To create a display group, you first select the particular items of interest. You can then perform Boolean operations on your selection and the contents of the current viewport. When you create a display group, you can choose at any time to save either the contents of the current viewport or the items selected in the dialog box (if applicable). You must save a display group to do any of the following:
Plot the display group later in the session.
Apply the display group to a different model or to a different viewport.
Edit, copy, or rename the display group.
Plot multiple display groups in the same viewport in the Visualization module.
Note: Saved display groups are not updated to reflect changes made to the model, such as adding, deleting, or suppressing features or partitioning a part; such changes may invalidate display groups created with respect to the original model.
You can edit the combination of model components in a previously saved display group. Editing a display group is similar to creating a display group: in both cases you can select model components and then apply Boolean operations on your selection and the contents of the current viewport. When you select a display group to edit, the contents of the current viewport update to show the selected display group. You use the display in the current viewport to determine the model components in the group you are editing; you cannot list the model components. When you are finished editing, all viewports that use the display group will be updated.
To create or edit a display group:
Locate the options for creating or editing a display group.
To create a display group, select Tools
Display GroupCreate from the main menu bar.
Tip:
You can also create a display group by clicking the 
tool in the Display Group toolbar.
The Create Display Group dialog box appears.
To edit a previously saved display group, select ToolsDisplay GroupEdit from the main menu bar. From the menu that appears, select the display group you want to edit.
The Edit Display Group dialog box appears.
Tip:
You can also use the display group manager to create or edit a display group. From the main menu bar, select ToolsDisplay GroupManager to display the manager for the current module. To create a display group, click Create. To edit a display group, select it from the list and double-click on it or click Edit.
From the Item list at the top left of the dialog box, select the type of model component to use for the display group (as available for the current module): Cells, Faces, Edges, Datums, Assembly wires, Reference points, Elements, Nodes, Sets, Surfaces, Part instances, Display groups, Internal Sets, Internal Surfaces, Coordinate systems, Ties, Shell-to-solid couplings, Distributing couplings, Kinematic couplings, or Rigid bodies. You can select All to specify all objects in the current part, assembly, or output database when you are creating a new display group.
Abaqus/CAE refreshes the Method list and the right side of the dialog box. If you select All, these fields are empty and no further item specification is necessary. If the item that you select has only one selection method, Abaqus/CAE immediately enters the required selection mode. For example, if you select Cells, Abaqus/CAE immediately enters the viewport selection mode.
Choose a selection method from the Method list; and/or select the specific items for the display group by picking from the viewport, selecting items from the list that appears on the right side of the dialog box, or entering data in the right side of the dialog box. See “Selection methods for creating or editing a display group,” Section 78.2.2, for more detailed information.
Tip: If your model contains many items of a particular type, you can use the filter to reduce the number of item names displayed on the right side of the Create Display Group dialog box. Click the Tip button next to the Filter field to see examples of valid filtering syntax.
Certain items can be highlighted in the viewport to verify your selection. Toggle Highlight items in viewport if available.
Toggle Show common list between linked viewports to display items common to all linked viewports in the Method list. For Part instances, viewports containing model databases or output databases are considered; for other model components, only viewports containing output databases are considered.
From the icons in the bottom portion of the dialog box, click the desired Boolean operation (see “Understanding display group Boolean operations,” Section 78.1.2, for more information).
Abaqus/CAE carries out the selected Boolean operation on the model components you have selected in the dialog box and the contents of the current viewport.
Repeat steps beginning with Step 2 as needed to produce the desired display group.
If you are creating a new display group, you can choose to save it at any time.
To save the contents of the current viewport as a display group, click Save As; then enter a name for the display group in the dialog box that appears, and click OK.
Abaqus/CAE saves the contents of the current viewport (regardless of what is selected in the dialog box) as a display group.
If model components are selected in the Create Display Group dialog box, you can save the selected components as a display group. Click Save Selection As; then enter a name for the display group in the dialog box that appears, and click OK.
Abaqus/CAE saves only the components selected in the dialog box (regardless of what is displayed in the current viewport) as a display group.
Click Dismiss to close the Create Display Group dialog box or OK to close the Edit Display Group dialog box.
