Contact output data for non-kinematic scalar output variables such as CPRESS, CSHEAR1, and CSHEAR2 are consolidated from all continuum-element-based surfaces into a single data set. Data for overlapping surfaces are summed. If contact output is requested for membrane or shell elements, the data for the SPOS and SNEG surfaces are contained in separate data sets. When contact surfaces are double-sided or node-based, separate contact output data sets are created for each contact surface pair.

The variable names that appear in ABAQUS/CAE for each data set indicate the regions to which the contact output applies. For example, a CPRESS data set for an individual contact surface pair (for a double-sided or node-based contact surface) is named CPRESS SLAVE NAME/MASTER NAME; a data set for contact on the SPOS side of a membrane or shell surface is named CPRESS SPOS, and the SNEG data set is named CPRESS SNEG; and all other surface variable output is named CPRESS.

When visualizing consolidated contact surface data, it is a good idea to set the averaging threshold to 0 to suppress averaging between adjacent surfaces (see “Controlling result averaging,” Section 24.5.6, for more information on the averaging options).

Contact output data for any individual contact surface pair, without summed contributions from other contact pairs, are accessible using the Create Field Output dialog box or the ABAQUS Scripting Interface to the output database; these data sets have names of the form CPRESS SLAVE NAME/MASTER NAME.

Because CPRESS, CSHEAR1, and CSHEAR2 are associated with particular surfaces defined in the model, the surfaces must be included in the current display group when these output variable results are probed. These variables can be probed only at the nodes.