Extract surface normals from odb

[apal21]

Hello,

I know that one can plot the surface normals in Abaqus using Plot->Orientation. I want to know the values of these (unit) normals, i) either by copying it directly from Abaqus, or better still, 2) extracting these surface normals using python as part of post-processing, much like any other field output variable.

How do I do this? Thank you very much.

 

[FEA way]

You can write material directions to Abaqus/Standard results file using *EL FILE, DIRECTIONS=YES. This is described in the documentation chapter "Output to the Data and Results Files" (paragraph "Output of local directions to the results file").

 

[apal21]

Thank you. If I have understood correctly, for a Standard analysis, this generates a .fil file, and for an Expicit analysis, this generates a .sel file? Can both of these be read later in Matlab as a text file?

 

[FEA way]

This option is for Abaqus/Standard because there local coordinate directions aren't written to the results (.fil) file by default. In Abaqus/Explicit they are written to the selected results (.sel) file whenever output of complete stress or strain tensor is requested.

 

[apal21]

And can I read these files directly using software like Matlab? Or what do I need to read these files?

 

[FEA way]

It should be possible to postprocess the .fil file in Matlab (and .sel can be converted to .fil) but you will probably need Abaqus2Matlab plug-in for that.

 

[apal21]

OK understood, thank you very much.