I am using Abaqus/Explicit with two different formulations in the same model:

The matrix is modelled using the HJC material model.
The fibre/interface bond-link behaviour is modelled using a VUEL user element.

My objective is to visualize the damage variables stored in the VUEL state variables, mainly SVARS(9), SVARS(10), and SVARS(11). However, in the Visualization module, I can only see the HJC/matrix material state variables, such as the HJC damage variable appearing as SDV. The VUEL-related SVARS are not visible in the ODB field output list.

My user element definition is:

*USER ELEMENT, TYPE=VU1, NODES=3, COORDINATES=3, VARIABLES=11, PROPERTIES=9
1, 2, 3

The VUEL elements are defined as:

*ELEMENT, TYPE=VU1, ELSET=BOND_LINKS
...

and in the assembled model the element set becomes:

FIBERBONDPART-1.BOND_LINKS

Initially, I requested the VUEL output as SDV9, SDV10, SDV11, but then changed it to SVARS:

** VUEL bond-link element output
*Output, field
*Element Output, ELSET=FIBERBONDPART-1.BOND_LINKS
SVARS

I also tried history output:

** VUEL bond-link history output
*Output, history, time interval=0.0001
*Element Output, ELSET=FIBERBONDPART-1.BOND_LINKS
SVARS

Even after requesting SVARS, the VUEL variables are still not visible in Visualization. Only the HJC/matrix SDV variables are available.

I would like to ask:

Is SVARS the correct output request for VUEL state variables in Abaqus/Explicit?
Should VUEL state variables appear in Visualization as SVARS, SVAR1, SVAR2, etc., or under another variable name?
Are VUEL SVARS supported for field contour plots in the ODB, or are they available only through history/report output?
Apart from defining VARIABLES=11 in *USER ELEMENT and updating the SVARS array inside the VUEL subroutine, is any additional step required to write the VUEL state variables to the ODB?
Since these are bond/interface-type VUEL elements embedded inside the matrix, could the variables be written but not contourable in the same way as solid-element material SDV variables?
Could the issue be related to using the instance-level element set name FIBERBONDPART-1.BOND_LINKS instead of only BOND_LINKS in the output request?

I have attached screenshots of the *USER ELEMENT definition, the VUEL element set, the corrected SVARS output request, and the Visualization module variable list where only the HJC/matrix SDV variables are shown.

Any guidance on how to correctly output and visualize VUEL state variables in Abaqus/Explicit would be highly appreciated.

Thank you.



1. *USER ELEMENT definition screenshot:

2. *ELEMENT, TYPE=VU1, ELSET=BOND_LINKS and *UEL PROPERTY screenshot:

3. Keyword editor screenshot showing SVARS in field and history output:
 

4. Visualization variable list screenshot: