Understanding how to create display groups

A display group can contain combinations of model components: part instances, geometry (cells, faces, or edges), datum geometry (points, axes, planes, or coordinate systems), elements, nodes, surfaces, constraints, output database coordinate systems, or the entire model. In addition, you can create a display group by operating on previously saved display groups. However, while creating a display group, you can perform operations on only one type of model component at a time. Creating a display group containing selected components of more than one type is an incremental process. The model components that can be used to create a display group depend on the module in which you are working, as shown in Table 1 and Table 2.

Table 1. Model components that can be used to create display groups in the Part- and Assembly-related modules and in the Visualization module.
ModulesAvailable Model Components
Part-related (Part, Property) Geometry (cells, faces, or edges)
Datum geometry (points, axes, planes, or coordinate systems)
Elements
Nodes
Reference points
Sets (geometry, element, or node)
Display groups
Assembly-related (Assembly, Step, Interaction, Load, Mesh) Part instances
Geometry (cells, faces, or edges)
Datum geometry (points, axes, planes, or coordinate systems)
Assembly wires (connector wires)
Elements
Nodes
Reference points
Sets (geometry, element, or node)
Surfaces
Display groups
Visualization module Part instances
Elements
Nodes
Surfaces
Display groups
Table 2. Model components that can be used to create display groups for output databases in the Visualization module.
ModuleAvailable Model Components
Visualization Part instances
Elements
Nodes
Surfaces
Display groups
Coordinate systems
Tie constraints
Shell-to-solid coupling constraints
Distributing coupling constraints
Kinematic coupling constraints
Rigid body constraints

See Also
Creating or editing a display group
Controlling the display of constraints in the Visualization module

To create a display group, you first select the particular items of interest. You can then perform a Boolean operation on your selection and the contents of the current viewport. This sequence can be repeated as necessary to create the desired group. In addition, you can create a new display group by editing (for example, performing additional Boolean operations on) the contents of a previously saved display group.

You can save either the selection in the dialog box or the contents of the current viewport as a display group. By default, a display group persists only for the duration of the session. If you want to retain a display group for use in subsequent sessions, save it to an XML file, to the model database, or to an output database; for more information, see Managing session objects and session options. You can access a display group only in modules of the same type as the one in which it was created (see Table 1 and Table 2). For example, if you create and save a display group in the Part module, you will be able to access this display group only in the Part and Property modules.

A display group named All that contains all objects in the current part, assembly, or output database is created automatically by Abaqus/CAE. This display group appears in the display group manager for the current module and cannot be edited, copied, renamed, or deleted. It is not associated with a particular part, assembly, or output database. You can use this display group to quickly return to a plot of the entire part or model after performing Boolean operations.