Map Field Results between SIM Database Files

The abaqus sim_mapper utility uses data in configuration files to determine specifications used in the mapper. The configuration file must be in .xml format, and it can have the following types of elements:

• The <MTKMapper> element specifies the scope of mapping specifications. One or more fields can be specified within this scope. This element has to be specified as the first section.

• The <mapField> element specifies the mapping specifications of a field. It is uniquely identified by its attribute variable, which specifies the name of the variable to be mapped. There can be one or more fields in the same configuration file. It can have the following types of elements:

  • The <stepIndex> element specifies the step number from which the field data are mapped. The step number has to be greater or equal to one. This section is optional. If no step number is specified or a negative value is specified, the last step will be used.

  • The <frameIndex> element specifies the frame number from which the field data are mapped. This section is optional. If no frame number is specified or a negative value is specified, then the last frame from the step will be used.

  • The <sourceVar> element specifies the name of the variable to be mapped. This section is required. An error message will be issued if the variable field does not exist in the source SIM output database.

  • The <targetVar> element specifies the name of the variable on the target mesh with mapped field data. This section is required. The variable name has to be from the list of Abaqus output variables.

  • The <sourcePosition> element specifies the position of the field data on the source mesh. This section is required. The source position has to be one of the following values: UNIQUE_NODAL, INTEGRATION_POINT and ELEMENT_CENTROID. An error message will be issued if the variable field does not exist at the specified location in the source SIM output database.

  • The <targetPosition> element specifies the position of the field data on the target mesh. This section is required. The target position has to be one of the following values: UNIQUE_NODAL, INTEGRATION_POINT and ELEMENT_CENTROID.

  • The <sourceESet> element specifies the element set containing all the elements in the source region. This section is optional. If this section is specified, the node set specified in the <sourceNSet> element is ignored. If unspecified, elements containing nodes specified in the <sourceNSet> element will be included in the source mesh. If the <sourceNSet> element is also unspecified, all the elements in the source SIM output database will be included in the source mesh.

  • The <sourceNSet> element specifies the node set containing all the nodes in the source region. This section is optional.

  • The <targetESet> element specifies the element set containing all the elements in the target region. This section is optional. If this section is specified, the node set specified in the <targetNSet> element is ignored. If unspecified, elements containing nodes specified in the <targetNSet> element will be included in the source mesh. If the <targetNSet> element is also unspecified, all the elements in the source SIM output database will be included in the target mesh.

  • The <targetNSet> element specifies the node set containing all the nodes in the target region. This section is optional.

  • The <mapSpec> element specifies controls for the mapper. This section is optional, and it can include the following types of elements:

    • The <tensorAveraging> element specifies the averaging method used in the mapper. This section is only relevant if tensor quantities are mapped. It can have the following values: Components (default), Invariants and EigenValue.
    • The <weighting> element specifies the approach used to compute weighting factors. This element can have the following values: Interpolate (default) and VolumeAvg.
    • The <defaultValue> element specifies default unmapped field value. A default value of zero is used if this section is not defined. The mapper assigns this value at any target points for which it cannot find a source point from which to map. If the mapped field is a tensor, the number of components specified in this section has to be consistent with the mapped field.
    • The <search> element specifies search controls for the mapper. The parameter isAbsolute is used to specify whether absolute or relative quantities are used to specify the tolerances. The parameter isAbsolute is false by default. This section can have the following subsection.
      • The <boundarySearch> element specifies the distance within which a source data point must lie, outside the target region. The default value is 0.01 (of the average element size).

  • The <transform_matrix> element is used to specify the transformation of the source region before mapping using directly the transform matrix. This section is optional. The components of the rotation matrix are specified in the subelement <rij> (i = 1, 2, 3; j = 1, 2, 3). The components of the translation vector are specified in the subelement <ti> (i = 1, 2, 3). If both the rotation matrix and translation vector are specified, then the source region is rotated first before translation.
  • The <transform_3point> element is used to specify the transformation of the source region before mapping using 3 points on the source and target mesh. These 3 points cannot be colinear and are used to define a local system. This section is optional. The coordinates of the nodes on the source mesh are specified in the subelement <snodeij> (i = 1, 2, 3; j = x, y, z). The coordinates of the nodes on the target mesh are specified in the subelement <tnodeij> (i = 1, 2, 3; j = x, y, z).

The following example illustrates the structure of the configuration file for the abq sim_mapper utility.

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
Your XML file declaration may differ from this one.
<MTKMapper>
    <mapField variable = "variable-name">      
          <stepIndex>step-index</stepIndex>
          <frameIndex>frame-index</frameIndex>
          <sourceVar>source-variable-name</sourceVar>
          <targetVar>target-variable-name</targetVar>
          <sourcePosition>source-location-of-the-variable</sourcePosition>
          <targetPosition>target-location-of-the-variable</targetPosition>
          <sourceESet>element-set-containing-the-source-region</sourceESet>
          <sourceNSet>node-set-containing-the-source-region</sourceNSet>
          <targetESet>element-set-containing-the-target-region</targetESet>
          <targetNSet>node-set-containing-the-target-region</targetNSet>
          <mapSpec>The mapping specifications are optional.
             <search isAbsolute="false">
               <boundarySearch>search-tolerance</boundarySearch>
             </search>
          </mapSpec>
          The mapSpec element is optional. You only need to include
          this element if you want to use non-default map controls.
    </mapField>
      Repeat this block if multiple fields are mapped.
</MTKMapper>

A tensor field is sometimes specified in a local system. When mapping such a tensor field, the mapper transforms the tensor from local to global system using the orientation data from the source SIM database. In the meantime, the orientation field is mapped from the source mesh onto the target mesh using the quaternions. The mapped tensor field is then transformed to the local system using the mapped orientation field on the target mesh.