Orienting the geometry read in from the template model

You use the Orientations tabbed page to specify how the template fastener construct is oriented at each attachment point. The template model is rotated into the main model and oriented such that the global coordinate system of the template model aligns with the coordinate system you specify. The default is to orient the template model copies such that the positive Z-axis of the global coordinate system of the template model aligns with the normal vector of the first surface at every attachment point. This default orientation from the first surface normal creates a Z-axis alignment at every attachment point. The X-axis is then computed by projecting the global X-axis onto the surface. When the global X-axis is parallel to the normal or to the Z-axis alignment, then the X-axis is computed by projecting the global Y-axis onto the surface. Further, the Y-axis is computed by taking the cross product of the normal and the computed X-axis.

  1. From the Edit Fasteners dialog box, display the Orientations tabbed page.

  2. Choose the orientation option that Abaqus/CAE will use to orient the fastener template at each attachment point.

    • Choose Compute orientation based on first surface normal (default) to orient the fastener geometry such that the global coordinate system of the template model aligns with the normal vector of the first assignment surface in the main model.

      You can toggle on Flip normal direction to reverse the direction, if desired.

    • Choose Specify uniform CSYS to orient the fastener geometry with a coordinate system that you choose. Click (Edit) to select from the existing datum coordinate systems in your main model. The default is to use the global coordinate system of the main model. Click (Create Datum CSYS) to create a new coordinate system.

  3. If desired, toggle on Display orientation direction at attachment points to show orientation triads at the attachment point of each assembled fastener. These visualization options are not available until you have selected the control point set and made the first surface assignment. Choose either of the following suboptions:

    • Toggle on Display only the normal direction to remove the 1-axis and the 2-axis from the triads, leaving only the surface normal vector.

    • Toggle on Include template model surfaces every x points to display sketched outlines of the constraint surfaces from the template model. Adjust the number x up or down to show the surfaces at every attachment point, every other point, every third point, etc. The surfaces will be color-coded according to the colors shown on this tabbed page and in the Constraint Surface Substitutions table on the Surfaces tabbed page.

      This option is helpful for positioning and orienting the template model correctly. If your template model surfaces are too large, however (relative to the main model dimensions), the resulting display may be too crowded. You may wish to go back and resize the surfaces in your template model if this is the case.