To be able to see the symbols representing a mapped field, you must first mesh your model before applying the load, interaction, or predefined field.

The points used for symbol display on mapped fields are the native or orphan mesh nodes or elements that will be used in the analysis. If a native mesh is not present, the symbols will be displayed unscaled. In addition, if the mapping fails due to an error (for example, unsupported element types or incorrect tolerances), the symbols will also be displayed unscaled.

In these cases a message appears in the message area indicating an error in the evaluation. As a visual cue to indicate that there is an error, the symbols displayed in the viewport are no longer scaled and are displayed at the points they would be when scaling is turned off. You can try to fix the mapping by remeshing or by changing the symbol density settings, which prompts Abaqus/CAE to select a different set of points to use for symbol display. For more information on changing the symbol density settings, see “Controlling the display of attributes,” Section 76.15.