Odb commands

The Odb commands do the following:

  • Determine if an output database (.odb) file needs to be upgraded to the current release.

  • Determine the extreme value for an output variable over a number of fields; for example, over a number of load cases.

  • Open an existing output database file and create a new Odb object.

  • Upgrade an output database file to the current release and write the upgraded output database to a new file.

The following topics are discussed:

isUpgradeRequiredForOdb

This method determines if an output database file needs to be upgraded to the current release.

You can access this method using either of the following techniques:

  • From a script running outside Abaqus/CAE. For example, 

    import odbAccess
needsUpgrade = odbAccess.isUpgradeRequiredForOdb(
    upgradeRequiredOdbPath='myOdb.odb')

  • From the Visualization module in Abaqus/CAE. For example, 

    import visualization
needsUpgrade = session.isUpgradeRequiredForOdb(
    upgradeRequiredOdbPath='myOdb.odb')

Required arguments

upgradeRequiredOdbPath

An String specifying the path to an output database file to test. The test determines if the output database needs to be upgraded to the current release.

Optional arguments

None.

Return value

A Boolean indicating the result of the test. A value of True indicates that the output database needs to be upgraded to the current release.

Exceptions

None.

maxEnvelope

Retrieve the maximum value of an output variable over a number of fields.

Required arguments

The maxEnvelope method does not use keyword arguments.

Argument
A list of similar fieldOutput objects from which the maximum value will be computed.
A SymbolicConstant specifying the invariant or component label to be used when comparing vectors or tensors. Possible values are:

  • MAGNITUDE

  • MISES

  • TRESCA

  • PRESS

  • INV3

  • MAX_PRINCIPAL

  • MID_PRINCIPAL

  • MIN_PRINCIPAL

You must provide either this argument or the following argument if the field is a vector or tensor.

A String specifying the component of the tensor or vector to be used for selecting the maximum value.

Optional arguments

None.

Return value

A sequence of two fieldOutput objects. The first fieldOutput object contains the maximum value. The second fieldOutput object contains the index of the field containing the maximum value. The index follows the order in which fields are positioned in the list of fieldOutput objects provided as the argument to the function.

Exceptions

OdbError

TypeError

This function takes no keyword arguments.

minEnvelope

Retrieve the minimum value of an output variable over a number of fields.

Required arguments

The minEnvelope method does not use keyword arguments.

Argument
A list of similar fieldOutput objects from which the maximum value will be computed.
A SymbolicConstant specifying the invariant or component label to be used when comparing vectors or tensors. Possible values are:

  • MAGNITUDE

  • MISES

  • TRESCA

  • PRESS

  • INV3

  • MAX_PRINCIPAL

  • MID_PRINCIPAL

  • MIN_PRINCIPAL

You must provide either this argument or the following argument if the field is a vector or tensor.

A String specifying the component of the tensor or vector to be used for selecting the minimum value.

Optional arguments

None.

Return value

A sequence of two fieldOutput objects. The first fieldOutput object contains the minimum value. The second fieldOutput object contains the index of the field containing the minimum value. The index follows the order in which fields are positioned in the list of fieldOutput objects provided as the argument to the function.

Exceptions

OdbError

TypeError

This function takes no keyword arguments.

openOdb

This method opens an existing output database (.odb) file and creates a new Odb object. You typically execute this method outside of Abaqus/CAE when, in most cases, only one output database is open at any time. For example, 

import odbAccess
shockLoadOdb = odbAccess.openOdb(path='myOdb.odb')

Required arguments

path

A String specifying the path to an existing output database (.odb) file.

Optional arguments

readOnly

A Boolean specifying whether the file will permit only read access or both read and write access. The initial value is False, indicating that both read and write access will be permitted.

readInternalSets

A Boolean specifying whether the file will permit access to sets specified as Internal on the database. The initial value is False, indicating that internal sets will not be read.

Return value

An Odb object.

Exceptions

If the output database was generated by a previous release of Abaqus and needs upgrading:

OdbError: The database is from a previous release of Abaqus. Run abaqus upgrade -job <newFilename> -odb <oldFileName> to upgrade it.

If the output database was generated by a newer release of Abaqus, and the installation of Abaqus needs upgrading:

OdbError: Abaqus installation must be upgraded before this output database can be opened.

openOdb

This method opens an existing output database (.odb) file and creates a new Odb object. This method is accessed only via the session object inside Abaqus/CAE and adds the new Odb object to the session.odbs repository. This method allows you to open multiple output databases at the same time and to use the repository key to specify a particular output database. For example, 

import visualization
session.openOdb(name='myOdb', path='stress.odb', readOnly=True)

Required arguments

name

A String specifying the repository key. If thename is not the same as thepath to the output database (.odb) file, the path must be specified as well. Additionally, to support backwards compatibility of the interface, if the name parameter is omitted, the path and name will be presumed to be the same.

Optional arguments

path

A String specifying the path to an existing output database (.odb) file.

readOnly

A Boolean specifying whether the file will permit only read access or both read and write access. The initial value is TRUE when the output database file is opened from Abaqus/CAE, indicating that only read access will be permitted.

Return value

An Odb object.

Exceptions

If the output database was generated by a previous release of Abaqus and needs upgrading:

OdbError: The database is from a previous release of Abaqus.

Run abaqus upgrade -job <newFilename> -odb <oldFileName> to upgrade it.

If the output database was generated by a newer release of Abaqus, and the installation of Abaqus needs upgrading:

OdbError: Abaqus installation must be upgraded before this

output database can be opened.

If the file is not a valid database:

AbaqusError: Cannot open file <filename>.

upgradeOdb

This method upgrades an existing Odb object to the current release and writes the upgraded version of the Odb object to a file. In addition, Abaqus/CAE writes information about the status of the upgrade to a log (*.log) file.

You can access this method using either of the following techniques:

  • From a script running outside Abaqus/CAE. For example,

    import odbAccess
odbAccess.upgradeOdb(existingOdbPath='oldOdb', 
    upgradedOdbPath='upgradedOdb')

  • From the session object in Abaqus/CAE. For example, 

    import visualization
session.upgradeOdb(existingOdbPath='oldOdb', 
    upgradedOdbPath='upgradedOdb')

Required arguments

existingOdbPath

An String specifying the path to the file containing the output database to be upgraded.

upgradedOdbPath

An String specifying the path to the file that will contain the upgraded output database.

Optional arguments

None.

Return value

None.

Exceptions

If the output database upgrade fails:

OdbError: cannot convert database