Customizing your plots

The Visualization module provides numerous customization options, which are available through the Viewport, Options, and View menus of the main menu bar. These options fall into three categories:

Plot state–dependent options

Plot type options affect only a particular plot state. These are separate options affecting contour, symbol, and material orientation plots; X–Y curves; X–Y graphs; time history animations; scale factor animations; and harmonic animations.

Plot state–independent options

Plot state–independent options are those that affect all plots collectively. These are common options governing the viewpoint, graphics, individual item coloring, display body appearance, and such general characteristics as plot legends, model labels, and the appearance of text blocks giving the model's title and state.

Superimpose options

Superimpose options are a special set of plot state–independent options that affect only the undeformed plot state when you choose to superimpose it on a deformed, contour, symbol, or material orientation plot. These options allow you to control many common customization options to distinguish the undeformed plot from the deformed plot when both shapes are displayed.

Plot state–dependent options affect such plot attributes as the contour intervals, limits, and colors (for example, color spectrums for contour plots or axis colors for material orientation plots). You control these attributes separately for each plot state using the options associated with that state. To choose the contour type, for example, you must use the Contour plot options. To do so, you can select OptionsContour from the main menu bar. Alternatively, you can use the Contour Options tool from the toolbox. The Options tools provide quick access to the plot state–dependent and plot state–independent customization options.

Plot state–dependent options affect only plots in the associated state. If you select axis colors from the material orientation plot options dialog box, those colors will affect only material orientation plots. If there is a material orientation plot in the current viewport, you will see the effect of your changes when you click Apply or OK in the material orientation plot options dialog box. However, if the current viewport does not contain a material orientation plot, you will not see the effect of your changes until you produce one.

Plot state–independent options affect plots across all plot states. For example, if you select ViewportViewport Annotation Options from the main menu bar to suppress the appearance of the view triad, the view triad will be suppressed for all plots. Settings in the Common Plot Options dialog box are also plot state–independent; when you change the render style in this dialog box, the new render style is used for all plots.

Superimpose options affect the undeformed plot when you superimpose an undeformed plot on a deformed plot in one of the plot states. For example, you can independently set the render style, edge display, and fill color; and you can apply an offset between the undeformed and deformed shape symbol plots when both are displayed.

Select FileSave Options from the main menu bar to save your plot state–dependent, plot state–independent, and superimpose customization options. Saving your customization options allows you to apply them to subsequent Abaqus/CAE sessions. For more information, see Saving your display options settings. For more information on the plot customization options available in the Visualization module, see Customizing plot display.