Customizing the ODB Reader

The HyperView ODB reader can be customized by using the Reader Options dialog in the Load Model panel.

The Reader Options dialog partially creates an environment variable in the background. If such a variable is already set, the dialog will read the variable while opening.

Auto-upgrade older ODB Files

The Abaqus ODB API cannot read an older version ODB file without first upgrading it to the latest format. The Auto Upgrade option specifies whether the file is to be upgraded automatically during import.

FALSE (default): No automatic upgrade. Manually upgrade the file using the Abaqus ODB Upgrade tool.
TRUE: HyperView will automatically upgrade the file during import. A temporary file will be created and saved in the user folder. This file will, however, will be deleted automatically when HyperView is closed.

Cache Data

When this option is enabled, the ODB reader will request HyperView to cache the data. HyperView in most cases will fulfill that request. This leads to better performance if the same data is requested multiple times.

For example:

the user plots "S- Global Stress - VonMises" then enables "Simple Averaging" (will use cached data) and then contours "S-Global Stress-P1(Major)" (will use cached data)

Delay Closing ODB Files

HyperView does not release a file from memory unless a new file is loaded. This improves the performance of multiple opening and closing operations on the same file. However, this might cause problems for a partially-complete ODB file. When you try to re-load a partially-complete ODB file, it might not show the new results. This option controls this "closure delay" functionality.

TRUE: The ODB reader will delay the file closure until a new file is loaded. Use this option when you want to open and close the same file with same data multiple times.
FALSE (default): The ODB reader will not delay the file closure. Instead, it will release memory as soon as the file is closed. Use this option when you want to load the same file with new data.

Element Result Position

This option specifies how elemental results are read in from the ODB file. It has four possible values:

ALL (default): Reads both extrapolated corner (POSITION = NODES) and integration point (POSITION = INTEGRATION POINTS) results.
AUTO: Reads extrapolated corner (NODES Supporting_Results_at_Position_CENTROIDAL) result for Abaqus Standard analysis and integration point results for Explicit analysis.
EXTRAPOLATE: Reads extrapolated corner (POSITION = NODES) result only.
INT.POINTS: Reads integration point (POSITION = INTEGRATION POINTS) results only.

Optimize Reading Data Types

This option is recommended if post-processing of ODB result files is getting slow due to many steps and increments in the result file and times for switching steps are getting unacceptable.

TRUE: Results will be read only on demand to plot a Step/Increment selected by the user.
FALSE: If this parameter is set, HyperView reads the entire file to gather information about Steps and Increments.

Read Data Types from All Frames

This option considers merging data types from all frames.

TRUE: Brings in data types from all frames.
FALSE: Does not bring in data types from all frames.

Import sets from ODB

To access sets contained in the ODB result file, you can choose from five options:

None
Error and Warning sets
Instance sets
Assembly sets
All

This is helpful especially when warning or error messages point to sets from the DAT file during analysis. Also, node and element sets as defined by the user in the input deck are accessible.

Group contact results

This option allows you to specify if HyperView should group contact results during import.

TRUE: For standard analysis, contact results of various contact pairs are grouped to one item in the result list. If SPOS/SNEG values are present in the surface definition, an SPOS and SNEG result group will be created. This is the default value.
FALSE: For each contact definition a separate contact result will be provided in result lists.

Support Gasket Element

This option is recommended if the post-processing of ODB result files is slow due to many steps and increments in the result file, and the times for switching steps is unacceptable.

TRUE: For both GK3D12M and GK3D18N, the missing mid side nodes are created and results are read.
FALSE: If this parameter is set, HyperView will not create the mid side node for gasket elements.

Support cylinder surface elements

This option is recommended if the ODB result files consists of cylindrical surface and cylindrical solid elements, especially in a symmetric model.

TRUE: The elements of the type SFMCL6, SFMCL9, CCL9, CCL9H, CCL12, CCL12H, CCL18, CCL18H, CCL24, CCL24H, CCL24R, CCL24RH will be supported.
FALSE: The cylindrical surface and solid elements as mentioned above will not be supported.

Rescan empty subcases with no datatypes

This option controls whether subcases with no data types needs to be rescanned while post-processing the ODB file. Setting it to false may improve performance by avoiding rescanning of the files.

TRUE: Subcases with no datatypes are re-scanned, depending upon user requests.
FALSE (default): The subcases with no datatypes are scanned only once.

Support element face results

Use this option to set the support for element face result. The default option is false; importing any odb with element face results will not be displayed with the default option.0

Default ODB version

Use this option to set one of the supported Abaqus releases as the default ODB version. Setting a default version is useful if the most commonly used Abaqus version is different from the latest provided reader. When using the Abaqus ODB upgrade option from the menu bar or Windows Start Menu, it will be the version the ODB file is upgraded to.