Creating field output by operating on frames

You can create field output by combining the results from several frames available in the output database. For example, you might create new field output to show the combined response to several load cases. For a detailed example, see Combining results from several frames.

See Also
Selecting a specific results step and frame
Creating and saving new field output
Saving field output created during the session

Context:

You can sum field output over specified frames, and you can find the minimum or maximum values over specified frames. You can display field output that you have created in the same ways as output database field output variables: in the form of a deformed, contour, or symbol plot; by probing any model or X–Y plot; as X–Y data obtained along a path through your model; or in a tabular report. Field output that you have created is saved in the session step until you end the session or close the output database from which the field output originates. You can also save the field output to the output database, in which case you must open the output database with write privileges.

Note:

Field output created using complex results will contain only the real portion of the data. You cannot create field output that includes the imaginary part of complex results.

  1. Locate the options for creating field output from frames.

    From the main menu bar, select ToolsField OutputCreate From Frames.

    The Create Field Output From Frames dialog box appears.

    Tip: You can also create field output from frames by using the tool in the toolbox.

    By default, the Frames and Fields pages in this dialog box are empty.

  2. Select the operation you wish to perform from the list in the Operation field.
  3. Click to select the frames that will be included in the operation.

    The Add Frames dialog box appears.

  4. Select the analysis step from the list in the Step field.

    A list of the available frames for that step appears.

  5. Select the individual frames you would like to include in the operation (see Selecting multiple items from lists and tables, for more information), or click Select All to include all the available frames.
  6. Click OK or Apply in the Add Frames dialog box.

    The frames you selected appear in the Frames field of the Create Field Output From Frames dialog box. You can use the button (Remove Selected) and button (Remove All) at the bottom of the Frames field to modify your frame selections as needed. You can also continue to add frames from the Add Frames dialog box.

  7. If you have chosen the sum operation, a Scale Factor column also appears in the Frames field of the Create Field Output from Frames dialog box. The default scale factor for every frame is 1.0. You can modify the scale factor for a selected frame by clicking in the Scale Factor column and entering a new scale factor value.
  8. Click the Fields tab in the Create Field Output From Frames dialog box to select the field output that will be included in the operation.

    The field output variables available for the selected frames are shown, along with information on the output variable type (tensor, vector, or scalar). If you have chosen the minimum or maximum operation, the invariant/component information for tensor and vector variables and the option to select the output position are also available. By default, all the available output variables have a check mark in the Select column.

    1. Click in the Select column to unselect the output variables you do not wish to include in the operation.
    2. If you have chosen the minimum or maximum operation, you can click in the Invariant/Component column and select the invariant or component that you wish to use to determine the minimum or maximum field results from the list that appears at the right. For example, if you select the Mises invariant for a stress variable, Abaqus/CAE creates a new stress field output variable in which the stress tensor at each point is obtained from the frame at which the maximum Mises value occurs (within the list of frames selected in Step 5).
    3. If you have chosen the minimum or maximum operation, you can click in the Position column and select the output position at which to store the new field output. For example, if you want to create new field output from stress at integration points by finding the maximum values, you can choose to store the field output at Element Nodal positions, ensuring that contour plots display the expected results.
    4. Use the Select All, Unselect All, and Default buttons to modify your field output selections as needed.
  9. You can accept the default frame description provided by Abaqus/CAE, or you can supply your own in the Frame description field.
  10. By default, Abaqus/CAE does not provide a load case name for the new field output; if your new field output represents an additional load case in your analysis, you can supply a name in the Load case name field. This name will be used only for organizational purposes.
  11. Click OK in the Create Field Output From Frames dialog box to create your new field output and to dismiss the dialog box.

    Abaqus operates on the selected field output over the selected frames to create new field output that is contained in a new session frame of the session step and available from the Field Output dialog box. The descriptions of the new variables indicate the operation by which they were derived. Current results plots, if any, are not affected.

    When you choose the minimum or maximum operation, Abaqus also creates a field output variable for each result indicating the frames from which each minimum or maximum value was obtained. (The frames are identified by their index in the list of selected frames.) This variable, named outputVariable_Index, is available from the same frame of the session step as the actual results of the minimum or maximum operation and can be queried or plotted in the same way as other field output variables.

    Tip: outputVariable_Index works better with Element Nodal, Nodal, or Centroid position since, plotting outputVariable_Index created at the integration point position is subjected to extrapolation and averaging, which may result in incorrect plots. To know more, please refer to: Understanding how results are computed