Replacing an instance

Select InstanceReplace from the main menu bar to replace a selected instance with an instance of another part/model. Abaqus/CAE positions the new instance so that its origin is located at the origin of the original instance and their axes align. In addition, you can choose whether the new instance inherits all the constraints from the instance it replaced.

See Also
Replacing an instance
Creating a part or model instance
Applying constraints to part and model instances
Working with part instances

Context:

The replace operation does not change the attributes of the instance. For example, if the original instance is dependent, the instance that replaces it will also be dependent. As a result, if an independent instance of a part exists, you cannot use the replace procedure to create a dependent instance of the same part.

Replacing an instance is most useful when you are replacing an instance with one that has similar geometry. For example, the new instance might have additional detail that was not present in the original instance.

You can only replace a part instance with a part instance and a model instance with a model instance.

  1. From the main menu bar, select InstanceReplace to replace a selected instance.
  2. From the assembly, select the instance to replace. You can also click the Instance List button on the right of the prompt area and select the instance from the Instance List dialog box that appears.

    Tip: If you are unable to select the desired instance, you can use the Selection toolbar to change the selection behavior. For more information, see Using the selection options.

    Abaqus/CAE displays the Replace Instance dialog box with a list of all the parts/models in the model.

  3. From the Replace Instance dialog box, select the part/model that will replace the selected part/model instance in the assembly.

    Abaqus/CAE displays a temporary image of the new part instance in the assembly and positions it so that its origin is located at the origin of the original part instance and their axes align.

  4. If the correct instance is selected, click OK in the Replace Instance dialog box.

    If you have not applied any position constraints to the original instance, Abaqus/CAE replaces it with the new instance.

  5. If you have applied position constraints to the original instance, you must choose one of the following buttons in the prompt area:

    • Click OK to position the new instance in the same location as the instance it is replacing. Abaqus/CAE removes any constraints that were applied to the original instance, while maintaining its position.

    • Click Apply previous constraints if you want the new instance to inherit position constraints from the instance being replaced. Abaqus/CAE applies all the previous constraints that can be satisfied by the new instance; any constraints that cannot be satisfied are ignored.

    Abaqus/CAE replaces the original part instance with the new part instance and the original model instance with the new model instance.