ACIS is a library of solid modeling functions developed by Spatial, and most CAD products can generate ACIS-format parts. You can import ACIS-format parts, and you can export parts or the assembly in ACIS format. In addition, you can import and export a sketch from an ACIS file. For more information, see “Importing parts from an ACIS-format file,” Section 10.7.4; “Importing sketches,” Section 10.7.1; and “Exporting geometry and model data,” Section 10.9.

CATIA is a CAD/CAM/CAE software package marketed by IBM and Dassault Systèmes. You can import CATIA-format parts. You can also import an entire CATIA V4 assembly into the ABAQUS/CAE assembly, or you can choose to import only selected part instances. For more information, see “Importing a part from a CATIA V4-format file,” Section 10.7.5; and “Importing an assembly from a CATIA V4-format file,” Section 10.7.13. You cannot export parts from ABAQUS/CAE in CATIA format.

A translator plug-in is available for CATIA V5 that will generate a geometry file using the Elysium Neutral File (.enf*) format. You can use Elysium Neutral Files to import CATIA V5 parts. In addition, you can use Elysium Neutral Files to import an entire CATIA V5 assembly into the ABAQUS/CAE assembly, or you can choose to import only selected part instances. For more information, see “Importing a part from an Elysium Neutral file,” Section 10.7.6. You cannot export parts or assemblies from ABAQUS/CAE in Elysium Neutral File format.

ABAQUS provides a translator plug-in for I-DEAS that will generate a geometry file using the Elysium Neutral File (.enf) format. You can use Elysium Neutral Files to import I-DEAS parts. In addition, you can use Elysium Neutral Files to import an entire I-DEAS assembly into the ABAQUS/CAE assembly, or you can choose to import only selected part instances For more information, see “Importing a part from an Elysium Neutral file,” Section 10.7.6. You cannot export parts or assemblies from ABAQUS/CAE in Elysium Neutral File format.

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. For more information, see “Importing a part from an IGES-format file,” Section 10.7.7; “Importing sketches,” Section 10.7.1; and “Exporting geometry and model data,” Section 10.9.

The IGES-format allows for many interpretations, and most of the parts that you import into ABAQUS/CAE using IGES-format will need to be repaired before you can use them. Thus, it is recommended that you try to use another format, if possible.

Parasolid is a library of solid modeling functions developed by UGS. A variety of CAD products can generate Parasolid-format parts, such as NX, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, FEMAP, and MSC.Patran. You can import Parasolid-format parts. You can also import an entire Parasolid assembly into the ABAQUS/CAE assembly, or you can choose to import only selected part instances. For more information, see “Importing a part from a Parasolid-format file,” Section 10.7.9; and “Importing an assembly from a Parasolid-format file,” Section 10.7.15. You cannot export parts or assemblies from ABAQUS/CAE in Parasolid format.

ABAQUS provides a translator plug-in for Pro/ENGINEER that will generate a geometry file using the Elysium Neutral File (.enf) format. You can use Elysium Neutral Files to import Pro/ENGINEER parts. In addition, you can use Elysium Neutral Files to import an entire Pro/ENGINEER assembly into the ABAQUS/CAE assembly, or you can choose to import only selected part instances. For more information, see “Importing a part from an Elysium Neutral file,” Section 10.7.6 and “Importing an assembly from an Elysium Neutral file,” Section 10.7.14. You cannot export parts or assemblies from ABAQUS/CAE in Elysium Neutral File format.

The STandard for the Exchange of Product model data (STEP ISO 10303–1) is designed as a high-level replacement for IGES that attempts to overcome some of the shortcomings of IGES. The STEP AP203 standard is designed to provide a computer-interpretable representation of a mechanical 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 a part from a STEP-format file,” Section 10.7.10; and “Exporting geometry and model data,” Section 10.9.

STEP-format parts are similar to IGES-format parts in that most of the parts that you import into ABAQUS/CAE using STEP-format will need to be repaired before you can use them. Thus, it is recommended that you try to use another format, if possible.

The Verband der Automobilindustrie Flachën Schnittstelle (VDA-FS) surface data format is a geometry standard developed by the German automotive industry. Both VDA-FS and IGES files contain a mathematical representation of the part in an ASCII format; however, the VDA-FS standard concentrates on geometry information. Additional information covered by the IGES standard, such as dimensions, text, and colors, is not stored in a VDA-FS file.

You can import VDA-FS-format parts, and you can export parts in VDA-FS format. For more information, see “Importing a part from a VDA-FS-format file,” Section 10.7.11; and “Exporting geometry and model data,” Section 10.9.

VDA-FS format parts are similar to IGES-format parts in that most of the parts that you import into ABAQUS/CAE using VDA-FS format will need to be repaired before you can use them. Thus, it is recommended that you try to use another format, if possible.

Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) is the ISO standard for displaying three-dimensional images in a web browser or a stand-alone VRML client. It is an open, platform-independent, vector-based, three-dimensional modeling language that encodes computer-generated graphics to allow them to be shared easily across a network. VRML-format files can be many times smaller than typical model database files. A special plug-in viewer, such as Cortona or Cosmo, is required to view VRML files.

You can export viewport data from ABAQUS/CAE in VRML format or compressed VRML format. For more information, see “Exporting viewport data to a VRML-format file,” Section 10.9.4.

Two-dimensional profiles stored in AutoCAD (.dxf) files can be imported as stand-alone sketches. However, ABAQUS/CAE supports only a limited number of AutoCAD entities, and you should use this format only if no other formats are available. For more information and details on the AutoCAD entities supported by ABAQUS/CAE, see “Importing sketches,” Section 10.7.1.

An output database contains the data generated during an ABAQUS/Standard or ABAQUS/Explicit analysis. You can import parts 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. If the output database contains multiple part instances, you can select the part instances to import. ABAQUS/CAE imports each part instance as a separate orphan mesh part. You can import either the undeformed or the deformed shape. If you import the deformed shape, you can specify the step and the frame from which to import.

To verify the quality of the orphan mesh, you can display the orphan mesh part in the Mesh module and select MeshVerify from the main menu bar. In addition, you can use the Mesh module to change the element type assigned to the mesh and to edit the original mesh definition. For more information, see “Importing a part from an output database,” Section 10.7.12; “What can I do with the Edit Mesh toolset?,” Section 41.1; and “Assigning ABAQUS element types,” Section 17.5.

You can also import a model from an output database. The model that is imported will contain orphan mesh parts representing each of the undeformed part instances in the output database along with an orphan mesh representation of the undeformed assembly. The model will also contain any sets, surfaces, materials, section definitions, and beam profiles that were defined in the output database. For more information, see “Importing a model from an output database,” Section 10.5.2.

ABAQUS/CAE generates an input file when you submit a job for analysis. You can import input files into ABAQUS/CAE. ABAQUS/CAE translates the keywords and data lines in the imported input file into a new model; however, a limited set of ABAQUS/Standard and ABAQUS/Explicit keywords is supported, as described in “Importing a model from an ABAQUS/Standard or an ABAQUS/Explicit input file,” Section 10.5.1. For more information on creating and submitting jobs, see “Basic steps for analyzing a model,” Section 18.2.1.