10.9 Utility interface

The Abaqus C++ API provides a set of utilities that allow a user to access certain commonly used functionality (such as strings, sequences (lists), and repositories) quickly and easily using a set of supported and maintained interfaces.

The following topics are covered:

10.9.1 Utility interface classes

The following interface classes are provided:

Strings

The odb_String object provides a convenient means of storing and passing strings. The odb_String object also provides a simple interface to append and modify the data stored in the string.

Sequences

An odb_Sequence class is a container used to hold an ordered list of objects of a specific type. Data can be appended and retrieved from the sequence.

The following odb_Sequence objects are provided to store integer, float, and enumeration data:

odb_SequenceInt
odb_SequenceFloat
odb_SequenceString
odb_SequenceInvariant
odb_SequenceElementFace

Sequences of sequences are also available in the following forms:

odb_SequenceSequenceFloat
odb_SequenceSequenceSequenceFloat
odb_SequenceSequenceInt
odb_SequenceSequenceElementFace

The following Abaqus objects are also stored as sequences:

odb_SequenceNode
odb_SequenceElement
odb_SequenceFieldValue
odb_SequenceFrame
odb_SequenceSectionPoint
odb_SequenceLoadCase

The following Abaqus object can be collected in a sequence for utility operations:

odb_SequenceFieldOutput

Repositories

Repositories are provided to store objects retrieved by name. Both the repositories and the content of the repositories are created by the API; the user can only retrieve objects from repositories. Iterators are provided to navigate the repositories.

The following Abaqus repositories are provided:

odb_PartRepository
odb_FieldOutputRepository
odb_SectionCategoryRepository
odb_HistoryRegionRepository
odb_SetRepository
odb_HistoryOutputRepository
odb_StepRepository
odb_InstanceRepository

More detail on these interface utility objects can be found in Chapter 61, “Odb commands,” of the Abaqus Scripting Reference Manual.

10.9.2 Utility interface examples

The following examples demonstrate the utility interface for each of the utility interface classes discussed:

Strings

    odb_String type = stressField.baseElementTypes()[0];
    odb_String elementType = 
      odb_String("Element type is ") + type;
    cout << elementType.CStr() << endl;

Sequences

    odb_Set& mySurface = rootAssy.surfaces()["TARGET"]; 
    const odb_String instanceName = "PART-1-1";
    const odb_SequenceElementFace allFaces = 
        mySurface.faces(instanceName);
    odb_SequenceSequenceElementFace newFaces;
    int allFaces_size = allFaces.size();
    for (int i=0; i<allFaces_size; i++) {
      const odb_SequenceElementFace fList = allFaces[i];
      odb_SequenceElementFace newList;
      int fList_size = fList.size();
      for (int j=0; j<fList_size; j++) {
        const odb_Enum::odb_ElementFaceEnum face = fList[j];
        newList.append(face);
      }
      newFaces.append(newList);
    }

Repositories

    odb_StepRepository stepCon = odb.steps();
    odb_StepRepositoryIT iter (stepCon);
    for (iter.first(); !iter.isDone(); iter.next()) {
      cout << "step name : " << iter.currentKey().CStr() << endl;
      const odb_Step& step = iter.currentValue();
      cout << "step description : " << step.description().CStr();
      cout << endl;
    }