To partition cells using the datum plane method:

From the main menu bar, select ToolsPartition.

The Create Partition dialog box appears. ABAQUS/CAE displays prompts in the prompt area to guide you through the procedure.

Tip:  You can also use the datum plane method to partition cells using the tool, located with the partition cell tools in the module toolbox. For a diagram of the partition tools in the toolbox, see “Using the Partition toolset,” Section 44.2.

From the Type radio buttons at the top of the dialog box, choose Cell.

The Method list displays the methods that you can use to partition a cell.

From the list of methods, select Use datum plane and click Apply.

If the part or assembly contains more than one cell, select the cells to partition. You can use a combination of drag select, [Shift]+Click, and [Ctrl]+Click to select more than one cell to partition.

Tip:  If you are unable to select the desired cells, you can change the selection behavior by clicking the selection options tool in the prompt area. For more information, see “Using the selection options,” Section 6.3.

ABAQUS/CAE highlights the selected cell.

Select an existing datum plane. If a datum plane does not exist in the desired location, create the datum using the Datum toolset.

ABAQUS/CAE highlights the selected datum plane.

In the prompt area, click Create Partition.

ABAQUS/CAE creates the partition.