Abaqus output database (.odb extension) is a binary file native to Abaqus. To access the data from ODB file, without reverse engineering, is to use official Abaqus APIs which are provided in Python or C++. This project provides a converter implemented in Python and C++. The C++ version is considerably faster than the Python version but it needs proper configuration to successfully build from the source. This work is inspired by Liujie. And all other similar work doesn't satisfy my needs since I need a converter which is more general and extensible. So I ended up implement my own version of it. This converter will:
- Convert all the field outputs which exist in the ODB file.
- Convert data at integrations points / section points and material orientation.
- Map Abaqus element to VTK cell at your will.
If you want to know more about the design of ODB2VTK, checkout this article.
ODB2VTK is a command line tool which uses Abaqus Python. So Abaqus must be installed to use this tool.
abaqus python odb2vtk.py --header 1 --odbFile <my_odb_file_path>/my_odb_file.odb
This will open the odb file, extract instances, steps, and frames, and save them into a JSON file in the same directory of the odb file.
abaqus python odb2vtk.py --header 0 --instance "Part-1" --step "Step-1:0,1" --odbFile <my_odb_file_path>/my_odb_file.odb
With 0 passed to header, it will write vtu data for instance "Part-1" at "Step-1" with frame number 0 and 1.
abaqus python odb2vtk.py --header 0 --instance "Part-1" "Part-2" --step "Step-1:0,1" "Step-2:0,1,2,3,4,5" "Step-3:0,1,2,3" --odbFile <my_odb_file_path>/my_odb_file.odb
The above command will convert frame 0 to 1 in step 1, 0 to 5 in step 2, and 0 to 3 in step 3 for instance "Part-1" and "Part-2".
python multiprocess.py --header 0 --instance "Part-1" "Part-2" --step "Step-1:1" "Step-3:2" --odbFile <my_odb_file_path>/my_odb_file.odb
The above command utilizes multiprocessing in Python to spawn multiple abaqus python call in parallel. Another script multiprocess.py is provided for this purpose. It will split the frame in a one .vtu file per frame pattern and equivalent to the following three commands executed in parallel.
abaqus python odb2vtk.py --header 0 --instance "Part-1" "Part-2" --step "Step-1:1" --odbFile <my_odb_file_path>/my_odb_file.odb
abaqus python odb2vtk.py --header 0 --instance "Part-1" "Part-2" --step "Step-3:2" --odbFile <my_odb_file_path>/my_odb_file.odb
abaqus python odb2vtk.py --header 0 --instance "Part-1" "Part-2" --step "Step-1:1" "Step-3:2" --odbFile <my_odb_file_path>/my_odb_file.odb --writePVD 1
The last command will generate a .pvd file. Suppose the odb directory looks like this
project
│───Job-1.odb Â
After python multiprocess.py --header 0 --instance "Part-1" "Part-2" --step "Step-1:1" "Step-3:2" --odbFile ./Job-1.odb has been executed, we will get
project
│───Job-1.odb Â
└───Job-1
│____Job-1.pvd
│____Step-1_1.vtu
│____Step-3_2.vtu
If you are converting different instances from the odb with the same step and frame, use '--suffix name' to append 'name' to the folder to avoid name clash.
Cpp folder has the source code for the C++ implemnetation. To successully compile the C++ project using Abaqus public APIs, we need to do the following things in Visual Studio (This may look different on your machine depending on where Abaqus is installed, but I will list my directories as an example.):
-
Add the include directories
C:\SIMULIA\EstProducts\2023\win_b64\code\include C:\SIMULIA\EstProducts\2023 -
Add the linker lib directories:
C:\SIMULIA\EstProducts\2023\win_b64\code\lib -
Add static libs
I simply copied all libs
ABQDMP_Core.lib
ABQMPI_api.lib
ABQSMAAbuBasicUtils.lib
ABQSMAAbuGeom.lib
ABQSMAAspCommunications.lib
ABQSMAAspDiagExtractor.lib
ABQSMAAspExpKernelComm.lib
ABQSMAAspSupport.lib
ABQSMABasAlloc.lib
ABQSMABasCoreUtils.lib
ABQSMABasGenericsLib.lib
ABQSMABasPrfTrkLib.lib
ABQSMABasRtvUtility.lib
ABQSMABasShared.lib
ABQSMABasXmlDocument.lib
ABQSMABasXmlParser.lib
ABQSMABlaModule.lib
ABQSMAElkCore.lib
ABQSMAFeoModules.lib
ABQSMAFsmShared.lib
ABQSMAMsgModules.lib
ABQSMAMtxCoreModule.lib
ABQSMAObjSimObjectsMod.lib
ABQSMAOdbApi.lib
ABQSMAOdbAttrEO.lib
ABQSMAOdbAttrEO2.lib
ABQSMAOdbCalcK.lib
ABQSMAOdbCore.lib
ABQSMAOdbCoreGeom.lib
ABQSMAOdbDdbOdb.lib
ABQSMARfmInterface.lib
ABQSMARomDiagEx.lib
ABQSMASfsModule.lib
ABQSMASglSharedLib.lib
ABQSMASglSimXmlFndLib.lib
ABQSMAShaDbIface-D.lib
ABQSMAShaDbIface.lib
ABQSMAShaShared-D.lib
ABQSMAShaShared.lib
ABQSMAShpCore.lib
ABQSMASimBCompress.lib
ABQSMASimBulkAPI.lib
ABQSMASimContainers.lib
ABQSMASimInterface.lib
ABQSMASimManifestSubcomp.lib
ABQSMASimPoolManager.lib
ABQSMASimS2fSubcomp.lib
ABQSMASimSerializerAPI.lib
ABQSMASrvBasic.lib
ABQSMASrvSimXmlConverters.lib
ABQSMASspUmaCore.lib
ABQSMAUsubsLib.lib
ABQSMAUzlZlib.lib
AfrInterfacesUUID.lib
AutomationInterfacesUUID.lib
CAT3DBehaviorItf.lib
CAT3DPhysicalRepItf.lib
CATAfrComponentsModel.lib
CATAfrFoundation.lib
CATAfrFoundationUUID.lib
CATAfrGeometryWshop.lib
CATAfrImmersiveRender.lib
CATAfrItf.lib
CATAfrMePreferenceCtls.lib
CATAfrPalette.lib
CATAfrPreferenceModel.lib
CATAfrPrferenceOptions.lib
CATAfrProgressTask.lib
CATAfrProperties.lib
CATAfrSelection.lib
CATAuthoringUIInterfaces.lib
CATAutoItf.lib
CATBBMagic.lib
CATClnBase.lib
CATComBase.lib
CATComDrvBB.lib
CATComHTTPEndPoint.lib
CATComServices.lib
CATComSidl.lib
CATComSidlFile.lib
CATDbProvider.lib
CATDegUUID.lib
CATDialogEngine.lib
CATDiscover.lib
CATDlgA2XWatcher.lib
CATDlgAuxStatic.lib
CATDlgBitmap.lib
CATDlgHtml.lib
CATDlgStandard.lib
CATDWCInfra.lib
CATFmuFileAccessInterfacesUUID.lib
CATFmuFileAccessItf.lib
CATGhosting.lib
CATGraphicProperties.lib
CATImmVPMInterfaces.lib
CATImmVPMInterfacesLFT.lib
CATImmVPMInterfacesUUID.lib
CATImmVPMLegacyInterfaces.lib
CATImmVPMLegacyInterfacesUUID.lib
CATImmVPMNavInterfaces.lib
CATImmWtpItfUUID.lib
CATInfInterfaces.lib
CATInteractiveInterfaces.lib
CATJNIBridge.lib
CATLic.lib
CATLMjni.lib
CATMagnitude.lib
CATMathematics.lib
CATMathStream.lib
CATMecModLiveUseItf.lib
CATMecModLiveUseItfUUID.lib
CATMecModUseItf.lib
CATMecModUseItfUUID.lib
CATMetaModelerProtocol.lib
CATMetaModelerProtocolUUID.lib
CATMMediaCore.lib
CATMMediaCore2.lib
CATMMediaPixelImage.lib
CATMMediaRasterFormats_SB_File.lib
CATMMediaRasterProcessor.lib
CATMMediaXMP.lib
CATMMRasterEngineGDIplus.lib
CATMMRasterEngineIM.lib
CATMMRasterEngineIM_DBG.lib
CATMMRasterEngineOpenAPI.lib
CATObjectModelerBase.lib
CATObjectModelerContBase.lib
CATObjectModelerItf.lib
CATObjectModelerNavigator.lib
CATOmbLinkNavigationAccess.lib
CATOme.lib
CATOmx.lib
CATOmxBase.lib
CATOmyLocalStorageCollector.lib
CATOpDataItf.lib
CATP2PBaseUUID.lib
CATP2PCore.lib
CATPLMClientCoreItf.lib
CATPLMComponentInterfaces.lib
CATPLMComponentInterfacesUUID.lib
CATPLMDictionaryUUID.lib
CATPLMDispatcherItf.lib
CATPLMDispatcherSpecificItf.lib
CATPLMIdentification.lib
CATPLMIdentificationAccess.lib
CATPLMIdentificationAccessUUID.lib
CATPLMImplAdapterBase.lib
CATPLMIntegrationAccess.lib
CATPLMIntegrationAccessItf.lib
CATPLMIntegrationAccessUUID.lib
CATPLMIntegrationInterfaces.lib
CATPLMIntegrationInterfacesUUID.lib
CATPLMIntegrationUse.lib
CATPLMIntegrationUseUUID.lib
CATPLMKweDicoServices.lib
CATPLMModelBuilder.lib
CATPLMModelerBaseInterfaces.lib
CATPLMModelerLanguage.lib
CATPLMServicesItf.lib
CATPLMStreamDescriptor.lib
CATPrdAccessCAA.lib
CATPrdAccessImpl.lib
CATProductStructureInterfaces.lib
CATProductStructureUseItf.lib
CATProviderItf.lib
CATScriptEngine.lib
CATScriptReplayInteractions.lib
CATSGManagerUUID.lib
CATSGV6Streaming.lib
CATSimpleCommandMessage.lib
CATStyleProcessor.lib
CATSWXVisu.lib
CATSysCATIAAI.lib
CATSysCATIASF.lib
CATSysCommunication.lib
CATSysDbSettings.lib
CATSysExternApp.lib
CATSysMotifDrv.lib
CATSysMultiThreadingSecured.lib
CATSysPreview.lib
CATSysProxy.lib
CATSysRunBrw.lib
CATSysTS.lib
CATSysTSObjectModeler.lib
CATUVEncoding.lib
CATVBAInfra.lib
CATView.lib
CATViewSync.lib
CATVirtualVaultSystem.lib
CATVis3DGrid.lib
CATVisCIDPanel.lib
CATVisColorChooser.lib
CATVisCommands.lib
CATVisController.lib
CATVisControllerUUID.lib
CATVisDmuStream.lib
CATVisFoundation.lib
CATVisFoundationUUID.lib
CATVisHDRILightProcessing.lib
CATVisHeadlessAPI.lib
CATVisHLR.lib
CATVisIblPreconvolver.lib
CATVisImmersivePanel.lib
CATVisInteropXMLMesh.lib
CATVisItf.lib
CATVisItfUUID.lib
CATVisKDop.lib
CATVisKDopLOD.lib
CATVisLOD.lib
CATVisMagnifier.lib
CATVisMarshalling.lib
CATVisNoGraphicalAPI.lib
CATVisOctreeTools.lib
CATVisPanel.lib
CATVisPropertiesUI.lib
CATVisTesselation.lib
CATVisuPerfoAddin.lib
CATVisViewRotation.lib
CATVisVoxels.lib
CATVizGlider.lib
CatXmlCls.lib
CatXmlItf.lib
CatXmlItfBase.lib
CatXmlItfExt.lib
CoexUPSJsonMapping.lib
CommunicationsUUID.lib
DataAdmin.lib
DataCommonProtocolUse.lib
DI0BUILD.lib
DI0PANV2.lib
DialogDeclarativeEngine.lib
DSYApplicationMainArch.lib
DSYSysCnxExit.lib
DSYSysDlg.lib
DSYSysIRDriver.lib
DSYSysIRManagerPlus.lib
DSYSysIRMSysAdapter.lib
DSYSysIRSendReport00.lib
DSYSysIRSendReportCom.lib
DSYSysIRSendReportItfPlugin.lib
DSYSysProgressHandler.lib
DSYSysTrayIcon.lib
DSYSysWatchDogHelp.lib
DSYSysWatchDogRegisterKeys.lib
DSYSysWMIDriver.lib
DWCLink.lib
EKCrypto.lib
EKNvidiaGPUMonitoring.lib
EKPrivateArchive.lib
EKSSL.lib
ExperienceKernel.lib
explicitB-D.lib
explicitB.lib
explicitU-D.lib
explicitU-D_static.lib
explicitU.lib
explicitU_static.lib
filenames.txt
GraphicsOptimizer.lib
GraphicsOptimizerUUID.lib
HTTPArch.lib
ImageMagick.lib
InfModelInterfaces.lib
InfOSIDLImpl.lib
InfOSIDLItf.lib
InstArch.lib
InteractiveInterfacesUUID.lib
IntroInfra.lib
IVInterfaces.lib
JS0CRYPTEXIT.lib
JS0DLK.lib
JS0FM.lib
JS0GROUP.lib
JS0PCC.lib
JS0SMT.lib
KnowledgeInterfacesUUID.lib
KnowledgeItf.lib
libjpegCode.lib
libpngCode.lib
libtiffCode.lib
LPCommonEditorItf.lib
lz4_static.lib
MaskedAttributeImpl.lib
MaskedAttributeItf.lib
mkl_core_dll.lib
mkl_intel_ilp64_dll.lib
mkl_intel_lp64_dll.lib
mkl_intel_thread_dll.lib
mkl_rt.lib
mkl_sequential_dll.lib
MPROCTools.lib
msmpi.lib
MultimediaItf.lib
NewTypingMigrationDBDI.lib
nvml.lib
ObjectModelerNavigatorUUID.lib
ObjectModelerSystem.lib
PLMBatchInfraServices.lib
PLMBLTempoDevFlags.lib
PLMBusinessLogicInterfaces.lib
PLMBusinessLogicInterfacesUUID.lib
PLMDictionaryInterfaces.lib
PLMDictionaryNavServices.lib
PLMExchangeCompletionServices.lib
PLMExchangeFileServices.lib
PLMExchangeGlobalServices.lib
PLMExchangeModel.lib
PLMExchangeWebServices.lib
PLMFLPCommonModeler.lib
PLMModelerBase.lib
PLMModelerBaseInterfacesUUID.lib
PLMPSISessionInterfaces.lib
PLMPSIUserExit.lib
ProductStructure3DPartItf.lib
RecordToolsLib.lib
RunTimeStackManager.lib
SceneGraphManager.lib
SecurityContext.lib
SGInfra.lib
SG_UUID.lib
SMAAbuCodeGen.lib
SMAAspCodeGen.lib
SMABasCodeGen.lib
SMAFeaBackbone.lib
SMAFsmCodeGen.lib
SMAShaCodeGen_DP.lib
SMAShaCodeGen_SP.lib
SMASimCodeGen.lib
standardB.lib
standardU.lib
standardU_static.lib
StringUtilities.lib
SysSqlite.lib
SystemTSUUID.lib
SystemUUID.lib
UIModelInterfaces.lib
UIModelInterfacesUUID.lib
UIVCoreTools.lib
UndoRedoUI.lib
VBAIntegration.lib
VBAUUID.lib
VisCore.lib
VisGDIAPIUtility.lib
VisGltf.lib
VisQualityManagement.lib
VisRayTracingToggleCommand.lib
VisREKernel.lib
VisREKernelTools.lib
VisREMath.lib
VisSceneGraph.lib
VisTootle.lib
VisuDialog.lib
VisuDialogEx.lib
VisuDialogImpl.lib
VisuImmersive3D.lib
VisuImmersiveDialogExUUID.lib
VPMEditorInterfaces.lib
VPMIDicInterfaces.lib
XPDMServices.lib
zLibCode.lib
- Add runtime DLL directory to PATH
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\SimulationServices\V6R2019x\win_b64\code\bin
Once the project has been successfully built, you can run odb2vtk.exe
odb2vtk.exe --header 1 --odbFile C:/test/mixed_elements/collision.odb
This generates a header.json file.
odb2vtk.exe --header 0 --odbFile C:/test/mixed_elements/collision.odb --instance PART-1-1 PART-2-1 --step Step-1:8 --writeHistory 0 -- writePVD 0
This generates collision_Step-1_8.vtu which represents the data at Step-1 and frame 8.
Make sure the CMake option AbqSDK_PRIVATE_INCLUDE_DIR, AbqSDK_PRIVATE_LIB, and AbqSDK_PRIVATE_PUBLIC_DIR point to the correct location of Abaqus SDK when configuring the project using CMake. This option tells CMake where to find Abaqus SDK and configures proper linkage and includes.
On my machine,
AbqSDK_PRIVATE_INCLUDE_DIR = C:/SIMULIA/EstProducts/2023/win_b64/code/include
AbqSDK_PRIVATE_PUBLIC_DIR = C:/SIMULIA/EstProducts/2023
AbqSDK_PRIVATE_LIB = C:/SIMULIA/EstProducts/2023/win_b64/code/lib
They should be automatically configured by CMake if you have the same directories as mine. After this, you can configure and build the project using CMake.
Now a new parse rule which accepts a range of frames has been added to the C++ version. This will be convenient to convert a large quantity of consecutive frames by one command.
odb2vtk.exe --header 0 --odbFile C:/test/mixed_elements/collision.odb --instance PART-1-1 PART-2-1 --step Step-1:0-1000 --writeHistory 0 -- writePVD 0
converts frames ranging from 0 to 1000. So, it will generate 1001 individual vtu files. Do not mix it with single digit frame arguments.
Both the C++ and Python builds have been updated for Abaqus 2023.
- implement writeHistory for C++ version.
- implement writePVD for C++ version.