25 Nov Abaqus 2025 release available
This document provides information on a subset of new and enhanced functionality delivered in the Abaqus 2025 GA release as well as functionality added in the first five FD (Fix Pack) releases of Abaqus 2024. Please refer to the Abaqus Release Notes in the 2025 SIMULIA User Assistance for additional details on these enhancements.
The 2024 FD (Fix Pack) release in which new or enhanced functionality was delivered is indicated below using the convention FDxx (FP.xxxx); otherwise, the functionality was delivered in the 2025 GA release.
Abaqus 2025 key features
Abaqus/CAE
Wear Modeling in Abaqus/CAE
Abaqus/CAE now supports the wear surface property and its assignment in general contact interactions.
Benefit: The support allows greater flexibility for modeling wear phenomena in Abaqus/CAE without having to use the keyword editor.
Rotordynamic Loads in Abaqus/CAE
Abaqus/CAE now supports rotordynamic loads as a rotational body force type in Abaqus/CAE.
Benefits: This support allows greater flexibility to define a rotordynamic load as a rotational body force in Abaqus/CAE without having to use the keyword editor.
Step Dependence for Fluid Inflator and Fluid Exchange
Abaqus/CAE now supports the activation of fluid inflators and fluid exchange in steps.
Benefits: This support allows greater flexibility for modeling the inflator and cavity exchange in Abaqus/CAE without having to use the keyword editor.
Earlier releases of Abaqus/CAE supported automatic activation in Abaqus/Explicit steps, offering no flexibility to the user.
Modeling Cracks and Seams
Abaqus/CAE now supports the creation of a seam on a dependent part instance.
Benefits: Seam creation on a dependent part instance allows greater flexibility when modeling seams for fracture simulation in Abaqus/CAE.
Earlier releases of Abaqus/CAE supported seam creation only for independent instances.
Definition of Plastic Response – 2024 FD04
Abaqus/CAE now supports the definition of the plastic response that is used to compute Neuber and Glinka plasticity corrections.
Benefits: You can now natively use plasticity corrections in Abaqus/CAE to quickly estimate localized plastic strains.
State Space Solver for Transient Modal Dynamic Analysis – 2024 FD03
The new state space solver for transient modal dynamic analysis of systems with nondiagonal modal damping operators is now the default solver in Abaqus/CAE.
Benefits: The state space solver is unconditionally stable and offers improved performance for models with many time increments and a moderate number of modes.
In earlier releases, the conventional solver was the default for transient modal dynamic analysis in Abaqus/CAE. Now, you must use the keywords editor to access the conventional solver in Abaqus/CAE.
Analysis
Step Cycling
The step cycling capability provides a simple way to repeat a step or a series of steps over a prescribed number of cycles.
Benefits: You can define cyclic repetition of a sequence of steps using the new step cycling capability instead of explicitly defining steps for every cycle, which provides simpler model setup, better performance, and the ability to end step cycling based on the analysis solution.
Alternative Convergence Checks – 2024 FD03
A new set of alternative convergence controls are now available in Abaqus/Standard.
Benefits: In simulations that involve strong multiphysics coupling among a number of different fields, the alternative convergence controls, which are typically more relaxed compared to the default convergence controls, can result in better convergence characteristics and faster solution times with minimal effects on accuracy.
Adjoint Design Sensitivity Analysis – 2024 FD03
The adjoint design sensitivity functionality is enhanced significantly for eigenfrequency and direct steady-state dynamic analyses.
Benefits: You can perform the adjoint design sensitivity analysis faster, more capabilities are available, and the usability of the adjoint design sensitivity analysis is improved.
State Space Solver for Transient Modal Dynamic Analysis – 2024 FD03
You can use the new state space solver to perform transient modal dynamic analysis for models with nondiagonal modal damping operators.
Benefits: The new solver is unconditionally stable and offers improved performance for models with many time increments and a moderate number of modes. It also supports coupled structural-acoustic analysis.
Unit System Translation – 2024 FD03
The SIMULIA Co-Simulation Engine now supports unit system translation.
Benefits: You now have the flexibility to use the unit system best suited to your industrial workflow.
DMP Direct Sparse Solver Enhancements – 2024 FD03
The backward pass phase in the distributed memory parallel (DMP) direct sparse solver is improved.
Benefits: The enhancements to the DMP direct sparse solver allow you to complete many analysis procedures faster.
MPI-Based Parallel Execution of the Lanczos Eigensolver – 2024 FD03
MPI-based parallel execution of the Lanczos eigensolver is now available.
Benefits: Frequency extraction analysis using the Lanczos eigensolver in hybrid mode, which leverages both MPI and thread parallelism, runs significantly faster and can solve much larger problems by utilizing multiple compute nodes.
Parallel Execution for SPH Progressive Element Conversion – 2024 FD03
You can now run SPH progressive element conversion models in parallel.
Benefits: Parallel execution support can greatly improve the simulation performance of models that include SPH progressive element conversion.
Fatigue Crack Growth Analysis Using Field Import-Based Submodeling – 2024 FD03
You can now import external fields in a linear elastic fatigue crack growth analysis.
Benefits: You can now predict fatigue crack growth in submodels through external field import by mapping fields from the global model to the boundary of the submodel. This allows you to use global models with multiple steps.
Element Design Responses for Transient Adjoint Design Sensitivity Analysis – 2024 FD02
Transient sensitivity analysis now supports element design responses based on stress and plastic strain as well as user-defined responses.
Benefits: Element design responses, such as stresses and various measures of plastic strain, allow design optimization for transient dynamic workflows to set constraints on the maximum von Mises stress and/or various measures of the plastic strain.
Specifying Design Responses in an Adjoint Design Sensitivity Analysis – 2024 FD02
You can now specify design responses in an adjoint design sensitivity analysis. In addition, you can prevent sensitivity calculations and output that might not be important for design optimization.
Benefits: You can manage the specification of design responses more effectively and prevent the output database from becoming too large.
Structure-to-Structure Co-Simulation Using Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit – 2024 FD02
The keyword interface has changed for supporting structure-to-structure co-simulation using Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit.
Benefits: The new keyword interface is aligned with other co-simulation products and supports improved interface computations that improve structure-to-structure co-simulations.
Full-Model Input for Abaqus Import – 2024 FD02
You can use the full-model input format to specify both new and imported model data in an Abaqus/Standard or Abaqus/Explicit import analysis.
Benefits: The full-model input format allows flexibility in import feature management; for example, partial import of element sets of a section, import of previously rigid element sets as deformable, and import analysis using the SIM results format.
Undrained Pore Fluid Flow and Stress Analysis – 2024 FD02
You can now perform an undrained pore fluid flow and stress analysis in Abaqus/Explicit.
Benefits: You can account for the presence of a permeating pore fluid and its effect on the mechanical response of a saturated granular solid skeleton under dynamic loading conditions.
Iterative Solver Performance Improvements – 2024 FD01
A new domain decomposition algorithm improves iterative solver convergence rates and shortens the overall solution time.
Benefits: The iterative solver is now able to converge on models on which it could not converge in earlier releases (for example, automotive battery structural simulations) or on models for which convergence was prohibitively slow (for example, electric engine analyses).
Generating Reduced Bases for Use with Nonlinear Flexible Multi-Body Systems – 2024 FD01
A new analysis technique in Abaqus/Standard reads operator data from upstream analyses and generates reduced bases for use in downstream nonlinear flexible multi-body system (MBS) simulations with Simpack.
Benefits: This streamlines the process for preparing MBS simulations that capture large deformation effects with high accuracy and fast run times.
Random Response Analysis Performance Improvements – 2024 FD01
Random response analyses now have improved performance for the element results computation and output.
Benefits: The improvements reduce the Abaqus/Standard analysis wall time for random response analyses, particularly for large models with extensive element field output requests.
AMS Eigensolver Performance Improvement – 2024 FD01
The performance of the frequency extraction analysis using the AMS eigensolver has been improved for models that require full eigenmodes and substructure modes.
Benefits: The AMS full recovery performance improvement significantly reduces the analysis run times for an AMS frequency extraction analysis and for an AMS-based substructure generation analysis requesting full eigenmodes.
AMS Eigensolver GPU Acceleration – 2024 FD01
Robustness and performance of the AMS eigensolver GPU acceleration is improved for frequency extraction analyses with new NVIDIA GPU cards. New GPU acceleration functionality speeds up modal damping projection in the AMS recovery phase.
Benefits: Analyses using the AMS eigensolver run faster using multiple GPUs.
Scalable Spectral Solver for Mode-Based Steady-State Dynamics Analysis – 2024 FD01
A new scalable spectral solver is available for common cases of mode-based steady-state dynamics analysis.
Benefits: Using the new solver can significantly reduce the analysis time for damped finite element models with general structural damping and specific viscous damping properties.
Beam-Based Submodeling from Global Beam Elements to Shell Elements – 2024 FD01
You can now perform beam-to- shell submodeling.
Benefits: Using shell elements in a submodel allows you to gain more detailed insight on results of interest for a region of a thin-walled beam that is modeled with beam elements in a global model.
Constraints
Conversion of Select Distributed Couplings to Tie Constraints – 2024 FD01
Uniform coupling constraints are available.
Abaqus/Explicit now converts distributing couplings to a tie constraint by default when the distributing couplings have cloud nodes associated with a single element facet and when the reference node of the coupling is not a node of a connector element.
Benefits: This enhancement avoids the creation of overlapping distributed couplings (which introduce a small amount of artificial mass for numerical purposes) when modeling fasteners using solid elements.
Elements
Bending Stabilization for Full-Integration Linear Elements – 2023 FD01
You can now control the activation and the level of bending stabilization for full-integration linear elements.
Benefits: Bending stabilization improves robustness for models using full-integration linear elements modeled with hyperelastic, hyperfoam, low-density foam, or user-defined materials and subjected to large bending deformations.
Varying Contact Angles for SLIPRING Connectors – 2023 FD01
You can now request that Abaqus/Standard compute the contact angle of a SLIPRING connector at the beginning of the analysis and update it through the analysis.
Benefits: If the slipring connector models a belt-pulley assembly, basing the calculations on the current value of the contact angle more accurately calculates the frictional force between the pulley and the belt.
Interactions
Step Cycling for Contact Wear Simulations
You can now use step cycling and step cycling controls to avoid explicitly specifying each instance of repeated steps associated with wear accumulation and to allow the number of physical wear cycles represented per simulated cycle to evolve based on current wear rates in Abaqus/Standard.
Benefits: Step cycling makes it easier to specify the model and enables more computationally efficient wear simulations.
Contact Involving Beams with Noncircular Cross-Sections in Abaqus/Explicit
The contact surface representation of beams with noncircular cross-sections in Abaqus/Explicit now uses internally generated meshes of surface elements that are available for postprocessing.
Benefits: The new contact surface representation is consistent with Abaqus/Standard, and it more accurately and realistically represents contact output.
Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) Adaptive Meshing Supports Contact Wear in Abaqus/Explicit – 2024 FD03
You can now use arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) adaptive meshing together with wear in Abaqus/Explicit, which accounts for local surface wear distances in underlying element calculations.
Benefits: Users can more easily and accurately account for wear distances that are large compared to element dimensions.
Cohesive Contact in Abaqus/Explicit – 2024 FD02
Performance for Abaqus/Explicit models with cohesive contact is improved compared to earlier releases. In addition, scaling the default contact penalty stiffness now also scales the default contact cohesive stiffness in Abaqus/Explicit; this behavior is consistent with that in Abaqus/Standard.
Benefits: The improvements facilitate more efficient user workflows and user adjustments to increase or decrease the contact cohesive stiffness from its default value.
Contact Wear in Abaqus/Explicit – 2024 FD02
Abaqus/Explicit can now model the evolution of wear and visualize nodal wear distances on contact surfaces due to mechanical contact based on the Archard’s wear equation.
Benefits: You can now model wear accumulated at the contact level in Abaqus/Explicit.
Usability enhancement for specifying reference thread geometry in Abaqus/Standard – 2024 FD02
Abaqus/Standard allows reference thread geometry to be specified on either surface (secondary or main) of a small-sliding interaction for general contact.
Benefits: Reference thread data for reference thread geometry can be specified for either surface of a small-sliding interaction of general contact.
Contact Wear in Abaqus/Standard – 2024 FD01
You can now model the evolution of wear and visualize nodal wear distances on contact surfaces due to mechanical contact, based on the Archard’s wear equation.
Benefits: Abaqus/Standard can now handle wear modeling workflows in automotive, aerospace, life sciences, and packaging applications.
Keywords
See the program directories
Materials
Piezoresistive Effect – 2024 FD03
You can now model materials exhibiting piezoresistive behavior in Abaqus/Standard.
Benefits: You can now analyze and design piezoresistive sensors such as silicon piezoresistive pressure sensors.
Electrical Resistivity – 2024 FD03
You can now define electrical resistivity directly in Abaqus/Standard.
Benefits: This provides an easier and more robust way to define electrical resistivity.
Modified Darveaux Viscous Behavior for Parallel Rheological Framework – 2024 FD03
You can now use the modified Darveaux model to define creep response in the parallel rheological framework (PRF).
Benefits: The modified Darveaux model provides more accurate results when the step contains idle time or periods of zero loading.
Unsymmetric Solution Scheme for the Superelastic Model – 2024 FD03
Abaqus/Standard now automatically activates the unsymmetric solution scheme for the superelastic material model if you use the nonassociated flow rule.
Benefits: This capability improves convergence of the superelastic model with the nonassociated flow rule.
Tangent Thermal Expansion – 2024 FD03
You can now define thermal expansion effects by specifying tangent thermal expansion coefficients.
Benefits: This capability provides flexibility in defining thermal expansion effects and eliminates the need to convert tangent thermal expansion coefficients when tangent coefficients are available.
Using Low-Density Foam with Eulerian Elements and ALE Analysis – 2024 FD03
You can now perform a coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian analysis or an analysis involving ALE adaptive meshing for a model with a low-density foam material.
Benefits: You can complete more effective simulations for analyses that involve extreme deformation or distortion of the mesh.
Nonlinear Viscoelastic Shear Behavior for EOS Materials – 2024 FD02
You can now combine nonlinear viscoelastic shear behavior with equation of state (EOS) materials in Abaqus/Explicit to model the response of viscoelastic fluids.
Benefits: The new material capability lets you model viscoelastic fluids and improves the stable time increment when you model fluids with large viscosities.
Darveaux Viscous Behavior for Parallel Rheological Framework – 2024 FD02
You can now use the Darveaux model to define creep response in the parallel rheological framework.
Benefits: The Darveaux model allows you to consider both primary and secondary creep, which enables more accurate results.
Hencky Hyperelastic Model – 2024 FD02
You can now use the Hencky model to define hyperelastic material response accurately.
Benefits: You can now accurately predict elastic material response for moderately large deformations.
Generalized Damage and Failure for Anisotropic Materials – 2024 FD01
You can now specify new failure criteria for fully anisotropic materials to evaluate the strength of the material based on stress or strain results. You can also use the same failure criteria at the pseudo-grain level for multiscale materials.
Benefits: The new stress/strain-based failure criteria are available with any material type and all stress/displacement elements, which gives you more options to evaluate the strength of materials.
Damage and Failure for Fiber-Reinforced Composites Using Multiscale Modeling – 2024 FD01
You can now specify new failure criteria for fiber-reinforced composite materials to evaluate the strength of the material based on stress invariants at the micro-level. You can also specify damage evolution laws for these damage criteria.
Benefits: The new damage initiation criteria allow you to evaluate damage at the composite constituent level using multiscale modeling, which simplifies damage modeling.
Field Expansion in Pore Fluid in a Porous Medium – 2024 FD01
You can now use field expansion with the pore fluid phase in a porous medium.
Benefits: The ability to define field expansion in the solid and the fluid phases in a porous medium independently provides a convenient way to introduce expansion of the material due to physical sources other than temperature, without having to model such sources explicitly.
Band-Limited Damping in Abaqus/Standard – 2024 FD01
You can now specify band-limited damping in Abaqus/Standard.
Benefits: The band-limited damping allows you to specify a damping ratio that remains approximately constant within a frequency range specified.
Output
See the program directories
Prescribed Conditions
Modified Interface to Define Time Variation of Ambient Temperature for Thermal Radiation – 2024 FD01
For prescribed thermal radiation boundary conditions, the new AMBIENT AMPLITUDE replaces the AMPLITUDE parameter available in earlier versions.
Benefits: The new parameter name better describes the capability, which enhances the clarity of the user interface.
Time Variation of Radiation Flux – 2024 FD01
For prescribed thermal radiation boundary conditions, you can use the new RADIATION AMPLITUDE parameter to define the time variation of the prescribed radiation flux directly through an amplitude definition.
Benefits: This capability provides additional modeling flexibility in some situations.
Modified Interface to Define Time Variation of Sink Temperature for Convection Boundary Conditions – 2024 FD01
For prescribed convective (film) boundary conditions in a thermal analysis, the new SINK AMPLITUDE parameter replaces the AMPLITUDE parameter available in earlier versions.
Benefits: The new parameter name better describes the capability, which enhances the clarity of the user interface.
Algorithmic Improvements to Convection and Radiation Boundary Flux Calculations – 2024 FD01
The flux calculations associated with prescribed convection and/or radiation boundary conditions in Abaqus/Standard now use an improved algorithm.
Benefits: The improved algorithms ensure continuity of convective/radiative fluxes across step boundaries, resulting in smooth temperature variations, and lead to better overall convergence characteristics for certain types of multi-step steady-state thermal analyses.
User Subroutines
New User subroutines
UVAREL – 2024 FD03
You can use the new user subroutine UVAREL to define output variables at the element and integration point level in Abaqus/Standard.
Benefits: The user subroutine makes it easier for you to compute, create, and elaborate user-defined element output variables and provides you the flexibility to implement a broad variety of data consolidation schemes that can reduce the amount of results that must be stored in the output database.
VDLOAD – 2024 FD02
You can now access displacement and acceleration information in user subroutine VDLOAD.
Benefits: Accessing the displacements and accelerations information in the user subroutine is useful when the distributed loads are a function of the displacements and accelerations.
UEXPAN – 2024 FD01
You can now define field expansion strains and, in a porous medium, pore fluid field expansion strains directly in user subroutine UEXPAN.
Benefits: Defining the values in the user subroutine is particularly useful when the field expansion strains are complicated functions of temperature, field variables, or state variables.
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