Exporting the Model

Using this program, a structure can be created using a variety of techniques and it can be changed many times to obtain a complex structure. In the end, it must be exported to a FEA software so it can be analyzed.

This section discusses the process for exporting a model.

Output to Abaqus™

How to Export the Model

There are two methods for exporting the model.

In the scripts, after a VoxelPart is created and all manipulations have been done, it can be exported using its output_abaqus_inp() method. contains a complete list and explanation of its parameters, but some of them are explained below.

When using the graphical user interface (GUI), exporting the model is part of the workflow. This is explained in the relevant section of the GUI’s documentation.

Choosing an Element Code

Abaqus™ has a large element library. This program only supports output to linear elements with a shape compatible with a voxel or pixel. This means that in 2D, only 4-node quadrilateral (square-shaped) elements can be used and for 3D models, only 8-node hexahedral (brick) elements are valid. Furthermore, the element code is applied to all elements in the model.

Because of the large number of elements, the program accepts the element code as a string, such as ‘CPE4R’ or ‘C3D8R’ and does not validate it any further. The user is responsible for selecting an appropriate element code. If the dimensionality or type of element is inappropriate, Abaqus™ rejects the input file.

If more complex behavior is desired the user can use Abaqus’ Python Scripting Interface to apply the element codes to any of the defined and custom element sets.

Selecting the Materials for Export

As explained in the Materials section, the model consists one or more materials, each of which have a material code. When exporting the model, a list of materials may be selected and only elements with that material code will be exported. There are also two special values that can be used: ‘All’ which refers to all materials in the model, and ‘Non-Empty’ which refers to all except the material code of zero which, by convention, refers to empty space.

For every material code, a set will also be created. Its name will be the material code prepended by ‘MAT-’. These sets can be used for applying material properties in the CAE or using the Python Scripting Interface.

Custom Element Sets

The material sets described above will always be exported. There are also custom element sets that are defined using the add_custom_elem_set() method, and their export can be suppressed. See the documentation for output_abaqus_inp() for more information.

The Element and Node Sets section has a complete discussion of node and element sets.

Boundary Conditions

The boundary conditions defined as per the Boundary Conditions section will be added to the model automatically.