Creating Tabular Amplitudes

Tabular amplitudes define the amplitude curve as a table of values at convenient points on the time scale. Abaqus interpolates linearly between these values, as needed.

Several examples of tabular input are shown in Figure 11–1.

Figure 11–1 Tabular amplitude examples.

This task shows you how to create a tabular amplitude.

  1. Click the Tabular Amplitude icon .

    The Tabular Amplitude dialog box appears, and a Tabular Amplitude object appears in the specification tree under a Nonlinear and Thermal Properties feature.

  2. You can change the identifier of the amplitude by editing the Name field.

  3. Select the Time Span for the amplitude: Step Time or Total Time. Except for certain linear perturbation procedures, step time is measured from the beginning of each step. Total time starts at zero and is the total accumulated time over all general analysis steps within a particular analysis case; total time does not accumulate during linear perturbation steps.

  4. Enter the time versus amplitude values into the table, or click the Folder icon to import the amplitude data from a text file. The amplitude magnitudes must be specified as multiples (fractions) of the reference magnitudes given for the load, boundary condition, or field.

  5. Click OK in the Tabular Amplitude dialog box.