The Mdb object is the high-level Abaqus model database. A model database stores models and analysis controls.
mdb
This constructor creates an empty Mdb object.
Mdb
Required arguments
Optional argument
A String specifying the path to be used when the model database is saved to a file. If you do not provide a file extension, .cae is appended automatically to the path. The default value is an empty string.
Return value
A Mdb object.
Exceptions
This method creates a ConstrainedSketch object from a file containing dxf-format (AutoCAD) geometry. Only a limited number of entities are supported. This format should be used only if no other formats are available.
importDxf
Required argument
A String specifying the path to the dxf file to open.
Optional arguments
Return value
A Mdb object.
Exceptions
This method opens an existing model database file.
openMdb
Required argument
A String specifying the path to the model database file to open. If you do not provide a file extension, Abaqus/CAE attempts to open the file with .cae appended to the path.
Optional arguments
Return value
An Mdb object.
Exceptions
If the file is an invalid model database:
If the file contains a model database from an Abaqus release other than the Abaqus release you are currently running:
If the model database file is already opened in write mode:
If the command fails to open the model database file for reasons not mentioned above:
This method creates an AcisFile object from a file containing ACIS-format geometry. This object is subsequently used by the PartFromGeometryFile method.
openAcis
Required argument
A String specifying the path to the ACIS file to open.
Optional argument
A Boolean specifying whether to scale, rotate, and translate the part using the transform read from the ACIS file. The default value is OFF.
Return value
An AcisFile object.
Exceptions
File is from a newer version of ACIS than the CAE kernel.
The data in the ACIS file are corrupted.
This method creates an AcisFile object from a file containing CATIA V4-format or V5–format geometry. This object is subsequently used by the PartFromGeometryFile method.
openCatia
Required argument
A String specifying the path to the CATIA file to open.
Optional arguments
A SymbolicConstant specifying the topology of the data to be read from the file and of the part to be created. Possible values are SOLID, SHELL, and WIRE. If topology=SOLID, Abaqus/CAE attempts to attach cells to create a solid. If topology=SHELL, Abaqus/CAE builds the body as a shell entity and not as a solid entity. If a CATIA V4-format file contains different topologies, only the selected topology is imported from the file. The default value is SOLID.
A SymbolicConstant specifying whether the original units should be retained. Possible values are ON and OFF. The default value is OFF.
A Boolean specifying whether to combine the bodies in the CATPart file. If the bodies to be combined touch or overlap, invalid entities would result. For V4–format and CATProduct files, this option will be ignored.
Return value
An AcisFile object.
Exceptions
This method creates anAcisFile object from a file containing Elysium Neutral File-format geometry that was created by CATIA V5, I-DEAS, or Pro/ENGINEER. This object is subsequently used by the PartFromGeometryFile method.
openEnf
Required arguments
A String specifying the path to the Elysium Neutral File that was created by I-DEAS, Pro/ENGINEER, or CATIA V5.
A String specifying the type of CAD system that created the file. Possible values are “ideas”, “proe”, or “catiav5”.
Optional arguments
A SymbolicConstant specifying the topology of the data to be read from the file and of the part to be created. Possible values are SOLID, SHELL, and WIRE. If topology=SOLID, Abaqus/CAE attempts to attach cells to create a solid. If topology=SHELL, Abaqus/CAE builds the body as a shell entity and not as a solid entity. The default value is SOLID.
A Boolean specifying if the dimensions of the part should be converted to millimeters. The default value is OFF.
Return value
An AcisFile object.
Exceptions
This method creates an AcisFile object from a file containing IGES-format geometry. This object is subsequently used by the PartFromGeometryFile method.
openIges
Required argument
A String specifying the path to the IGES file to open.
Optional arguments
A SymbolicConstant specifying the method used to define the trim curves that bound parametric surfaces. Possible values are:
The default value is DEFAULT.
DEFAULT, use either of the following as specified by the contents of the IGES file.
PARAMETRIC_DATA, use the parameter space of the surface being trimmed.
THREED_DATA, use real space—the coordinate system of the part along with an indication that the trim curve lies on the parametric surface.
A SymbolicConstant specifying whether the imported geometry needs to be scaled using the units information available in the IGES file. Possible values are ON and OFF. The default value is OFF. When the argument is set to ON, the geometry is scaled to millimeters with respect to the unit system specified in the IGES file.
A Boolean specifying if the IGES file contains MSBO (Manifold Solid B-Rep Object) entities. The default value is False.
A sequence of Ints specifying the levels or layers of entities that will be translated from the IGES file to build the part. The default is to include all the layers.
A SymbolicConstant specifying the topology of the data to be read from the file and of the part to be created. Possible values are SOLID, SHELL, and WIRE. If topology=SOLID, Abaqus/CAE attempts to attach cells to create a solid. If topology=SHELL, Abaqus/CAE builds the body as a shell entity and not as a solid entity. The default value is SOLID.
A SymbolicConstant specifying whether the imported wires need to be united or not. Possible values are ON andOFF. The default value is ON. When importing a sketch, this value is set to OFF.
Return value
An AcisFile object.
Exceptions
The data in the IGES file are corrupted.
This method creates anAcisFile object from a file containing Parasolid-format geometry. This object is subsequently used by the PartFromGeometryFile method.
openParasolid
Required argument
A String specifying the path to the Parasolid file to open.
Optional argument
A SymbolicConstant specifying the topology of the data to be read from the file and of the part to be created. Possible values are SOLID, SHELL, and WIRE. If topology=SOLID, Abaqus/CAE attempts to attach cells to create a solid. If topology=SHELL, Abaqus/CAE builds the body as a shell entity and not as a solid entity. The default value is SOLID.
Return value
An AcisFile object.
Exceptions
This method creates an AcisFile object from a file containing STEP-format geometry. This object is subsequently used by the PartFromGeometryFile method.
openStep
Required argument
A String specifying the path to the STEP file to open.
Optional argument
A Float specifying the scaling factor to apply to the imported geometric entities. The default value is 1.0.
Return value
An AcisFile object.
Exceptions
The data in the STEP file are corrupted.
This method creates an AcisFile object from a file containing VDA-FS-format geometry. This object is subsequently used by the PartFromGeometryFile method.
openVda
Required argument
A String specifying the path to the VDA-FS file to open.
Optional arguments
Return value
An AcisFile object.
Exceptions
The data in the VDA-FS file are corrupted.
This method closes an open Mdb object but does not save the Mdb object to disk. After closing the Mdb object, this method creates a new unnamed empty Mdb object.
Arguments
Return value
Exceptions
This method saves an Mdb object to disk at the location specified by pathName (pathName is a member of the Mdb object).
Arguments
Return value
Exceptions
If pathName is empty:
If pathName is abaqus.cae:
If the command fails to save the Mdb object to disk for reasons not mentioned above:
This method saves an Mdb object to disk at the specified location.
Required argument
A String specifying the path to be used when the model database is saved to a file. If you do not provide a file extension, .cae is appended automatically to the path.
Optional arguments
Return value
Exceptions
If pathName is abaqus.cae:
If the command fails to save the Mdb object to disk for reasons not mentioned above:
This method opens an auxiliary Mdb object on the disk at the specified location. This enables models from the auxiliary Mdb object to be copied into the current Mdb.
Required argument
A String specifying the path to the auxiliary Mdb which is to be opened. If you do not provide a file extension, .cae is appended automatically to the path.
Optional arguments
Return value
Exceptions
If the file is an invalid model database:
If the file contains a model database from an Abaqus release other than the Abaqus release you are currently running:
If the command fails to open the model database file for reasons not mentioned above:
This method closes the auxiliary Mdb which had been opened earlier using the openAuxMdb command.
Arguments
Return value
Exceptions
If the auxiliary Mdb was not opened earlier.
This method returns a list of model names present in the auxiliary Mdb which had been opened earlier using the openAuxMdb command.
Arguments
Return value
A list of model names present in the auxiliaryMdb
Exceptions
If the auxiliary Mdb was not opened earlier.
This method copies a specified model from the auxiliary Mdb which had been opened earlier using the openAuxMdb command.
Required argument
A String specifying the model name in the auxiliary Mdb which is to be copied.
Optional argument
A String specifying the name to be given to the model after it is copied into the Mdb. If this argument is not specified toName is assumed to be the same as fromName. If a model with name toName already exists in Mdb, it is overwritten.
Return value
Exceptions
If the auxiliary Mdb was not opened earlier.
If the model fromName does not exist in the auxiliary Mdb.
The Mdb object has members with the same names and descriptions as the arguments to the Mdb method.
In addition, the Mdb object can have the following members:
An Int specifying the release number of the Mdb object in memory.
A Float specifying the value of a counter associated with the Mdb object. The counter indicates when the Mdb object was last changed.
A repository of Job objects.
A repository of AdaptivityProcess objects.
A repository of Coexecution objects.
A repository of OptimizationProcess objects.
A MeshEditOptions object specifying the undo/redo behavior when editing meshes on parts or part instances.
A repository of Model objects.
A RepositorySupport object.
A repository of Annotation objects.