Are you wondering how to create customized user-interface and unique solutions on ABAQUS!?
We build Abaqus plug-ins to perform customized tasks. These solutions can range from a simplified pre-processing task, to an advanced subroutine solution. The goal is simple – to make a unified workflow for the daily analysis in order to reduce the human errors and to use best practices to democratize an advanced analysis through the entire engineering team.
What is a Plug-in?
A plug-in is a piece of software installed on top of another application (such as ABAQUS in this case) in order to extend the application’s capability. ABAQUS plug-ins execute ABAQUS Scripting Interface and ABAQUS GUI Toolkit commands, and they provide a way to customize a job for a particular need or preference.
There are two types of ABAQUS plug-ins: kernel and GUI. A kernel plug-in consists of files containing functions for back-end analysis. In contrast to a kernel plug-in, a GUI plug-in is written using the ABAQUS GUI Toolkit and contains commands that create graphical user interfaces, which in turn send commands to the kernel.
Here are the top six plug-ins that have been developed for the users:
CAD Associative Interfaces
The Associative Interfaces enable geometry transfer from a CAD system to Abaqus/CAE. These powerful plug-in products allow you to send selected components or an entire assembly from the CAD system to Abaqus/CAE with a single mouse click. You can modify your model in supported CAD systems and use associative import to quickly update the model in Abaqus/CAE without losing any analysis features assigned to the model. The connection between the applications is provided by a plug-in for the CAD system and established through the CAD Connection toolset in Abaqus/CAE.
Abaqus Knee Simulator (AKS)
The Abaqus Knee Simulator is a validated computational modeling tool for performing basic to advanced knee implant analyses and simulations. This tool offers several fast and easy-to-setup workflows which reduce your reliance on time-consuming trials and expensive lab equipment, while still meeting regulatory requirements. Here are a few pre-defined scenarios: (1) Contact Mechanics (2) Implant Constraint (3) Tibiofemoral Constraint (4) Wear Simulator (5) TKR Loading.
Micromechanics Plug-in for Abaqus
The Micromechanics Plug-in offers a great tool for subscale modeling in order to simulate the fiber-matrix interaction using an FE-RVE (Finite Element model of a Representative Volume Element) approach, and the generation of the homogenized material parameters. The increasing complexity of material systems and manufacturing techniques used to create engineering structures continually drives the need to consider physical phenomena occurring at a variety of scales to realistically simulate a structure’s response. Multiscale methods provide means to bridge these scales – from the scale of an engineering component down to the microscale where the material’s microstructure is resolved.
Composites Modeler for Abaqus/CAE
This plug-in complements and extends the powerful ply modeling features in Abaqus by providing proven fiber simulation capabilities and advanced model building—all seamlessly integrated within Abaqus. Composites Modeler for Abaqus directly transfers accurate fiber angles and ply thicknesses to Abaqus simulations for unprecedented accuracy, and allows rapid review and modification of the composites model for rapid design improvement. The product also generates manufacturing data to ensure that the analyzed model matches the final structure, and provides direct integration with Simulayt’s Layup Pipeline for seamless communication across the enterprise.
CZone for Abaqus
This is a capability for Abaqus Explicit analysis that provides access to a state-of-the-art methodology for crush simulation. It is a great tool for the design of composite components and assemblies in the Automotive and Aerospace industries. CZone for Abaqus provides for inclusion of material crush behavior in FEA simulations of composite structures subjected to impact.
Abaqus Bolt Studio
The Bolt Studio plug-in provides the user with a streamlined method for defining bolts, nuts and washers, and placing them into an existing Abaqus/CAE model. Users can control the default set of bolts that are displayed in the interface via a simple Python-based configuration file. The bolts, nuts and washers, where applicable, are generated parametrically within Abaqus/CAE, and meshed automatically using a hexahedral mesh.
Plug-ins create a standard routine for frequently used task to save time and reduce errors. Below, you will find a list of other plug-ins to be used in daily analysis.
Pre-processing Plug-ins
Plug-in Name
Description
Download
Honeycomb Model
Automatically creates Honeycomb Structure Models.
Create Sets
Creates exterior node set and surface.
Custom inp Creator
Writes nodes and elements displayed in the viewport to an input file.
Bolts Creator
Defines bolts, nuts and washers and places them into an existing Abaqus/CAE model.
CZone for Abaqus (CZA)
A utility for Crush Zone modeling for Abaqus (CZA); widely used to model composite damage analysis.
Object Manager
Manages a large number of step dependent objects like field output requests, loads etc from a central location.
Airfoil Creator
Creates an airfoil part by importing point cloud data from Eblade.
ROMAC bearing import
Imports the ROMAC bearing properties from THPAD, THBRG, and MAXBRG, and writing them in Abaqus input file format.
Shell to geometry
Unwraps a shell orphan mesh into a flat mesh and create 2D geometry.
CAX element to CCL
Converts an axisymmetric model containing regular axisymmetric (CAX) elements to a 3D model containing cylindrical (CCL) elements.
Nitinol Superelastic-plastic material calibration
Provides a user friendly interface to create Nitinol material parameters based on uniaxial tension test data. Necessary keywords and datalines will be generated automatically based on a few characteristic points selected from the test data.
Part Manager Extension (PME)
Allows you to assign section properties, element type and formulation, and to mesh multiple parts in a manager-like dialog.
Campbell diagrams
Campbell diagrams are used to plot whirling frequency versus spin speed.
Gear Modeler
Generates a spur or helical gear through its parameters.
Aircraft Landing Gear
Creates the aircraft rigid body, nose landing gear (NLG) system, and main landing gear (MLG) system in Abaqus.
Custom material calibration
Creates Calibration Behavior from the Property module. Elastic Isotropic and Elastic Plastic Isotropic are offered as the native functionality in this plug-in.
Octave band analysis
Employes ANSI S1.6-1984 and ISO R 266 standards to create a direct steady state dynamic procedure based on octave band width frequencies.
Post-processing Plug-ins
Plug-in Name
Description
Download
Orbit Plotter
Creates orbit plots from rotor dynamic analysis results to detect a whirl mode.
RMISES
Saves RMISES results to the output database.
Contour integral for crack front
Plots contour integrals for conventional and XFEM crack analyses along the crack front or Node labels of XFEM crack fronts.
Discrete Fourier transform plotter
Allows you to plot the discrete Fourier transform of a set of time history data.
XML database from XYData
Saves X-Y data information into XML format and then allows you to import it back in a later session.
Compare ODBs
Computes and contour plots the difference in a specific field output variable for the two output database (.odb) files you select.
Create Sets in viewer
Allows you to create a node or element set in Abaqus/Viewer by picking objects in the viewport.
Export to XML
Exports the model database or session information. Currently, the information cannot be imported back at a later session.
Connector element damage visualization
Reads the available history output related to connector damage and allows you to visualize only those connectors that satisfy a specified damage criteria.
Generate Sound
Creates a .wav sound file from an acoustic simulation result.
Geometry domain identifier
Visualize the domains created by an Abaqus/Explicit analysis that used domain-level parallel execution.
Calculate Total Force
Visualize the vectors of total force due to contact pressure, total force due to frictional stress, and total force due to contact pressure and frictional stress.