[Geoqus] Wish lists for Abaqus

[Susan Ellis]

Hello everyone,

My local Abaqus distributor in New Zealand just asked me
to make up a 'wish list' for improvements to Abaqus.
I'm appending my list below. I encourage you all to submit
further suggestions to your local Abaqus dealers as well-
that way, perhaps Abaqus will become more user-friendly in
the future!

sincerely

Susan Ellis
Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences
New Zealand

***************************************************
Wish-list for Abaqus improvements:

1. timestep displacement (cf. total displacement)
   as an output option for contour plotting

   - I know it is possible to construct this in the post-processor,
     but it is so useful it should be there as a primary variable

2. User subroutines: to be able to access many more variables
   from various subroutines than is possible at present

   For example:

   - to be able to access GETVRM from ALL user subroutines
     Nodal subroutines would return quantities averaged onto the nodes
     Elemental subroutines would return elemental values
   - GETVRM to be expanded to give values at both:
     -start of step
     -start of increment
   - Nodes of element (in elemental subroutine) to be available
     and elements surrounding a given node to be available
     (in nodal subroutines)
   - the option of accessing the entire array outside of a step
     (ie in between steps) so that a user function/program can
     be called directly
     e.g. suppose I want coupled stress/fluid flow/temperature
     This is not possible in Abaqus
     BUT I could run coupled stress/fluid flow, then compute
     updated temperatures using my own finite element routine,
     placed within a user subroutine that allows the entire
     temperature array, plus fluid flow vectors, to be accessed

     ..perhaps this option is already there, but documentation is
     so confusing on this type of thing I haven't been able to
     figure it out. All I can see at the moment is the possibility
     to write it out as a nodal file, then run my program, then
     read it back in, which is a bit cumbersome

3. Coupled temperature/fluid flow/stress computation would be
   very useful..!

4. All geostatic options available for all elements
   (eg axisymmetric with twist) and thoroughly tested

5. Prestress allowed, where forces to balance prestress are
   not required (they are added automatically)

   (e.g. this would allow an initial differential stress field to 
    be prescribed, and the user to then investigate force perturbations
    from this "equilibrium" condition)

6. heat generation due to plastic and creep dissipation energy
   available for all types of element, and all forms of plasticity
   and creep

7. Permeability to depend on field variables as well as temperature

8. (In fact) all predefined fields to be allowed to depend on
    field variables

..this would be a great start towards making Abaqus much more
flexible for users