You can use the Query toolset to obtain element data and results. As you position the cursor over an element in the model plot in the current viewport, Abaqus/CAE highlights the element. You can choose to display the following information about the element in the data table:
the element's label,
the element's connectivity, and
the current field output variable (including component values, if the current field output variable is a tensor or vector quantity).
You can also obtain an element's data by entering its element label directly, and you can obtain data for all the elements included in a selected display group. These methods enable you to probe element data without positioning the cursor over its location in the model plot.
Only exterior elements can be queried. If necessary, you can create a display group or use a view cut to reveal otherwise unavailable interior elements. For more information, see Chapter 77, “Using display groups to display subsets of your model.”
To help locate elements in the viewport, you may want to produce a model plot with all element edges visible before using the Query toolset. For more information, see “Controlling element and surface edge visibility,” Section 54.3.1.
To probe elements:
Locate the Probe Values dialog box.
In the Visualization module toolbox, click 
. The Probe Values dialog box appears.
Select the step, frame, and field output variable for which Abaqus/CAE will obtain values.
In the Probe Values dialog box, the Field Output field identifies the current step, frame, and field output variable.
To change the step or frame, click 
.
To change the field output variable, click 
.
To change the result options, select Result
Options from the main menu bar.
In the Probe Values portion of the dialog box, do the following:
Click the Probe arrow, and select Elements.
If the current primary output variable is a tensor or vector variable, click the Components arrow and do either of the following:
For tensor variables choose Selected to display only the selected component of the variable, All Direct to include all direct components of the tensor variable in the query, or All Principal to include all principal invariants of the tensor variable in the query.
For vector variables choose Selected to display only the selected component of the variable or All to include all components of the vector tensor variable in the query.
To choose the output position at which a field output variable is displayed, click the Position arrow and select Integration Pt, Centroid, Element Nodal, or Element Face.
The types of element information available are displayed in the columns of the data table.
Click mouse button 3 anywhere in the data table, select Edit Visible Columns from the list that appears, and toggle on the element information types that you want to display as columns in the data table.
When a desired information type is toggled on, Abaqus/CAE displays that type of data as a column in the data table. However, all columns, visible or not, are included in the probe values output file.
Note: Field output is available only if the current primary variable is an element-based variable, such as stress or strain.
To select the elements that you want to probe, choose Select from viewport, Key-in label, or Select a display group, and use one of the following techniques:
Select the elements directly from the viewport:
Move the cursor to probe the model plot in the current viewport.
As you position the cursor over an element, Abaqus/CAE displays the values of the items you have requested in the first row of the data table in the Probe Values dialog box.
To select and accumulate values of interest, and to allow subsequent writing of these values to a file, click mouse button 1 while positioning the cursor over an element.
Abaqus/CAE stores the data from the first row of the data table into the storage rows of the data table.
Enter the element labels directly into the table:
Click the Part instance arrow, and select the part instance from which you want to select element labels.
Enter the element label or labels. You can specify multiple element labels at the same time by separating them with commas.
Select the elements included in a display group:
Click the Display group arrow, and select the display group containing the elements that you want to include in your query.
Note: If you change your selection of display group, Abaqus/CAE replaces the contents of the data table with elements from the newly selected display group. If you want to append additional elements to your list, you must select them from the viewport or key them in by element label.
Repeat the element selection steps until the data table in the Probe Values dialog box includes all the elements you want to query.
To delete data from the data table or to clear or sort the table, click mouse button 3. For more information, see “Entering tabular data,” Section 3.2.7.
To create a display group using the elements in the data table, do the following:
Click mouse button 3 in the data table, and select Create Display Group from the menu that appears.
The Create Display Group dialog box appears.
Enter a name for the new display group, and click OK.
To save the data you have selected, click Write to File. For more information, see Chapter 53, “Generating tabular data reports.”
To exit probe mode, do one of the following:
Click the cancel 
button in the prompt area.
Click Cancel in the Probe Values dialog box.
Click mouse button 2.
Produce a plot in some other (e.g. undeformed, deformed) mode.
