How to print a 3D document from ABAQUS / Viewer?

Question

I am looking for a way to print 3D pdf from ABAQUS / Viewer results. This will facilitate the transfer of results to other users who are interested in the simulation results but who do not have access to ABAQUS.

Answer 1

The best way is to export the vrml file and convert it using Tetra4D or pdf3D and Adobe Acrobat professional. 3D pdf can look very good. However, commercial software will cost more than £ 800 a year. I created a Python script to create 3D pdf directly from Abaqus / CAE and Viewer, which uses 2 open source tools: 1) Meshlab ( http://www.meshlab.net/ ) to create a U3D file, 2) MiKTeX ( https://miktex.org/ ) to convert a U3D file to pdf. The output is not as polished as Tetra4D, but it works. I have not tried this with the latest version of Meshlab. Just run this script from Abaqus / CAE or Abaqus / Viewer.

# Abaqus CAE/Viewer Python Script to create a 3D pdf directly from Abaqus/CAE or Abaqus/Viewer.
# You must first install meshlab (meshlabserver.exe)and MiKTeX (pdflatex.exe)
# Edit this script to reflect the installed locations of meshlabserver.exe and pdflatex.exe
# It will export a stl or obj  file the mesh of current viewport and convert into 3D pdf
# Or run in Abaqus/viewer and it will create a VRML file and convert to 3D pdf.
# If contours are displayed in Abaqus Viewer, then it will create a contour 3D pdf

from abaqus import *
from abaqusConstants import *
from viewerModules import *
import os
import subprocess
import sys

# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
pdfName='try' 
meshlab_path="C:/Program Files/VCG/MeshLab/meshlabserver.exe"
pdfLatex_path="C:/Program Files (x86)/MiKTeX 2.9/miktex/bin/pdflatex.exe"
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

currView=session.viewports[session.currentViewportName]
try:  # for Abaqus Viewer
    cOdbD=currView.odbDisplay
    odb = session.odbs[cOdbD.name]    
    name=odb.name.split(r'/')[-1].replace('.odb','')
    module='Vis'
except: # Abaqus CAE
    #name=currView.displayedObject.modelName
    import stlExport_kernel
    name = repr(currView.displayedObject).split('[')[-1].split(']')[0][1:-1] # allows for either main or visulation modules
    module='CAE'

print module

if module=='CAE':
    #All instances must be meshed    
    cOdbD=None
    try:
        ext='.stl'
        stlExport_kernel.STLExport(moduleName='Assembly', stlFileName=pdfName + ext, stlFileType='BINARY')
    except:
        try:
            ext='.obj'
            session.writeOBJFile(fileName=os.path.join(directory,pdfName + ext), canvasObjects= (currView, ))
        except:
            print 'Either your assembly is not fully meshed or something else'       
    directory=(os.getcwd())
else:  # Abaqus/Viewer
    if cOdbD.viewCut: 
        session.graphicsOptions.setValues(antiAlias=OFF) # Better with anti aliasing off
    odb = session.odbs[cOdbD.name]    
    directory=odb.path.replace(odb.path.split('/')[-1],'').replace('/','\\')    
    # Turn off most of the stuff in the viewport
    currView.viewportAnnotationOptions.setValues(triad=OFF, 
        legend=OFF, title=OFF, state=OFF, annotations=OFF, compass=OFF)
    ext='.wrl'
    session.writeVrmlFile(fileName=os.path.join(directory,pdfName + ext),  
        compression=0, canvasObjects= (currView, ))

pdfFilePath=os.path.join(directory,pdfName+'-out.pdf')
if os.path.isfile(pdfFilePath):
    os.remove(pdfFilePath)
    #Check file was deleted
    if os.path.isfile(pdfFilePath):    
        print "Aborted because pdf file of same name cant be deleted. Please close programs which it might be open in"
        1/0  #a dodgy way to exit program

# Invoke meshlab to convert to a .u3d file        
if cOdbD:  #If in Abaqus/viewer
    if 'CONTOURS' in repr(cOdbD.display.plotState[0]):    # If contours are displayed. Output contoured pdf
        p=subprocess.Popen([meshlab_path,'-i',pdfName + ext, '-o',pdfName + '.u3d','-m','vc'])  #'vn fn fc vt'
    else:
        p=subprocess.Popen([meshlab_path,'-i',pdfName + ext, '-o',pdfName + '.u3d'])
else:
    p=subprocess.Popen([meshlab_path,'-i',pdfName + ext, '-o',pdfName + '.u3d'])    

p.communicate()   # Wait for meshlab to finish

file_fullPathName=os.path.join(directory, pdfName + '.tex') 

#Read the .tex file which meshlab has just created
with open(file_fullPathName, 'r') as texFile:
    lines = texFile.read()

#Edit the .tex file    
lines=lines.replace("\usepackage[3D]{movie15}","\\usepackage[3D]{movie15}\n\\usepackage[margin=-2.2in]{geometry}")
if cOdbD:
    if 'CONTOURS' in repr(cOdbD.display.plotState[0]):
        lines=lines.replace("3Dlights=CAD,","3Dlights=CAD,\n\t3Drender=SolidWireframe,")
lines=lines.replace("\n\end{document}","{---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Click above!  MB1 - rotate,  MB2 wheel or MB3 - zoom, Ctrl-MB1 - pan--------------}\n\\end{document}")

file_fullPathName=os.path.join(directory, pdfName + '-out.tex') 
with open(file_fullPathName, "w") as outp:
    outp.write(lines) 

p=subprocess.Popen([
    pdfLatex_path,
    pdfName + '-out.tex',
    ])

p.communicate()
print 'Conversion to pdf complete'
print file_fullPathName

Answer 2

Abaqus *.odb - Tecplot 360, Abaqus *.odb, *.tif *.png , 3D , .