diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.cpp b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.cpp
index 0a236a5425..753c7db80b 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.cpp
@@ -1171,11 +1171,8 @@ void FemMesh::read(const char *FileName)
     }
 }
 
-void FemMesh::writeABAQUS(const std::string &Filename) const
+void FemMesh::writeABAQUS(const std::string &Filename, int elemParam, bool groupParam) const
 {
-    ParameterGrp::handle hGrp = App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/Mod/Fem/Abaqus");
-    int elemParam = hGrp->GetInt("AbaqusElementChoice", 1);
-    bool groupParam = hGrp->GetBool("AbaqusWriteGroups", false);
     /*
      * elemParam:
      * 0 = all elements
@@ -1585,8 +1582,12 @@ void FemMesh::write(const char *FileName) const
         myMesh->ExportDAT(File.filePath().c_str());
     }
     else if (File.hasExtension("inp") ) {
+        // get Abaqus inp prefs
+        ParameterGrp::handle hGrp = App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/Mod/Fem/Abaqus");
+        int elemParam = hGrp->GetInt("AbaqusElementChoice", 1);
+        bool groupParam = hGrp->GetBool("AbaqusWriteGroups", false);
         // write ABAQUS Output
-        writeABAQUS(File.filePath());
+        writeABAQUS(File.filePath(), elemParam, groupParam);
     }
 #ifdef FC_USE_VTK
     else if (File.hasExtension("vtk") || File.hasExtension("vtu") ) {
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.h b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.h
index 29de41fee2..dfe2a71c13 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.h
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.h
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ public:
     /// import from files
     void read(const char *FileName);
     void write(const char *FileName) const;
-    void writeABAQUS(const std::string &Filename) const;
+    void writeABAQUS(const std::string &Filename, int elemParam, bool groupParam) const;
 
 private:
     void copyMeshData(const FemMesh&);
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshPy.xml b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshPy.xml
index 9f71374cb4..92ffe42d20 100755
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshPy.xml
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshPy.xml
@@ -71,7 +71,11 @@
         </Methode>
         <Methode Name="writeABAQUS" Const="true">
             <Documentation>
-                <UserDocu>write out as ABAQUS.</UserDocu>
+                <UserDocu>write out as ABAQUS inp
+                    writeABAQUS(file, int elemParam, bool groupParam)
+                    elemParam: 0 = all elements, 1 = highest elements only, 2 = FEM elements only (only edges not belonging to faces and faces not belonging to volumes)
+                    groupParam: true = write group data, false = do not write group data
+                </UserDocu>
             </Documentation>
         </Methode>
         <Methode Name="setTransform">
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshPyImp.cpp b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshPyImp.cpp
index 12d64f06f3..695ed53638 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshPyImp.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshPyImp.cpp
@@ -640,13 +640,16 @@ PyObject* FemMeshPy::write(PyObject *args)
 PyObject* FemMeshPy::writeABAQUS(PyObject *args)
 {
     char* Name;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "et","utf-8",&Name))
+    int elemParam;
+    PyObject* groupParam;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "etiO!","utf-8",&Name,&elemParam,&PyBool_Type,&groupParam))
         return 0;
     std::string EncodedName = std::string(Name);
     PyMem_Free(Name);
+    bool grpParam = PyObject_IsTrue(groupParam) ? true : false;
 
     try {
-        getFemMeshPtr()->writeABAQUS(EncodedName.c_str());
+        getFemMeshPtr()->writeABAQUS(EncodedName.c_str(), elemParam, grpParam);
     }
     catch (const std::exception& e) {
         PyErr_SetString(Base::BaseExceptionFreeCADError, e.what());