Configuring advanced options

You can configure a general bead optimization task.

  1. In the optimization task editor, click the Advanced tab.
  2. Specify the Filter Radius of the Sigmund filter, which smoothes the resulting optimization solution. Changing this value might help you to avoid known problems from fluctuations in sensitivity values. The following options allow you to specify the filter radius for a general bead optimization:

    Relative to average edge length

    Enter the relative filter radius. Abaqus/CAE computes the filter radius as the value specified multiplied by the average element length in the design area (the region that will be optimized). The default value is four. A value of zero turns off the filter; the resulting bead optimization might generate an unsmooth result that is numerically optimal but not a realistic physical solution.

    Absolute value

    Enter the absolute value of the radius.

  3. For the sensitivity calculation, choose whether the optimization should consider only the nodes in the region that will be optimized (default) or all the nodes in the model.
  4. Enter the Bead perturbation. Abaqus/CAE uses this value to compute a semianalytical sensitivity analysis using a finite difference on the element matrices. The finite difference is computed as the perturbation value specified multiplied by the average element edge length. The default value is 0.0001, which is suitable for most bead optimization problems.
  5. Select Use Abaqus sensitivities when possible to use Abaqus to compute the design responses and their sensitivities whenever possible. This workflow modification improves the optimization process performance.
  6. You can choose Use Group Operator when possible to use large groups of more than 5000 elements or nodes in the design response definition in an efficient way. This workflow modification uses a new algorithm based on Abaqus sensitivities.