The minimum and maximum values shown in a contour plot can be computed by Abaqus/CAE, or you can specify them. You may want to specify one or both limits; for example, to eliminate extremes or to examine variations within a fixed set of bounds.

Contours are shown on visible surfaces of your model only; however, depending on the type of contour plot and the result options that you select, contour values may be computed based on all elements in the current display group or on all elements in the model. (For more information, see “Selecting result options,” Section 42.6.) The reported minimum and maximum values may, therefore, occur at interior elements. You can display contours on the interior of your model by using display groups to show only the interior elements in the plot or by shrinking all elements about their centroids so that interior elements are visible between the bodies of exterior elements.

Abaqus/CAE computes the minimum and maximum values differently, according to the type of field output variable shown (nodal or element), the type of contour plot (quilt versus line or banded), and options you select. For contour plots of nodal field output variables, the limits are the maximum and minimum nodal values. For quilt-type contour plots, the limits are the maximum and minimum element face values. For line-, banded-, or isosurface-type contours of element field output variables, the minimum and maximum are determined by the extrapolated, averaged values as defined by the current averaging criteria.

When Abaqus/CAE computes the minimum and maximum over values averaged at the nodes, the limits are based on the values used to create the plot. In this case the legend bounds may vary as you vary the averaging criteria. To learn how to control the averaging criteria, see “Controlling result averaging,” Section 42.6.6.

You can also control which contour limits are used for each frame of a contour plot animation: the limits computed for the first and last frame, the limits computed for the current frame, the recomputed limits for each individual frame, or the limits computed for all frames in the animation. Computing limits based on all frames in the animation requires one full pass through the animation sequence to establish the contour limits used for subsequent passes through the animation.

For detailed information on controlling contour limits, see “Setting contour limits,” Section 44.5.7. To learn how to display the minimum and maximum values associated with your contour plot, see “Customizing the legend,” Section 56.1.