You can use the Query toolset to obtain nodal data and either the values of attributes in the selected model or analysis results from the selected model plot. As you position the cursor over a node in the model or in the model plot in the current viewport, Abaqus/CAE highlights the node. You can choose to display the following information about the node in the data table:
the node's label,
the node's original coordinates,
the node's deformed coordinates (using the current deformed field output variable),
the elements sharing the node, and
the current field output variable (including component values, if the current field output variable is a tensor or vector quantity). If a model is selected in the current viewport, the current field output variable reflects the value of a model attribute such as a load at the selected node.
Note: You can display or hide any of the columns in the table by clicking mouse button 3 in the table, selecting Edit Visible Columns, and toggling any of the columns in the dialog box that appears.
You can also obtain a node's data by entering its node label directly, and you can obtain data for all the nodes included in a selected display group. These methods enable you to probe nodal data without positioning the cursor over its location in the model plot.
When you add a node to the data table, you can toggle on the check box for that row to display a probe annotation in the viewport for that node, or you can toggle on the check box in the header row to display probe annotations for all selected nodes. Probe annotations display the node's label and the results at the node for the current field output variable. You can customize the font and color of the annotation text.
To help locate nodes in the viewport, you may want to produce a model plot with node symbols visible before using the Query toolset. For more information, see “Customizing node symbols,” Section 55.5.5.
To probe nodes:
Locate the Probe Values dialog box.
In the Visualization module toolbox, click 
. The Probe Values dialog box appears.
Select the step, frame, field output variable, and result options governing the probe data and results Abaqus/CAE will display. If you are probing data from the current model database, frame selections are not available, and your selection of field output variable is an attribute from the model displayed in the current viewport.
In the Probe Values dialog box, the Field Output field identifies the current step, frame, and field output variable.
To change the step or frame, click 
.
To change the field output variable, click 
.
To change the result options, select Result
Options from the main menu.
In the Probe Values portion of the dialog box, do the following:
Click the Probe arrow, and select Nodes.
If the current primary output variable is a tensor or vector variable, click the Components arrow and do either of the following:
For tensor variables choose Selected to display only the selected component of the variable, All Direct to include all direct components of the tensor variable in the query, or All Principals to include all principal invariants of the tensor variable in the query.
For vector variables choose Selected to display only the selected component of the variable or All to include all components of the vector tensor variable in the query.
Note: If you choose the All Direct or All Principals option for tensor variables, the results averaging option Compute scalars before averaging is not valid; the scalars or invariants are always computed after averaging.
The types of node information available are displayed in the columns of the data table.
Click mouse button 3 anywhere in the data table, select Edit Visible Columns from the list that appears, and toggle on the node information types that you want to display as columns in the data table.
When a desired information type is toggled on, Abaqus/CAE displays that type of data as a column in the data table. However, all columns, visible or not, are included in the probe values output file.
Note: Field output is available only if the current primary variable is an element-based variable, such as stress or strain.
To specify the nodes that you want to probe, choose Select from viewport, Key-in label, or Select a display group, and use one of the following techniques:
Select the nodes directly from the viewport:
Move the cursor to probe the model plot in the current viewport.
As you position the cursor over a node, Abaqus/CAE displays the values of the items you have requested in the first row of the data table.
To select and accumulate values of interest, and to allow subsequent writing of these values to a file, click mouse button 1 while positioning the cursor over a node.
Abaqus/CAE stores the data from the first row of the data table into the storage rows of the data table.
Enter the node labels directly into the table:
Click the Part instance arrow, and select the part instance from which you want to select node labels.
Enter the node label or labels that you want to include. You can specify multiple node labels at the same time by separating them with commas.
Select the nodes included in a display group:
Click the Display group arrow, and select the display group containing the nodes that you want to include in your query.
If you change your selection of display group, Abaqus/CAE replaces the contents of the data table with nodes from the newly selected display group.
If desired, append additional nodes to your list by selecting them from the viewport or keying them in by node label.
Repeat the node selection steps until the data table in the Probe Values dialog box includes all the nodes you want to query.
To delete data from the data table or to clear or sort the table, click mouse button 3. For more information, see “Entering tabular data,” Section 3.2.7.
To create a display group using the nodes in the data table, do the following:
Click mouse button 3 in the data table, and select Create Display Group from the menu that appears.
The Create Display Group dialog box appears.
Enter a name for the new display group, and click OK.
To display probe annotations for any of the nodes in the data table, toggle on the check box for the rows corresponding to the nodes you want to annotate or toggle on the check box in the header row to display probe annotations for all selected nodes.
Note: You can customize the color and font for probe annotations of nodes in the Common Plot Options dialog box. For more information, see “Overview of common plot options,” Section 43.3.
To save the data you have selected, click Write to File. For more information, see Chapter 54, “Generating tabular data reports.”
To exit probe mode, do one of the following:
Click the cancel 
button in the prompt area.
Click Cancel in the Probe Values dialog box.
Click mouse button 2.
Produce a plot in some other (e.g. undeformed, deformed) mode.
