Working with Files in an ENOVIA V5 Database

Abaqus for CATIA V5 enables you to save your analysis files, including Abaqus output database (.odb) files, to an ENOVIA V5 database using VPM Navigator. This section discusses the basic steps involved in using VPM Navigator to save files to an ENOVIA V5 database and retrieve files from it; for more information about file management in VPM Navigator, see Virtual Product Modeling.

Note:  You must first connect to the ENOVIA V5 database before you can work with its files. To connect to an ENOVIA V5 database, select ENOVIA V5 VPM>Connect; then specify your user name, password, host, and role from the dialog box that appears.

Output database files are the only analysis-generated files that you can save in an ENOVIA database; VPM Navigator does not support storage of other Abaqus files such as restart files, submodel files, or imported input. In addition, only a single job can be linked to a given case for the analysis and output database files you upload to the ENOVIA database.

Note:  Abaqus for CATIA V5 displays the location of your analysis files and their linkage when you work with files from an ENOVIA V5 database. However, if your Abaqus for CATIA V5 files are in an ENOVIA V5 database and you either rename the analysis job that is linked to the current Analysis Case or you attach the output database for another analysis job to the Analysis Case, these changes will not be reflected in the Links Manager of the Specification Tree.

To save the currently selected Abaqus for CATIA V5 analysis file and Abaqus output database file to an ENOVIA V5 database, perform the following steps:

  1. Submit an Abaqus for CATIA V5 analysis job to completion.

  2. Select File>Save in ENOVIA V5 VPM from the main menu.

    The Save as ENOVIA V5 VPM dialog box appears.

  3. Do the following:

    1. Select the Abaqus for CATIA V5 .CATAnalysis file and Abaqus output database file that you want to upload.

    2. If desired, toggle on Revision/Version All to save different versions of the Abaqus for CATIA V5 files. When this option is not selected, the modified files you upload will replace the existing files in the database.

    3. Click OK.

    Abaqus for CATIA V5 uploads the files to the ENOVIA V5 database and updates the Links Manager container in the Specification Tree updates to reflect the new location of the files in the database.

To retrieve an Abaqus for CATIA V5 analysis file and any files linked to it from an ENOVIA V5 database, perform the following steps:

  1. Select ENOVIA V5 VPM>ENOVIA Search from the main menu.

    The VPM Search dialog box appears.

  2. Specify the files that you want to retrieve:

    1. Specify search criteria in the VPM Search dialog box, and click OK.

    2. From the list of documents that match your search criteria, highlight the files you want to retrieve, then right-click and select Open from the menu that appears.

    Abaqus for CATIA V5 retrieves the selected files from the ENOVIA V5 database. You can then open the output database file by first opening the CATIA analysis file that is linked to it or by downloading the output database file to a separate location and viewing its results.