Imported: Contacts

Provides access to an external system’s data that includes contacts. The import process places this object under an Imported folder beneath the Connections parent folder.

Imported Contacts Object

Additional Related Information

External system's contact data:

Object Properties

The Details properties for this object include the following.

Category	Properties/Options/Descriptions
Definition	Suppressed: Yes or No (default).
Graphics Properties	Show Rows: Options include None, From Current Page (default), and From All Pages.
Transfer Properties	Source: Read-only display of the name of the source system file.
Transfer Properties	Read Only: Yes or No (default).

Worksheet Properties

The columns of the Worksheet display the imported source data listed below.

Note: The Worksheet view for the Imported Contacts only provides the basic options for controlling contact behavior, and all the advanced options are treated as Program Controlled. For advanced control on Imported Contacts, use the Promote feature to create native Contact Region objects in the tree Outline and then edit the appropriate fields as desired.

Note: Review the User Interface Options topic in the Import Workflow and Interface Options section for all of the actions you can take when working with Worksheet data.

Property	Description
ID	Displays the element ID contained in the source input file.
Source	Displays the element set associated with the contact side of the pair.
Target	Displays the element set associated with the target side of the pair.
Type	Displays the contact Type specified in the source file. You can change the Type setting using the drop-down menu.
Friction Coefficient	Displays the Friction Coefficient imported from the source file for frictional contact applications. You can edit this field. It is displayed only for frictional contact applications. It is applicable only for frictional contact applications. If multiple load steps are included in the source file, only the Friction Coefficient from the first load step is imported.
Behavior	Displays the Behavior of the contact pair specified in the source file. You can change the Behavior setting using the drop-down menu.
Formulation	Displays the Formulation specified in the source file. You can change the Formulation setting using the drop-down menu.
Thermal Conductance	Applies to thermal analyses or a structural analysis linked to a thermal analysis. You can edit this field and enter a positive (only) Thermal Conductance value. The Units for this value are based on the types of contact involved. For 3D element faces, the units are HEAT/(TIME * TEMPERATURE* AREA).
Normal Stiffness	Drop-down menu that displays the normal stiffness type. Options include Program Controlled (default), Factor, and Absolute Value. Refer to the Normal Stiffness description in the Contact section for additional information.
Normal Stiffness Value	Displays the Normal Stiffness Value. The setting is applicable when the Normal Stiffness property is set to either Factor or Absolute Value. You can edit the value. There is no unit of measure for this value when Factor is specified. The unit of measure for this value, when the Normal Stiffness property is set to Absolute Value, is specific weight (Force per volume, F/L³) for a traction based model and stiffness (F/L) for or a force based model. Refer to the Normal Stiffness description in the Contact section for additional information.
Interface Treatment	Defines how the contact pair is treated. It is not valid when the Type is set to Bonded or No Separation. Mechanical Interface Treatment properties are supported, as well as the following ABAQUS keywords: CONTACT INTERFACE: Offset Only, Ramped Effects. CONTACT INTERFACE, SHRINK: Add Offset, Ramped Effect. CLEARANCE: Offset Only, No Ramping*.
Offset	The setting is applicable to the Interface Treatment setting. It is not valid when the Type is set to Bonded or No Separation or if the Interface Treatment property is set to Adjust to Touch.

Tree Dependencies

Valid Parent Tree Object: The generic Imported folder is automatically generated during the import process.
Valid Child Tree Objects: No supported child objects.

Insertion Methods

This is an automatically generated object of the External Model feature.

Right-click Options

In addition to common right-click options, relevant right-click options for this object include:

Edit Items >
- Type > [Type Options]
- Behavior > [Behavior Options]
- Formulation > [Formulation Options]
Filter Worksheet Based on State >
- Underdefined
- Suppressed
Suppress

API Reference

See the Imported Contacts section of the ACT API Reference Guide for specific scripting information.