Abaqus Keywords Reference Guide  
How to find keyword examples

*DISTRIBUTION
Define spatial distributions.

This option is used to define a spatial distribution.

Products: Abaqus/Standard  Abaqus/Explicit  Abaqus/CFD  Abaqus/CAE  

Type: Model data

Level: Part,  Part instance,  Assembly,  Model  

Abaqus/CAE: Property module

References:

Required parameters:

LOCATION

Set LOCATION=ELEMENT to define a distribution on elements.

Set LOCATION=NODE to define a distribution on nodes.

Set LOCATION=FACE to define a distribution on element faces.

Set LOCATION=NONE to define a distribution used with a pressure-volume fluid boundary condition.

NAME

Set this parameter equal to a label that will be used to refer to the distribution.

TABLE

Set this parameter equal to the distribution table that defines the format of the data given on the data lines.

Optional parameter:

INPUT

Set this parameter equal to the name of the alternate input file containing the data lines for this option. See “Input syntax rules,” Section 1.2.1 of the Abaqus Analysis User's Guide, for the syntax of such file names. If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed that the data follow the keyword line.

Data lines to define a distribution of the coordinates of points a and b used to define a local coordinate system: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent data lines.

  2. X-coordinate of point a.

  3. Y-coordinate of point a.

  4. Z-coordinate of point a.

  5. X-coordinate of point b.

  6. Y-coordinate of point b.

  7. Z-coordinate of point b.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of additional rotation angles used to define a local coordinate system: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent data lines.

  2. Angle (in degrees).

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of shell or membrane thickness: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent data lines.

  2. Shell or membrane thickness.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of shell offset: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent data lines.

  2. Shell offset.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of general section stiffnesses: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent uses of this data line.

  2. .

  3. .

  4. .

  5. .

  6. .

  7. .

  8. .

Second line:

  1. .

  2. .

  3. .

  4. .

  5. .

  6. .

  7. .

  8. .

Third line:

  1. .

  2. .

  3. .

  4. .

  5. .

  6. .

Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of initial contact clearances: 

First line:

  1. Node number or node set. Default data are not allowed.

  2. Initial clearance.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary.

Data lines to define a distribution of isotropic elastic moduli: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent uses of this data line.

  2. E.

  3. .

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of orthotropic elastic moduli: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent uses of this data line.

  2. .

  3. .

  4. .

  5. .

  6. .

  7. .

  8. .

Second line:

  1. .

  2. .

Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of orthotropic elastic moduli using engineering constants: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent uses of this data line.

  2. .

  3. .

  4. .

  5. .

  6. .

  7. .

  8. .

Second line:

  1. .

  2. .

Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of orthotropic elastic moduli in plane stress: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent data lines.

  2. .

  3. .

  4. .

  5. .

  6. . This shear modulus is needed to define transverse shear behavior in shells.

  7. . This shear modulus is needed to define transverse shear behavior in shells.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of anisotropic elastic moduli: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent uses of this data line.

  2. .

  3. .

  4. .

  5. .

  6. .

  7. .

  8. .

Second line:

  1. .

  2. .

  3. .

  4. .

  5. .

  6. .

  7. .

  8. .

Third line:

  1. .

  2. .

  3. .

  4. .

  5. .

  6. .

Repeat this set of data lines as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of mass density: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent data lines.

  2. Density.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of isotropic thermal expansion: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent data lines.

  2. .

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of orthotropic thermal expansion: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent data lines.

  2. .

  3. .

  4. . (Not used for plane stress case.)

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution of anisotropic thermal expansion: 

First line:

  1. Blank space to define default data for the first use of this data line. Element number or element set for subsequent data lines.

  2. .

  3. .

  4. . (Not used for plane stress case.)

  5. .

  6. .

  7. .

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for element numbers or element sets.

Data lines to define a distribution that varies over element faces in Abaqus/CFD: 

First line:

  1. Element number or element set. Default data are not allowed.

  2. Face number.

  3. Element face quantity.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data on element faces.

Data lines to define a distribution of pressure that varies with the total volume of fluid crossing a surface in Abaqus/CFD: 

First line when specifying pressure first:

  1. Pressure.

  2. Volume.

First line when specifying volume first:

  1. Volume.

  2. Pressure.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define the data for pressure and volume.