Importing a part from an output database

Select FileImportPart from the main menu bar to import part instances stored in an output database in the form of mesh parts. 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 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.

Related Topics
Using file selection dialog boxes
Using the File menu
Editing techniques

Context:

To verify the quality of the mesh, you can display the 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 What can I do with the Edit Mesh toolset?, and Assigning Abaqus element types.

  1. From the main menu bar, select FileImportPart.

    The Import Part dialog box appears.

  2. From the File Filter menu at the bottom of the Import Part dialog box, select Output Database (*.odb).

    Abaqus/CAE lists all the files in the selected directory with an .odb file extension.

  3. Select the output database containing the part to import, and click OK.

    The Create Part from Output Database dialog box appears. The dialog box lists each part instance in the output database along with its type (deformable body or discrete rigid surface).

  4. From the dialog box, select the instances to import.

  5. If you selected only a single part instance, Abaqus/CAE uses the name of the instance to name the resulting part, although you can change the name if desired. In contrast, if you selected more than one part instance to import, Abaqus/CAE uses the name of each instance to name each part and you cannot change their names.

    Abaqus/CAE determines the modeling space (three-dimensional, two-dimensional, or axisymmetric) of the part instances. You cannot change the modeling space or the type.

  6. By default, Abaqus/CAE imports the undeformed configuration of the parts. To import the deformed parts, click Import deformed configuration. Select the step and frame containing the deformed shape from the available steps and frames in the output database.

    When importing deformed parts, the deformations are read from the field output variable U, if available; otherwise, the deformations are read from the field output variable UT.

  7. Click OK to import the orphan mesh from the output database and to close the dialog box.

  8. If the name that you entered is the same as the name of an existing part in the model, Abaqus/CAE asks if you want to overwrite the existing part or replace the mesh.

    If you choose to replace the mesh, Abaqus/CAE replaces the nodes and elements of the existing part with the nodes and elements of the imported orphan mesh. Sets and section assignments that referred to the original part are maintained. However, because the sets and section assignments refer to node and element numbers, the mesh of the imported part should be similar to the mesh of the original part. For example, you could replace the undeformed mesh with the deformed mesh.

    Abaqus/CAE enters the Part module, the imported part replaces the contents of the current viewport, and the part appears in the model's list of parts in the context bar.