HyperWorks Tip 614

Applications:
HyperMesh

Application version:
6.0 with Service Pack 2 and later

Computer hardware:
All supported

Computer operating systems:

All supported Windows and UNIX

Categories: Subcategories
Modeling / Solver Interfacing:
Setup for other solvers

Topic:
Set-up ABAQUS initial conditions and steps from the new Step Manager tool.

Topic details:
The Step Manager tool is new in HyperMesh 6.0 with Service Pack 2 installed. It allows you to define,
review, edit, and delete ABAQUS initial conditions and history information (step) from a single dialog. You
can re-order steps and set their display and export status. It is no longer necessary to use various panels
to perform these tasks.
In addition to facilitating your work with boundary conditions and loads, analysis types, interface controls,
and output requests, this tool also allows you to perform the following tasks:

Define boundary conditions and loads on sets (not just on individual nodes or elements)

Create new surface-based loads (DSLOAD, SFILM) and new interface control keywords (MODEL
CHANGE, CONTACT INTERFERENCE, CHANGE FRICTION, CLEARANCE, CONTACT
CONTROLS, CONTROLS)

Review and add amplitude curves to various loads

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The Step Manager is accessed by loading the Abaqus user profile and clicking Step Manager on the
ABAQUS macro menu.
The main Step Manager window with a few steps defined is shown below.

Figure 1: Step Manager when it is opened

Notice Step Manager has a default row called Initial Condition. It is used to create boundary conditions
and loads in the model data portion of the ABAQUS input file. Select it in the table and click Edit to add
initial boundary conditions and loads to it.
Also notice the Export column. When this option is active for a step, the step and all of its contents are
exported to the ABAQUS input deck. When the option is inactive for a step, it is not exported.
When a new step is created by clicking New or Edit on the Step tab, the dialog display changes as
shown in the diagram below.

Figure 2: Step Manager sections

Middle section

Left section

Right section

Left section:

This section contains the load step options list, which is presented in tree format. It
contains various ABAQUS history options. When the Initial Condition step is edited,
only applicable model data load options are listed. Selecting an option from the tree
changes the dialog layout.

Middle section:

When you select a load type, output request type, or interface control from the load
step options list, the load collector table, output block table, or interfaces (HyperMesh
groups) table is displayed in the middle section. The ABAQUS loads, output requests
and interface controls you create are organized into HyperMesh load collectors,
output blocks, and groups, respectively. Highlight an item in the table to modify or add
to its contents.

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Right section:

This section contains various tabs and options to define, edit, review, or delete the
currently selected load step option. When you select a load type, output request type
or interface control from the load step options list, you must also highlight an item in
its corresponding table to display this section.

The following example demonstrates how to use the Step Manager to create an ABAQUS step and
create constraints on nodes for it.
1. Click Step Manager on the ABAQUS macro menu.
2. On the Step tab, click New and create a load step called practice.
3. Select (highlight) Boundary in the load step options list to specify the type of initial condition you
want to create.
4. Click New below the Load Collector: table and create a new load collector called constraints.
5. Activate (turn on) the Display for the constraints load collector.
6. Optionally, select a Display color for the constraints load collector.
7. Click (highlight) constraints in the load collector table to make this collector active.
New menus appear on the right section for the load type selected (boundary).
8. On the Define tab, select default (disp) for Type as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Load step option "Boundary"

9. Verify that the option Define Boundary on: Nodes or geometry is active to create constraints on
nodes.
10. Click Define from Constraints panel as shown above to open the constraints panel.
11. Select nodes on which to create constraints.
12. Activate degrees of freedom to constrain the selected nodes as desired.
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13. Create the constraints.

14. Click return to go back to the Step Manager dialog.
15. Click Text to view the ABAQUS keywords for the step and constraints you created.
The constrained node IDs are not listed, saving space in the text dialog.

Figure 4: Review load step: practice

16. Close the practice step and return to the Step Managers main window.
Notice in the main window, the practice step is listed and its associated load collector is specified.
The step display is currently on. You can deactivate the export option so that the step and its
contents does not export to the ABAQUS input deck.

17. Close the Step Manager.

Note:

For more information about the Step Manager, refer to the HyperMesh on-line help: From the
Contents tab, select Altair HyperWorks > HyperMesh > External Interfacing > Interfacing with
ABAQUS > ABAQUS Step Manager
To access the Step Manager tutorial: From the Contents tab, select Altair HyperWorks >
HyperMesh > Tutorials > Modeling > Solver Specific > ABAQUS > Defining *STEP using
ABAQUS Step Manager HM-4330.

Author:
Altair HyperWorks Technical Support Group (pjd)

Date this entry was last reviewed:

August 2004

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