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OBJECT MODEL FOR THE OUTPUT DATABASE
The root assembly
The root assembly is a collection of positioned part instances. An analysis is conducted by defining
boundary conditions, constraints, interactions, and a loading history for the root assembly. The
output database object model contains only one root assembly.
Part instances
A part instance is a usage of a part within the assembly. All characteristics (such as mesh and
section definitions) defined for a part become characteristics for each instance of that part—they
are inherited by the part instances. Each part instance is positioned independently within the root
assembly.
Materials
Materials contain material models comprised of one or more material property definitions. The same
material models may be used repeatedly within a model; each component that uses the same material
model shares identical material properties. Many materials may exist within a model database, but
only the materials that are used in the assembly are copied to the output database.
Sections
Sections add the properties that are necessary to define completely the geometric and material
properties of an element. Various element types require different section types to complete their
definitions. For example, shell elements in a composite part require a section that provides a
thickness, multiple material models, and an orientation for each material model; all these pieces
combine to complete the composite shell element definition. Like materials, only those sections
that are used in the assembly are copied to the output database.
Section assignments
Section assignments link section definitions to the regions of part instances. Section assignments
in the output database maintain this association. Sections are assigned to each part in a model, and
the section assignments are propagated to each instance of that part.
Section categories
You use section categories to group the regions of the model that use the same section definitions;
for example, the regions that use a shell section with five section points. Within a section category,
you use the section points to identify the location of results; for example, you can associate section
point 1 with the top surface of a shell and section point 5 with the bottom surface.
Analytical rigid surface
Analytical rigid surfaces are geometric surfaces with profiles that can be described with straight
and curved line segments. Using analytical rigid surfaces offers important advantages in contact
modeling.
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