How to use averaging, envelopes, and section points in Isight Abaqus component post-processing?

[Hamid HQ]

Isight Abaqus component has scripting functionality through userscript_odb.py to extract parameters Isight does not extract by default. It appears that userscript_odb.py must use odbAccess module, and it does not have access to the modules typically used within Abaqus Viewer. One limitation seems to be that we cannot use viewports and the functions on viewports within userscript_odb.py. Functionality such as section points, envelope functions, and averaging in Abaqus Viewer are set with viewports.

For example, for a shell model, in order to obtain maximum von Mises stress in Abaqus Viewer, I might set Section Points to Envelope Max Absolute Value at Integration Points and use Averaging with 75% threshold, then read the maximum stress. Is it possible to get the same maximum stress value from within Isight?

Is there a way to use viewports in userscript_odb.py? Or alternatively, extract averaged and enveloped values using only odbAccess module?

 

[FEA way]

Everything that you do in GUI (Abaqus/CAE or Abaqus/Viewer) can be done through Python scripting. A good way to start is to record your actions using Macro Manager or copy the contents of the replay (.rpy) file.

You may find the "Automate boring postprocessing in Abaqus using python scripting" article on Simuleon's blog interesting.

 

[Hamid HQ]

The issue is that userscript_odb.py MUST use "odbAccess" module, whereas Abaqus Viewer uses the "session" object from "abaqus" module. If I copy commands from the Abaqus replay file (abaqus.rpy) into userscript_odb.py, Isight throws and error saying it cannot find the module, because it cannot import "abaqus". "odbAccess" has all the raw data. For example, you can get S11, S22, S12, etc. for any element. But it doesn't seem to have further post-processing capabilities, like envelope functions or averaging. Those are accessed via the session object when using the Macro Manager. But the commands won't work in Isight.

 

[FEA way]

Indeed, the Abaqus component has some limitations. Maybe you could replace it with more general components such as Simcode. It depends on the goal of your study but maybe it will be sufficient to read the stresses from the dat file. You can choose section points for it as well.

 

[Mustaine3]

Write a script that queries those information in Abaqus/CAE and writes into an ASCII file. Such scripts can run in noGui-mode.
Add a OS Command adapter, provide the .odb and .py, run the script and afterwards parse those data from the ASCII file.