You can enter the Visualization module at any time during an ABAQUS/CAE session by clicking Visualization in the Module list located under the toolbar. The Result, Plot, Animate, Report, Options, and Tools menus appear on the main menu bar; and the title bar of the current viewport displays the name of the current output database, if one exists.

You can also enter the Visualization module by opening an existing output database. To open an output database, select FileOpen from the main menu bar (for more information, see “Opening a model database or an output database,” Section 9.7.2) or click Results in the Job Manager when results are available for a selected job. When you use one of these methods to enter the Visualization module, ABAQUS/CAE displays a plot of the model from the output database in the current viewport.

To exit the Visualization module, select any other module from the Module list, or end the session by selecting FileExit from the main menu bar. When you end the session, ABAQUS/CAE closes all files and windows. ABAQUS saves your plot options only for the duration of the session.