This chapter discusses features related to creating your model, such as part and assembly definition in Abaqus/CAE, importing and exporting models to or from Abaqus/CAE, and optimization. It provides an overview of the following enhancements:

• “Sizing optimization,” Section 3.1

• “Optimization across multiple models,” Section 3.2

• “Viewing the progression of an optimization by combining output database files,” Section 3.3

• “Monitoring an optimization process,” Section 3.4

• “Additional criteria for creating soft elements,” Section 3.5

• “New design responses,” Section 3.6

• “Specifying the rate at which optimization data are saved,” Section 3.7

• “Writing optimization files,” Section 3.8

• “Switching the context for model instances in Abaqus/CAE,” Section 3.9

• “Associating geometric faces created from an orphan mesh with the mesh,” Section 3.10

• “Bidirectional import of parameters using the CATIA V6 Associative Interface,” Section 3.11