the Visualization module.
The contents of the main window change as you move between modules. Selecting a module from the Module list on the context bar or by switching to the context of a selected object in the Model Tree causes the context bar, module toolbox, and menu bar to change to reflect the functionality of the current module.
When you move between modules, ABAQUS/CAE associates the current viewport with the module you select. You can have multiple viewports, and different viewports can be associated with different modules. As you select a viewport and make it current, the module associated with the viewport becomes the current module. For more information on moving between viewports, see “Selecting viewports,” Section 4.3.2.
