Using the extended face method to partition cells

You can partition selected cells by extending another face until it cuts through the selected cells.

Related Topics
Partitioning techniques
Methods for partitioning cells

Context:

Extending a face is analogous to creating an infinite plane that is coincident with the face. Abaqus/CAE creates a partition wherever this infinite plane slices the cells that you are partitioning, as shown in the following figure:

If the infinite plane cannot intersect the cells, Abaqus/CAE displays an error message. The extended face need not belong to the same part as the cells to be partitioned; for example, in the Assembly module you can partition the cell of one part instance by extending the face of a second.

  1. 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.

  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.

  3. From the list of methods, select Extend face.

  4. If the part or assembly contains more than one cell, select the cells to partition. You can use a combination of drag select, ShiftClick, and CtrlClick to select more than one cell to partition.

    Tip: If you are unable to select the desired cells, you can use the Selection toolbar to change the selection behavior. For more information, see Using the selection options.

    Abaqus/CAE highlights the selected cell.

  5. Select the face that will be extended to create the desired partition.

    Abaqus/CAE highlights the selected faces.

    Tip: If you are unable to select the desired faces, you can use the Selection toolbar to change the selection behavior. For more information, see Using the selection options.

  6. In the prompt area, click Create Partition.

    Abaqus/CAE creates the partition.