1.2 Abaqus products

Individual components of the Abaqus suite are described in this section.


Analysis

Abaqus/Standard: This general-purpose finite element analysis program includes all analysis capabilities except nonlinear dynamic analysis using explicit time integration—provided in the Abaqus/Explicit program—and the add-on analysis functionality described below.

Abaqus/Explicit: This product provides nonlinear, transient, dynamic analysis of solids and structures using explicit time integration. Its powerful contact capabilities, reliability, and computational efficiency on large models also make it highly effective for quasi-static applications involving discontinuous nonlinear behavior.

Abaqus/CFD: This product is a computational fluid dynamics program with extensive support for preprocessing, simulation, and postprocessing in Abaqus/CAE. Abaqus/CFD provides scalable parallel CFD simulation capabilities to address a number of nonlinear coupled fluid-thermal and fluid-structural problems.


Preprocessing and postprocessing

Abaqus/CAE: This product is a Complete Abaqus Environment that provides a simple, consistent interface for creating, submitting, monitoring, and evaluating results from Abaqus simulations. Abaqus/CAE is divided into modules, where each module defines a logical aspect of the modeling process; for example, defining the geometry, defining material properties, generating a mesh, submitting analysis jobs, and interpreting results.

Abaqus/Viewer: This subset of Abaqus/CAE contains only the postprocessing capabilities of the Visualization module. It uses the output database (.odb) to obtain results from the analysis products. The output database is a neutral binary file. Therefore, results from an Abaqus analysis run on any platform can be viewed on any other platform supporting Abaqus/Viewer. It provides deformed configuration, contour, vector, and X–Y plots, as well as animation of results.


Add-on analysis

Abaqus/Aqua: This add-on analysis capability for Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit provides a capability for calculating drag and buoyancy loads based on steady current, wave, and wind effects for modeling offshore piping and floating platform structures. Abaqus/Aqua is applicable for structures that can be idealized using line elements, including beam, pipe, and truss elements.

Abaqus/Design: This add-on analysis capability for Abaqus/Standard allows the user to perform design sensitivity analysis (DSA). The derivatives of output variables are calculated with respect to specified design parameters.

Abaqus/CAE Topology Optimization Module: This capability is available in Abaqus/CAE to perform shape and topology optimization. This functionality requires an additional license to submit an optimization process for analysis.

Abaqus/Foundation: This analysis option offers more efficient access to the linear static and dynamic analysis functionality in Abaqus/Standard.

CZone for Abaqus: This add-on capability for Abaqus/Explicit provides access to a state-of-the-art methodology for crush simulation based on CZone technology from Engenuity, Ltd. Targeted toward the design of composite components and assemblies, CZone for Abaqus provides for inclusion of material crush behavior in simulations of composite structures subjected to impact.


Optional analysis functionality

Abaqus/AMS: This add-on analysis capability for Abaqus/Standard allows the user to select the automatic multi-level substructuring (AMS) eigensolver when performing a natural frequency extraction.

Co-simulation with MpCCI: This add-on analysis capability for Abaqus can be used to solve multiphysics problems by coupling Abaqus with any third-party analysis program that supports the MpCCI interface.

Co-simulation with MADYMO: This add-on analysis capability for Abaqus/Explicit can be used to perform vehicle-occupant crash safety simulations by coupling Abaqus/Explicit with MADYMO.


Interfaces

Abaqus Interface for Moldflow: This optional interface translates finite element model information from a Moldflow analysis to an Abaqus input file.

Abaqus Interface for MSC.ADAMS: This optional interface allows Abaqus finite element models to be included as flexible components within the MSC.ADAMS family of products. The interface is based on the component mode synthesis formulation of ADAMS/Flex. Specifically, flexibility data from Abaqus superelements are translated to the modal neutral (.mnf) file format required by the ADAMS/Flex product. Although the ADAMS/Flex interface supports only linear flexibility data, the Abaqus user may include an arbitrary number of preloading steps before the linear flexibility data are obtained. Multiple flexible components generated by Abaqus can be included in an MSC.ADAMS model. Most Abaqus structural elements are supported by the interface.


Associative interfaces and geometry translators

CATIA V5 Associative Interface: This add-on capability for Abaqus/CAE creates a connection between a CATIA V5 session and an Abaqus/CAE session. This connection can be used to transfer model information from CATIA V5 to Abaqus/CAE. Subsequent modifications to the model in CATIA V5 can be propagated to the Abaqus/CAE model while retaining any analysis features (such as loads or boundary conditions) that were defined on the model in Abaqus/CAE. The geometry of CATIA V5-format Part (.CATPart) and Product (.CATProduct) files can also be imported directly into Abaqus/CAE.

SolidWorks Associative Interface: This add-on capability for Abaqus/CAE creates a connection between a SolidWorks session and an Abaqus/CAE session. This connection can be used to transfer model information from SolidWorks to Abaqus/CAE. Subsequent modifications to the model in SolidWorks can be propagated to the Abaqus/CAE model while retaining any analysis features (such as loads or boundary conditions) that were defined on the model in Abaqus/CAE.

Pro/ENGINEER Associative Interface: This add-on capability for Abaqus/CAE creates a connection between a Pro/ENGINEER session and an Abaqus/CAE session. This connection can be used to transfer model information between Pro/ENGINEER and Abaqus/CAE. Modifications to the model in Pro/ENGINEER can be propagated to the Abaqus/CAE model without affecting any analysis features (such as loads or boundary conditions) that were defined on the model in Abaqus/CAE, and certain geometric modifications can be made in Abaqus/CAE and propagated to the model in Pro/ENGINEER.

Abaqus/CAE Associative Interface for NX: This add-on capability for Abaqus/CAE creates a connection between an NX session and an Abaqus/CAE session. This connection can be used to transfer model data and to propagate design changes between NX and Abaqus/CAE. The Abaqus/CAE Associative Interface for NX can be purchased and downloaded from Elysium Inc. (www.elysiuminc.com).

Geometry Translator for CATIA V4: This add-on capability allows the user to import the geometry of CATIA V4-format parts and CATIA V4 assemblies (.model, .catdata, and .exp files) directly into Abaqus/CAE.

Geometry Translator for Parasolid: This add-on capability allows the user to import the geometry of Parasolid-format parts and Parasolid assemblies (.x_t, .x_b, and .xmt files) directly into Abaqus/CAE.


Translator utilities


Other utilities


Changes to documentation


Changes to Abaqus product offerings

The Abaqus/CAE Topology Optimization Module is available for the first time in the Abaqus 6.11 release. This product requires an additional license to submit an optimization process for analysis.


Changes to Abaqus installation

The client installer is no longer available. Previously, you could run the client installer to configure a computer on a Windows platform to run the Abaqus products that had been installed on a mounted network drive. For instructions on how to achieve this configuration without the installer, see “Client installation on Windows” in the Dassault Systèmes DSX.ECO Knowledge Base at www.3ds.com/support/knowledge-base or the SIMULIA Online Support System, which is accessible through the My Support page at www.simulia.com.