You can create parts that are native to
Abaqus/CAE,
or you can import parts created by other applications either as a geometric
representation or as a finite element mesh.
You will start the cantilever beam tutorial by creating a three-dimensional,
deformable solid body. You do this by sketching the two-dimensional profile of
the beam (a rectangle) and extruding it.
Abaqus/CAE
automatically enters the Sketcher when you create a part.
Abaqus/CAE
often displays a short message in the prompt area indicating what it expects
you to do next, as shown in
Figure 1.
Click the Cancel button to cancel the current task.
Click the Previous button to cancel the current step in
the task and return to the previous step.
If you did not already start
Abaqus/CAE,
type abaqus cae. Resize your windows so that you
can follow the tutorial and see the
Abaqus/CAE
main window.
From the Create Model Database options in the
Start Session dialog box that appears, select
With Standard/Explicit Model. If you are already in an
Abaqus/CAE
session, select FileNew Model
DatabaseWith Standard/Explicit
Model from the main menu bar.
Abaqus/CAE
enters the
Part module.
The
Model Tree
appears in the left side of the main window. Between the
Model Tree
and the canvas is the
Part module
toolbox. A toolbox contains a set of icons that allow expert users to bypass
the menus in the main menu bar. For many tools, as you select an item from the
main menu bar or the
Model Tree,
the corresponding tool is highlighted in the module toolbox so you can learn
its location.
In the
Model Tree,
double-click the Parts container to create a new part.
The Create Part dialog box appears.
Abaqus/CAE
also displays text in the prompt area near the bottom of the window to guide
you through the procedure.
You use the Create Part dialog box to name the
part; to choose its modeling space, type, and base feature; and to set the
approximate size. You can edit and rename a part after you create it; you can
also change its modeling space and type but not its base feature.
Name the part Beam. Accept the default
settings of a three-dimensional, deformable body and a solid, extruded base
feature. In the Approximate size text field, type
300.
Click Continue to exit the Create
Part dialog box.
Abaqus/CAE
automatically enters the Sketcher. The Sketcher toolbox appears in the left
side of the main window, and the Sketcher grid appears in the viewport. The
Sketcher contains a set of basic tools that allow you to sketch the
two-dimensional profile of your part.
Abaqus/CAE
enters the Sketcher whenever you create or edit a part. To finish using a
Sketcher tool, click mouse button 2 in the viewport or select a new tool.
Tip:
Like all tools in
Abaqus/CAE,
if you simply position the cursor over a tool in the Sketcher toolbox for a
short time, a small window appears that gives a brief description of the tool.
The following aspects of the Sketcher help you sketch the desired
geometry:
The Sketcher grid helps you position the cursor and align objects
in the viewport.
Dashed lines indicate the X- and
Y-axes of the sketch and intersect at the origin of
the sketch.
A triad in the lower-left corner of the viewport indicates the
relationship between the sketch plane and the orientation of the part.
When you select a sketching tool,
Abaqus/CAE
displays the X- and
Y-coordinates of the cursor in the upper-left corner
of the viewport.
To sketch the profile of the cantilever beam, you need to select the
rectangle drawing tool
.
The rectangle drawing tool appears in the Sketcher toolbox with a
white background indicating that you selected it.
Abaqus/CAE displays prompts
in the prompt area to guide you through the procedure.
In the viewport, sketch the rectangle using the following steps:
You will first sketch a rough approximation of the beam and then
use constraints and dimensions to refine the sketch. Select any two points as
the opposite corners of the rectangle.
Click mouse button 2 anywhere in the viewport to exit the
rectangle tool.
Note:
If you are a
Windows
user with a 2-button mouse, press both mouse buttons simultaneously whenever
you are asked to press mouse button 2.
The Sketcher automatically adds constraints to the sketch (in this
case the four corners of the rectangle are assigned perpendicular constraints
and one edge is designated as horizontal).
Use the dimension tool
to dimension the top and left edges of the rectangle. The
top edge should have a horizontal dimension of
200 mm, and the left edge should have a vertical
dimension of 20 mm. When dimensioning each edge,
simply select the line, click mouse button 1 to position the dimension text,
and then enter the new dimension in the prompt area.
If you make a mistake while using the Sketcher, you can delete lines
in your sketch, as explained in the following procedure:
From the Sketcher toolbox, click the Delete
tool,
.
From the sketch, click a line to select it.
Abaqus/CAE
highlights the selected line in red.
Click mouse button 2 in the viewport to delete the selected line.
Repeat steps b and c as often as necessary.
Click mouse button 2 in the viewport to finish using the
Delete tool.
Note:
You can also use the Undo tool
and the Redo tool
to undo and redo your previous operations.
From the prompt area (near the bottom of the main window), click
Done to exit the Sketcher.
Note:
If you do not see the Done button in the prompt area, continue to
click mouse button 2 in the viewport until it appears.
Because you are creating an extruded part,
Abaqus/CAE
displays the Edit Base Extrusion dialog box for you to
select the depth. Optional parameters to modify the extrusion shape are also
available. In the Depth field, erase the default value and
type a value of 25.0. Click
OK to accept this value.
Abaqus/CAE
displays an isometric view of the new part, as shown in
Figure 3.
To help you orient the cantilever beam during the modeling process,
Abaqus/CAE
displays a triad in the lower-left corner indicating the orientation of the
global coordinate system.
Before you continue the tutorial, save your model in a model database
file.
From the main menu bar, select
FileSave.
The Save Model Database As dialog box appears.
Type a name for the new model database in the File
Name field, and click OK. You do not need to
include the file extension;
Abaqus/CAE
automatically appends .cae to the file name.
Abaqus/CAE
stores the model database in a new file and returns to the
Part module.
The title bar of the
Abaqus/CAE
window displays the path and name of the model database. You should always save
your model database at regular intervals (for example, each time you switch
modules).