Introduction to IronPython Console extension

1 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc. December 3, 2012

 Agenda
• The IronPython Console extension

• Using this extension for

– For navigating through the ACT APIs
– Interactive testing of the ACT commands
– Data access
– Debugging

2 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc. December 3, 2012

 The IronPython Console extension
This extension is installed along with the
Workbench R14.5
This extension provides an interactive
environment to help the ACT developers
One can:
• Find out suitable commands for his/her extension
• Test code pieces even before developing an
extension
• Debug developed extensions

ANSYS Customization Suite license to required for

using this extension

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 Using the extension

Extensions list

Command Line Editor

Information Window

Functions List

Command Output Window

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 Data Access

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 ExtAPI.Application
ExtAPI is the entry point for all data access

1 2

Type: ExtAPI. in the Command Line Type: ExtAPI.Application. to see

Editor to see available objects available objects under Application

3 4

This is a function. It requires Type a test message and press ‘Enter’

a single argument ‘msg’ of key to log the error message
‘str’(string) type
*always ignore ‘self’+

5
Select: ExtAPI.Application.LogError to
6 see©how to use
2011 ANSYS, Inc. it December 3, 2012
 ExtAPI.SelectionMgr
First, select any geometric entity (example: a face) 2

1
Type: ExtAPI.SelectionMgr. to see
available objects under Application

Type: ExtAPI. in the Command Line

Editor to see available objects This returns a list of integers

Select: Ids to see what it offers and

3
press ‘Enter’ key to get the output

This is a class. So, we will get more

information by going inside it.

Select: ExtAPI.SelectionMgr.CurrentSelection The command output window shows

to
7 see how
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ANSYS, use it December 3, 2012 the list of Ids under CurrentSelection
 ExtAPI.DataModel
Lets get information on Geometry
ExtAPI.DataModel is the entry point for all data access from Model 2

1 GeoData is our
entry point for
Store the list of Ids under CurrentSelection Geometry related
data access
to a variable (e.g. myIds)
3

GeoData could also be reach via

GeoEntityById is a function. The input is an “id” and it
returns the geometric entity object reference.
ExtAPI.DataModel.AnalysisList[0].GeoData
From the returned object, we can get more information

4 5
Store the geometric entity as a
variable (e.g. myE)
See what is available under myE
Access the required data
Example: Area, No. of Edges, Body Id,
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Material for the Body,…
 ExtAPI.DataModel (2)
Lets get more information on Mesh 2
1

MeshData is our Store the mesh reference as a

entry point for
Mesh related data
access
MeshData could also be reach via
ExtAPI.DataModel.MeshDataByName('Global')
variable (e.g. mesh)
Access required data (e.g. Node and
Element counts etc.)
4

Access the node-element connectivity

Access mesh data for the selected information (e.g. Nodes for Element ids 1
geometric entity & 4, Elements for node id 1, 209)

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 ExtAPI.DataModel (3)
Lets get more information on Results

1 2

ResultsData is our
entry point for
Results related data
access

•Store the result reference as a variable

ResultName gives us a list of available (e.g. res)
results •Check available components for result “U”
Result function takes a result name as •Store the node ids on the selected entity
input and returns the result object (e.g. nIds)
•Access the X-Displacement nodal results
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on the stored node ids
 Using an external module
• Ability to import and use external modules makes ACT even more powerful
• There are some predefined modules available under ‘library’
Some predefined modules in ‘library’. Example:
• units.py  for many unit conversion utilities
• materials.py  access Engineering Data
• graphics.py  utilities to draw nodes, elements,
geometric entities etc. in the Graphics window

User can add more modules here.. Or import from

different path
2

Store the material for the geometric

entity as a variable (e.g. myMat) Access Elasticity for myMat
11 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc. December 3, 2012 Access Bulk Modulus from Elasticity data
 Demo

• Using the IronPython Console extension

– Application
– Selection Manager
– Data Model
• Geometry data
• Mesh data
• Results
– Using an external module

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 Analysis Data Access
• Access number of load steps and step end times
• Access the magnitude of a Pressure load
• Change the Pressure magnitude value
There are a few things directly
accessible from the analysis (e.g.
StepsEndTime)

DataObjects under analysis

provide additional details (e.g.
detailed Analysis Settings, all
Loads, Supports, etc.)

• Access the Coordinate Systems

• Access the Named Selections

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 Debugging

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 Testing a piece of code – outside of extension

A function to set the property value of an

object under analysis
This file [‘test.py’ ] is at path: ‘D\Temp’
Lets import this file and call ‘myTest’ function

Modules from ‘sys.path’ can be imported

Add ‘D:\Temp’ to ‘sys.path’
Now import ‘test.py’
• Global variables and the functions in the
test module is visible in the function list
window

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 Testing a piece of code – outside of extension (2)

Check the values for the Global variables

Change the values of a variable

Call the ‘myTest’ function to change

the X Component for the Force load

Since this module is an external

module, it needs access to ExtAPI

16 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc. December 3, 2012

 Testing a piece of code – outside of extension (3)
1

Change the function to take the analysis as an argument

Add a help string to show the information window Reload the changed file

2 3

Define ‘analysis’ and call the ‘myTest’ function

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 Debugging an extension
Select the Extension to debug

Use the Command Line Editor to

access all Extension related data
(Global variables, attributes,
functions,…)

2: Call the function

The “example” extension 1: Select

3: The MessageBox opens up

18 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc. December 3, 2012
 Debugging an extension (2)
The “ACT_Post” extension
(we will see what this extension does later)
A part of the code we want to debug is shown below

1: Select

2: Access and change

Global variables
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 Debugging an extension (3)

GetMaterials returns the list of

materials from the bodies selected
for the ACT result object

3: Access the ACT result object

4: Call the GetMaterials function

and store the returned value
5: import the “materials” module
and then access various material
properties
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 Debugging an extension (4)

Lets get the:

• Geometry selected
• Material properties
• Result Type etc.

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 Q/A

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