Spend many hours/days/weeks/ on the documentation that comes with Abaqus. Start with the Getting Started guides and the CAE User's guide. Use the Examples guide and the Analysis User's guide once you start becoming familiar with the basics.

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I did it like IceBreakerSours suggested. I wouldn't recommend it though, you should go to one of Simulia's course if it's possible.

Han primo incensus

I agree with Dan's suggestion. If your manager is ready to pay for it (along with the rest of the costs that come with this route), then training with Simulia is the most superior option.

However, there is a downside: Simulia's training courses are quite expensive! And you don't even get the contents on a flash drive either (I understand why they do it but it is a pain). There are Simulia partners or other consultants whose offerings might be more affordable and just as valuable but then you'd want to spend/invest time in window shopping before making a call.

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Quote (IceBreakerSours)

And you don't even get the contents on a flash drive either (I understand why they do it but it is a pain)

When I took courses, they emailed out the slides with your email watermarked on them. All the examples in the tutorials themselves should be fetchable from the command line as well.

The course alone probably will not be enough for adequate use of the software. It may be enough to overwhelm you and it can serve as an OK starting point- but as Icebreaker mentioned, using the "Getting Started with Abaqus" manual is probably your best bet to really help you understand how to navigate through the software. Then from there looking at the "Abaqus/CAE User's Guide" and for additional detail referencing the "Abaqus Analysis User's Guide"
Time spent learning how to use the provided user manuals and then reading through them is probably the only way to go if you are tackling the software on your own.

Good luck!

Much Thanks,

-Wibbs13

IceBreakerSours is quite right of course.

A further suggestion though, at first learn via an example that is closest to the problems you want to solve. Abaqus is a huge program, I've been using it for years & still everyday I come across something I didnt know. Which is why I usually come here & hassle IceBreakerSours or Mustain3 :D

Hi Ahmad,

I own a reseller of Abaqus among other Dassault products based in the US. I can confirm that the Simulia training is a very good option if you can afford it both in term of cost and usually more importantly, being away from the office for a week.

Most of my customers take a different approach. We start by providing consulting on their specific problem set. From here we train on the basics of Abaqus and FEA in general if needed. Then quickly move on to the specifics of their problem. This seams to be the fastest way to getting results to the project team. This cycle can repeat it's self for other problem sets or evolve into a mentoring role.

The other thing that I tell everyone is to become active here at eng-tips. I have gotten the opportunity to learn about so many problem sets by helping or observing here.

I hope this helps.
Rob

Rob Stupplebeen
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By the way, the goal should be to learn Finite Element Analysis and, as a by-product, Abaqus.

Do not end up treating a particular code like a belief. And that is true for modeling too; sometimes, an experiment is faster/cheaper to do vs. a numerical model. A tool is just a tool.

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