The analysis step can be either a static, dynamic, or heat transfer consideration of the system response, depending on the workbench you are using and the case you selected, as shown in Table 4–1.

There is no limit to the number of analysis steps you can define. However, once you define a step within an Abaqus Analysis Case, only compatible steps can be added to that analysis case. For example, if you create a general static step in a structural case, you can add only general static, Riks, static linear perturbation, steady-state dynamics (mode- or subspace-based), or frequency steps to that analysis case. Similarly, if you create an explicit dynamics step in an explicit dynamics case, you can add only explicit dynamics steps to that analysis case. A thermal analysis can contain only thermal analysis cases, and the cases can contain only heat transfer steps.