You can create local (or “session”) coordinate systems in the Visualization module for postprocessing purposes: field output results can be transformed to a specified user-defined coordinate system. These user-defined coordinate systems can be fixed in space or move with specified nodes as the model deforms. Session coordinate systems persist for the duration of your session only and are available only for a single output database; however, you can save session coordinate systems to their associated output database file for use in subsequent Abaqus sessions.

You can rename or delete session coordinate systems from the Coordinate System Manager or the Session Coordinate Systems container in the Results Tree for the current output database. You can also display, highlight, and hide individual coordinate systems by using their shortcuts from the Results Tree or by adding them to display groups. See “Managing display groups,” Section 78.2, for more information about adding both session-based and output database–based coordinate systems to display groups.

The following topics are covered:

• “An overview of the methods for creating a coordinate system,” Section 42.8.1

• “Creating a fixed coordinate system,” Section 42.8.2

• “Creating a coordinate system following three nodes,” Section 42.8.3

• “Creating a coordinate system following three nodes on a circle,” Section 42.8.4

• “Creating a coordinate system following a single node,” Section 42.8.5

• “Saving a coordinate system to an output database file,” Section 42.8.6

For information on controlling the display of all coordinate systems during postprocessing, see “Controlling the display of model entities,” Section 55.10. For information on controlling the display of individual coordinate systems during postprocessing, see “Managing display groups,” Section 78.2. For information on results transformation, see “Transforming results into a new coordinate system,” Section 42.6.8, and “Creating field output by operating on fields,” Section 42.7.4.