Abaqus Scripting Quickstart
Useful Abaqus Scripting Snippets
Abaqus is a commonly used finite element suite and it comes packaged with Python 2.7. Here are several useful commands for model creation, automation, and postprocessing.
Basic Snippets
Coordinates in Place of Index
Using default journal options, Abaqus defines its objects by index, called native masks. The following snippet instead tells Abaqus to store that information as coordinates.
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session.journalOptions.setValues(replayGeometry=COORDINATE, recoverGeometry=COORDINATE)
Script Executions
Abaqus can be called from the terminal with abaqus cae. For complete models, noGUI runs Abaqus in the background.
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abaqus cae script=EXAMPLE.py
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abaqus cae noGUI=EXAMPLE.py
Images
The following snippets generate images for publications.
Simple Screenshots
Disables all viewport objects and sets the background to white.
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session.linkedViewportCommands.setValues(linkViewports=True)
session.graphicsOptions.setValues(backgroundStyle=SOLID, backgroundColor='#FFFFFF')
session.viewports['Viewport: 1'].viewportAnnotationOptions.setValues(
triad=OFF, legend=OFF, title=OFF, state=OFF, annotations=OFF, compass=OFF)
Publication Images
For high-quality renders from Abaqus:
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myFile = 'ExamplePicture' # extension not needed, saves to the working directory
session.printToFile(fileName=myFile, format=PNG, canvasObjects=(
session.viewports['Viewport: 1'], ))
Deformed Geometry
Export deformed shape to .obj format:
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fileName = './name.obj'
session.writeOBJFile(fileName=fileName,
canvasObjects=(session.viewports['Viewport: 1'], )) # Exports the main window
This can be extended to loop through all frames in an ODB, but the file sizes grow quickly. For complex workflows, consider using a dedicated rendering tool (e.g. Blender) linked to ODB output.
Font Customization for Figures
Set font to Computer Modern (LaTeX style):
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fontName = 'cmu serif-medium-r-normal'
fontSize = 240 # for 24pt
session.viewports['Viewport: 1'].viewportAnnotationOptions.setValues(
legendFont='-*-'+fontName+'-*-*-'+str(fontSize)+'-*-*-p-*-*-*')
Replace fontName with one of the following:
| Font Name | Command |
|---|---|
| Times New Roman | times new roman-medium-r-normal |
| Arial | arial-medium-r-normal |
| Objectively the best | comic sans ms-medium-r-normal |
Named Sets and Surfaces from Geometry
Create named regions for reuse later in BCs or loads:
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face = part.faces.findAt(((0.0, 0.0, 0.0),))
part.Set(name='FaceSet', faces=face)
edge = part.edges.findAt(((0.0, 1.0, 0.0),))
part.Surface(name='TopEdge', side1Edges=edge)
Material Assignment to All Faces
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faces = part.faces
region = regionToolset.Region(faces=faces)
part.SectionAssignment(region=region, sectionName='Section-1')
Monitor Job Status Programmatically
Wait for a job to finish before proceeding:
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mdb.jobs['Job-1'].submit()
mdb.jobs['Job-1'].waitForCompletion()
Check job status:
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if mdb.jobs['Job-1'].status == COMPLETED:
print("Job completed.")
Mesh Controls with Specific Element Types
Example for assigning C3D8R elements:
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elemType1 = mesh.ElemType(elemCode=C3D8R, elemLibrary=STANDARD)
region = (part.cells,)
part.setElementType(regions=region, elemTypes=(elemType1,))
Sweep Mesh with Medial Axis
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part.setMeshControls(regions=part.cells, technique=SWEEP, algorithm=MEDIAL_AXIS)
Batch Postprocessing Across Jobs
Loop through multiple .odb files:
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from odbAccess import openOdb
for job in ['Job1', 'Job2', 'Job3']:
odb = openOdb(f'{job}.odb')
step = odb.steps['Step-1']
frame = step.frames[-1]
disp = frame.fieldOutputs['U']
max_disp = max(v.magnitude for v in disp.values)
print(f'{job}: Max displacement = {max_disp:.4e}')
odb.close()
Suppress Console Warnings
Cleaner log output for batch processing:
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import warnings
warnings.filterwarnings("ignore")
Field Math: Compare Frames
Compare field results between two time steps:
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frame1 = odb.steps['Step-1'].frames[0]
frame2 = odb.steps['Step-1'].frames[-1]
u1 = frame1.fieldOutputs['U']
u2 = frame2.fieldOutputs['U']
du = u2 - u1 # Returns a new FieldOutput object
Disable GUI Features to Speed Up CAE
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session.journalOptions.setValues(defaultValues=OFF)
session.graphicsOptions.setValues(cadDatumVisibility=False)
Main Script Entry Point
This avoids running your whole script when importing it into another file:
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def main():
# build model or postprocess
pass
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
Advanced Snippets
For users working on complex workflows, large batches, or GUI automation, the following advanced snippets may be useful.
Multiprocessing for Batch Runs
Use Python’s multiprocessing module to parallelize batch simulations. This works well if you’re launching separate Abaqus processes for each job.
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import multiprocessing as mp
import os
def run_job(width):
os.system(f'abaqus cae noGUI=your_script.py -- {width}')
if __name__ == '__main__':
widths = [5, 10, 15, 20]
with mp.Pool(processes=4) as pool:
pool.map(run_job, widths)
In your_script.py, parse the width from sys.argv:
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import sys
width = float(sys.argv[-1]) # last item is the passed argument
Adding a GUI Form with a Custom Plug-in
Abaqus supports custom plug-ins using the toolset and AFX GUI libraries. Here’s a minimal GUI example:
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from abaqusGui import *
from kernelAccess import mdb
class MyDialog(AFXDataDialog):
def __init__(self, form):
AFXDataDialog.__init__(self, form, 'My Plug-in Dialog')
self.widthKw = AFXFloatKeyword(form, 'width', True)
AFXTextField(p=self, ncols=10, labelText='Width:', tgt=self.widthKw, sel=0)
class MyPlugin(AFXForm):
def __init__(self, owner):
AFXForm.__init__(self, owner)
def getFirstDialog(self):
return MyDialog(self)
def doCustomChecks(self):
return True
def okPressed(self):
width = self.widthKw.getValue()
print(f'Width entered: {width}')
thisForm = MyPlugin(getAFXApp())
To load it: Plug-ins → Abaqus Plug-in Manager → Register Plug-in
Scriptable Model Comparison
Similar to odb comparisons, you can compare geometry between two models:
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p1 = mdb.models['Model-1'].parts['Part-1']
p2 = mdb.models['Model-2'].parts['Part-1']
if len(p1.nodes) != len(p2.nodes):
print("Models differ in node count.")
That said, I typically don’t recommend having more than one model active though to prevent simple oversights that can lead to difficult to diagnose errors, but multiple model databases within a model has its place.
Link with External Python Libraries
Though Abaqus uses Python 2.7, many libraries (e.g., NumPy, matplotlib) are still usable if installed in the Abaqus Python environment.
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import numpy as np
data = np.loadtxt('results_summary.csv', delimiter=',', skiprows=1)
print("Average displacement:", np.mean(data[:,1]))
If needed, point Abaqus to your own Python install, or use subprocesses to hand data off to an external Python 3+ workflow.
Automatically Save/Close Files in GUI Mode
When scripting inside CAE with GUI:
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session.saveAs(pathName='my_model.cae')
session.odbs['Job-1.odb'].close()
Suppress Graphical Output for Scripting Only
If you want to suppress pop-ups and GUI updates during heavy scripting:
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session.journalOptions.setValues(replayGeometry=COORDINATE)
session.viewports['Viewport: 1'].makeCurrent()
session.viewports['Viewport: 1'].disableGraphics()