# Visualize Abaqus Element Local Coordinate Systems

## Problem description

An Abaqus cross-section can contain an element property reference coordinate
system (`property_ref_csys`) that determines the material axes. Before sending
the model to a solver, it is useful to inspect both the complete mesh and the
direction of the local `y1`, `y2`, and `y3` axes interactively.

## Explaination of the solution

`plot_local_csys.py` reads `sg2_airfoil.inp` as a 2D Abaqus structure gene and
passes its mesh to {func}`sgio.create_pyvista_plotter`.  The reusable scene
factory converts the mesh, resolves each element's local coordinate system,
and exports an interactive HTML scene. Red, green, and blue arrows represent
`y1`, `y2`, and `y3`, respectively.

The airfoil has many elements, so the script displays an evenly spaced sample
of 500 coordinate systems by default. The mesh remains complete; use
`--max-axes` to display more or fewer arrows.

Install PyVista and its HTML-export dependencies once:

```powershell
uv sync --extra pyvista-html
```

Run the example:

```powershell
uv run python examples/convert_abaqus_cs_to_vabs/plot_local_csys.py
```

## Result

The script writes `sg2_airfoil_local_csys.html`. Open it in a browser to
rotate, pan, zoom, and inspect the mesh with the local-axis arrows overlaid.
`--axis-scale` is an arrow length in mesh coordinate units. If it is omitted,
the factory uses 2.5% of the mesh bounding-box diagonal.

## List of all files

- [plot_local_csys.py](../../../examples/convert_abaqus_cs_to_vabs/plot_local_csys.py): Main script.
- [sg2_airfoil.inp](../../../examples/convert_abaqus_cs_to_vabs/sg2_airfoil.inp): Abaqus input cross-section.
- `sg2_airfoil_local_csys.html`: Generated interactive plot.