Path

A method that creates an object is called a constructor. The Abaqus C++ API uses the convention that constructors begin with an uppercase character. In contrast, methods that operate on an object begin with a lowercase character. The description of each constructor in the Abaqus Scripting Reference Guide includes a path to the command. For example, the following describes the path to the Part constructor:

odb.Part
Some constructors include more than one path. For example, you can create a nodeSet that is associated with either a Part object or the RootAssembly object, and each path is listed.
odb.parts()[name].NodeSet
odb.rootAssembly().NodeSet
The path is not listed if the method is not a constructor.

If you are using the Abaqus C++ API to read data from an output database, the objects exist when you open the output database, and you do not have to use constructors to create them. However, if you are creating or writing to an output database, you may need to use constructors to create new objects, such as part instances and steps. The documentation describes the path to the constructors that create objects in an output database.

For example, the Path description for the FieldOutput constructor is 

odb.steps()[name].frames(i).FieldOutput

The following statement creates a FieldOutput object: 

odb_StepContainer stepCon = odb.steps();
odb_Step step = stepCon["Side load"];
odb_SequenceFrame frameSeq = step.frames();
odb_Frame frame = frameSeq.Get( frameSeq.Size() -1 );
odb_FieldOutput& myFieldOutput = frame.FieldOutput("S",
    "stress", odb_Enum::TENSOR_3D_FULL);