In the Visualization module you can selectively control the display of analysis constraints using display groups and the ODB Display Options dialog box. These controls are useful when debugging models that contain large numbers of constraints. By turning the display of some constraints on and off, you can more easily understand complex models.
There are two levels of controls for showing or hiding constraints:
You must first add the desired constraints to a display group for them to be visible in the viewport. You can create and edit display groups to include or exclude different constraints. See “Creating or editing a display group,” Section 78.2.1, for more information about display groups.
Different types of constraints can be selected or hidden in the Constraints tab of the ODB Display Options dialog box. From the main menu bar, select View
ODB Display Options to access these options.
tie constraints
rigid body constraints (ties and pins only)
shell-to-solid couplings
distributing couplings
kinematic couplings
multi-point constraints
Note: These types of constraints are created in the Interaction module, not the Assembly module. See “Understanding constraints,” Section 15.5, for more information.
Table 55–1 shows how each type of constraint is displayed by Abaqus/CAE.
Table 55–1 How constraints are shown in the viewport.
| Constraint type | Display in viewport |
|---|---|
| Tie | Spidering of red lines drawn between the nodes on the master and slave surfaces of the constraint. |
| Rigid body | The rigid body regions (elements, nodes, or surfaces) are highlighted in the viewport. |
| Shell-to-solid coupling | Spidering of yellow lines drawn between the nodes on the shell edge and the solid face. |
| Distributing coupling | Spidering of orange lines drawn between the control point and the coupling points (nodes) in the constraint region. |
| Kinematic coupling | Spidering of purple lines drawn between the control point and the coupling points (nodes) in the constraint region. |
| Multi-point constraint (Abaqus/Explicit only) | The nodes comprising the multi-point constraint are connected with yellow lines. |
You can change the default colors of the constraint spider lines in the Color Code dialog box. For more information, see “Coloring constraints in the Visualization module,” Section 77.7.
