Changing the skew angle

The parameterized script changes the skew angle of the plate and computes the maximum bending moment at the center for two different element types. The script changes the skew angle by modifying an angular dimension and selecting the vertices to move. You need to add the angular dimension and determine the indices of the dimension to modify and the vertices to move.

This task shows you how to:

The parameterized script changes the skew angle of the plate and computes the maximum bending moment at the center for two different element types. The script changes the skew angle by modifying an angular dimension and selecting the vertices to move. You need to add the angular dimension and determine the indices of the dimension to modify and the vertices to move.

Add the angular dimension

  1. Return to the Part module.
  2. From the main menu bar, select FeatureEdit and select the plate to edit.
  3. From the Edit Feature dialog box, select Edit Section Sketch.
  4. From the Sketcher toolbox, select the dimension tool and dimension the angle at the lower left corner of the plate as shown in Figure 1.

    Figure 1. Dimension the angle at the lower left corner of the plate.

Determine the indices of the dimension to modify and the vertices to move

  1. From the Sketcher toolbox, select the edit dimension tool .
  2. Select the lower left angular dimension.
  3. Enter a dimension of 60, and click OK.
  4. Exit the Sketcher tools, and exit the Sketcher.
  5. From the Edit Feature dialog box, select OK.
  6. Examine the replay file, abaqus.rpy. The last few lines of the replay file will contain the statements that modified the angular dimension. The statement will look similar to the following: 

    d[0].setValues(value=60.0, )

  7. The example script, skewExample.py, contains a similar statement that modifies the angular dimension of the plate. The index of the angular dimension in your model must be the same as the index in the example script. If the indices are not the same, you must edit the example script and enter the correct indices. 

    d[0].setValues(value=angle, )

Save the model database, and name it skew. Abaqus/CAE saves the model database in a file called skew.cae. The example script opens this model database and parameterizes the model it contains.