Available customization options

Many options are available to customize how your model appears in undeformed, deformed, contour, symbol, and material orientation plots.

Abaqus/CAE provides the following customization options:

Render style

Render style is the style in which Abaqus/CAE displays your model. Render style is a plot state–independent option; that is, you set it once for all undeformed, deformed, contour, symbol, and material orientation plots. However, you can set a different value of render style for use with the undeformed shape in a superimposed plot. Render style choices include wireframe, filled, hidden, and lightsource-shaded. For more information, see Customizing render style, translucency, and fill color.

Element and surface edge style and visibility

Edge style is the line style and thickness of element and surface edges; edge visibility is the extent to which Abaqus/CAE displays these edges. Edge style and visibility options are plot state–independent, but you can set them differently for use with the undeformed shape in a superimposed plot. For more information, see Customizing element and surface edges.

Element and surface edge color

You can control the overall color of element and surface edges using the plot state–independent Color & Style options. In addition, you can customize the edge color of individual elements and surfaces using the plot state–independent Color Code dialog box. By default, the color code selections override the overall colors. For more information on overall edge coloring, see Selecting overall element and surface edge color. To learn more about individual item edge coloring, see Customizing the display color of individual objects. Individual item edge coloring applies only to wireframe and hidden render style plots.

Element face and surface fill color

You can control the overall fill color of element faces and surfaces using the plot state–independent Color & Style options. In addition, you can customize the face color of individual elements using the plot state–independent Color Code dialog box. By default, the color code selections override the overall colors. For more information on overall fill color, see Selecting overall fill color. To learn more about individual item color filling, see Customizing the display color of individual objects. Individual item fill coloring applies only to filled and shaded render style plots.

Model labels and node symbols

You can change the visibility and customize the color and font of element, node, and face labels and the color and style of node symbols. All these options are plot state–independent. For more information, see Customizing model labels.

Element and surface normals

You can choose to display arrows representing the element or surface normals in the model. The arrows are visible in all plot states, and you can control the arrow size, color, and arrowhead style. For more information, see Displaying element and surface normals.

Display body appearance

You can customize the render style; edge visibility, color, and style; fill color; scaling; and translucency for all display bodies in your model. These options are plot state–independent when applied to display bodies. For more information, see Customizing the appearance of display bodies.

Camera movement

You can select a coordinate system and match the motion of that coordinate system with the camera. You can also make the camera follow the rotation of the selected coordinate system. If you are using the camera in movie mode, you can also position the camera in the model at the origin of the coordinate system. For more information, see Customizing camera movement.

Entity display

You can control the display of symbols representing various model entities, including boundary conditions, connectors, coordinate systems, and point elements. Entity display options are plot state–independent. For more information, see Controlling the display of model entities.

Constraints display

You can control the display of analysis constraints that were applied in the Interaction module; for example, tie constraints or kinematic coupling constraints. For more information, see Controlling the display of constraints in the Visualization module.

General model display options

Abaqus/CAE offers several other plot state–independent general model display options. These options include: