Abaqus/CAE can import part and assembly geometries from a variety of external sources and CAD systems. The associative interfaces for Abaqus/CAE provide straightforward and powerful techniques for importing geometry. More traditional techniques are also available for importing and exporting geometry using standard CAD file formats. Understanding the capabilities of each format, as well as the limitations of representing the geometry of a part in a file, will help you select the import or export technique that is appropriate for your application. The following topics are covered:

• “What kinds of files can be imported and exported from Abaqus/CAE?,” Section 10.1.1

• “What can I do with the associative interfaces?,” Section 10.1.2

• “What can I do with the Elysium plug-ins?,” Section 10.1.3

• “Importing an assembly,” Section 10.1.4

• “Know what you want as an end product,” Section 10.1.5

• “Vendors interpret the standards differently,” Section 10.1.6

• “How do solid modelers represent a solid?,” Section 10.1.7