What is a module?

Abaqus/CAE is divided into functional units called modules. Each module contains only those tools that are relevant to a specific portion of the modeling task. For example, the Mesh module contains only the tools needed to create finite element meshes, while the Job module contains only the tools used to create, edit, submit, and monitor analysis jobs. Abaqus/Viewer is a subset of Abaqus/CAE that contains only the Visualization module.

Related Topics
The context bar
What is a viewport?

You can select a module from the Module list in the context bar. Alternatively, you can select a module by switching to the context of a selected object in the Model Tree; for more information, see The Model Tree. The order of the modules in the menu and in the Model Tree corresponds to the logical sequence you follow to create a model. In many circumstances you must follow this natural progression to complete a modeling task; for example, you must create parts before you create an assembly. Although the order of the modules follows a logical sequence, Abaqus/CAE allows you to select any module at any time, regardless of the state of your model.

The following list of the modules available within Abaqus/CAE briefly describes the modeling tasks you can perform in each module. The order of the modules in the list corresponds to the order of the modules in the context bar's Module list and in the Model Tree:

Part

Create individual parts by sketching or importing their geometry. For more information, see The Part module.

Property

Create section and material definitions and assign them to regions of parts. For more information, see The Property module.

Assembly

Create and assemble part instances. For more information, see The Assembly module.

Step

Create and define the analysis steps and associated output requests. For more information, see The Step module.

Interaction

Specify the interactions, such as contact, between regions of a model. For more information, see The Interaction module.

Load

Specify loads, boundary conditions, and fields. For more information, see The Load module.

Mesh

Create a finite element mesh. For more information, see The Mesh module.

Optimization

Create and configure an optimization task. For more information, see The Optimization module.

Job

Submit a job for analysis and monitor its progress. For more information, see The Job module.

Visualization

View analysis results and selected model data. For more information, see Viewing results.

Sketch

Create two-dimensional sketches. For more information, see The Sketch module.

Modules can be classified by the objects that are displayed in the viewport. Parts are displayed when you are in the Part and Property modules; the assembly is displayed when you are in the Assembly, Step, Interaction, Load, Mesh, and Job modules; and output database results are displayed when you are in the Visualization module.

The contents of the main window change as you move between modules. Selecting a module from the Module list on the context bar or by switching to the context of a selected object in the Model Tree causes the context bar, module toolbox, and menu bar to change to reflect the functionality of the current module.

When you move between modules, Abaqus/CAE associates the current viewport with the module you select. You can have multiple viewports, and different viewports can be associated with different modules. As you select a viewport and make it current, the module associated with the viewport becomes the current module. For more information on moving between viewports, see Selecting viewports.