Abaqus/CAE User's Manual  


57.1 Creating a CAD connection

You can use the CAD Connection toolset to create a connection from Abaqus/CAE to a third-party CAD system running an associative interface plug-in. You can use the connection to export the model from the CAD system to the Assembly module in Abaqus/CAE. You can also use the connection to export certain geometry modifications from an imported model in Abaqus/CAE back to the CAD system (see “Updating geometry parameters in an imported model,” Section 57.2). Associative interface plug-ins are available for the following CAD systems:

Figure 57–1 shows concurrent CATIA V5 and Abaqus/CAE sessions and illustrates the communication between the applications.

Figure 57–1 Associative import using the CATIA V5 Associative Interface.

Using a CAD connection to transfer a model from a CAD system running an associative interface plug-in to Abaqus/CAE is called associative import. Refer to the SIMULIA Online Support System for further information about the individual associative interface plug-ins, including the following:The SIMULIA Online Support System is accessible through the My Support page at www.simulia.com.

To create a CAD connection:

  1. From the main menu bar in the Assembly module, select ToolsCAD InterfacesCAD System. CAD System is the name of the CAD system to which you are connecting; you can establish connections with CATIA V5, SolidWorks, and Pro/ENGINEER.

  2. From the dialog box that appears, do one of the following:

    Auto-assign port

    Choose Auto-assign port, and click Enable to open a port from Abaqus/CAE.

    Abaqus/CAE displays the port number that it assigned in the message area. When you export a model from the CAD system, the data are transferred through this connection port number.

    Specify port

    Choose Specify port, and enter a port number to specify a port. The number must be between 1025 and 65535. If you are reopening a connection, you can use the port number displayed by Abaqus/CAE when it first assigned the port.

    Disable port

    If a connection has already been enabled, you can click Disable from the dialog box to disable the connection.

  3. After you have used the CAD Connection toolset to create a connection from Abaqus/CAE to a third-party CAD system running an associative interface plug-in, you can do the following to export the assembly to the Abaqus/CAE session:

    CATIA V5

    Select AbaqusExport to Abaqus/CAE from the CATIA V5 main menu bar. In the Export to Abaqus/CAE dialog box that appears, select Open Abaqus/CAE, and click OK. For more detailed instructions, refer to the CATIA V5 Associative Interface User's Guide, which is available from the SIMULIA Online Support System.

    SolidWorks

    Select AbaqusExport to Abaqus/CAE from the SolidWorks main menu bar. In the Export to Abaqus/CAE dialog box that appears, toggle on Open in Abaqus/CAE, and click the green check mark. For more detailed instructions, refer to the SolidWorks Associative Interface User's Guide, which is available from the SIMULIA Online Support System.

    Pro/ENGINEER

    Select AbaqusOpen in CAE from the Pro/ENGINEER main menu bar. For more detailed instructions, refer to the Pro/ENGINEER Associative Interface User's Guide, which is available from the SIMULIA Online Support System.

    For more information on associative import, see “What can I do with the associative interfaces?,” Section 10.1.2.