This work focuses on the development of an open-source framework to simulate material
deposition for arbitrary geometries with respect to desired process parameters during a directed
energy deposition (DED) process. This framework allows the flexibility to define the element
activation criteria used in conjunction with Abaqus. A Python script was developed to extract
toolpath coordinates from G-code and implement an element activation sequence that is unique to
a specific CAD drawing. This is important for simulating the additive manufacturing construction
of complex geometries because the thermal history of the component is dependent on laser path,
which has a significant effect on residual stresses and distortion. The results of varying the element
activation criteria are compared with simulated temperature profiles.Mechanical Engineerin
