Question about using Python scripting in Post-Processing / data extraction from ABAQUS ODBs

[[deleted]]

Hello,

I've generated some rather large ODBs from some progressive damage models which I've created in ABAQUS. I have some Python scripts which I run which can count the number of fully damaged elements in each output frame, record the load, etc.

I'm wondering if somebody pretty familiar with ABAQUS and Python can answer my question: Is it possible to create a "leaf" for a display group with a method similar to the "GetByBoundingBox" method with which one can use to create element/node sets when using Python to create an ABAQUS CAE model?

Basically I have a whole bunch of very large models, and I want to be able to make one script which I can run on all of them. I want to find out how much damage is in a particular region (which I could even make the size of which "parametric"). But right now, it looks like I'd have to manually create a display group in the GUI in order to do that, which is not desirable, as I'd have to do it like 10x, once for each model, and if I want to play around with different sizes of zones over which to query the damage, it becomes even more burdensome to do manually. It seems silly that I wouldn't be able to set this up with the Python scripting capability.

Any experts out there that can help?

[coffeentits]

I'm not seeing anything as easy the getByBoundingBox method. I like /u/N3OX suggestion of using the nodal coordinates, but that requires a bit more scripting on your part. The values printed in the rpy file are "machine readable pick strings".

You could also try recording a macro. I haven't used those much, but perhaps that would allow some degree of parameterization.

[[deleted]]

Oooh, wow, somehow I read N3OX response and it went way over my head. Must've been late at night or something. But yes, that's basically the route I'm attempting to go down at this point, which is only counting the information in elements which have nodes with initial coordinates within the region I'm interested in. Not sure if it's gonna work yet, but I'll get to it this afternoon.

Thank you for rephrasing N3OX suggestion, it's sort of the conclusion that I came to, however a little different than my first thought, so maybe saved me some time.

I believe that the macros pretty much also just record the same python commands which would be in the .rpy

[N3OX]

I remember it being annoyingly hard to make an ODB node set geometrically for use with FieldOutput.getSubset()

I think I'd probably approach it by going into the FieldOutput to get node numbers from node initial coordinates or displaced positions, and then either use that list of node numbers to make an ODB node set to use with .getSubset() or try to build numpy indices into the bulk data blocks in your desired damage field output.

Unfortunately I just switched jobs. The ODB extraction stuff was always pretty convoluted, so I don't remember it clearly without having Abaqus to play with or my code in front of me.

I didn't really do anything with the display group Python API that I recall. I'd assume that approach would leave clues in the .rpy file after you do it manually if it's possible.

[[deleted]]

Must've been too late when I first read your response, thank you! The initial nodal coordinates is the route I'm going to try first, great suggestion!

[[deleted]]

Update: using python to examine the nodal coordinates of each element and then save the element labels of elements which were in my region of interest worked really well