Scripting Basics in Mechanical Basics in Mechanical Author Ankur Jaura Created Date 11/29/2012 5:07:30 PM

© 2011 ANSYS, Inc. November 29, 2012

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14. 5 Release

Lecture 1Scripting Basics in Mechanical


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Contents

• Introduction

• Mechanical Application Architecture

• Design Simulation Object (DS)

• Finding Functions in Mechanical Application

• Summary


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• Scripting language used – Jscript

• Mechanical Application is build on the Workbench-1 (WB1) architecture, same as Design Modeler

• It’s relatively simpler (compared to DM) to trace the underlying APIs for the various tasks

• Almost all manual processes can be scripted

– Access geometry entities (bodies, faces, etc.)

– Access existing or create new mesh settings, Named selections, etc.

– Generate mesh, etc.

Introduction


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Execution of J-Scripts

Tools → Run Macro …


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Application

Meshing Application Architecture

HTML XML

JavaScript

Core C++ Application Logic

GUI

C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\v145\aisol\DesignSpace\DSPages\Language\en-us\xmlC:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\v145\aisol\DesignSpace\DSPages\xml

C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\v145\aisol\DesignSpace\DSPages\scripts

Note:Meshing and Mechanical applications shares the same XML and JScriptcode

Workbench Design Modeler and Mechanical application share same architecture

Path for accessing JScript and XML files:


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Design Simulation Object (DS)

DS

• This is the entry point for macro execution into the Mechanical session

• This is : wb.AppletList.Applet("DSApplet").App

– wb is the Workbench (WB1) master object

• Design Modeler, Mechanical etc. applications are applets built on this object


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Finding Functions

Generic Procedure:

• Locate functionality in GUI

• Search the dsstringtable.xml files for menu string

• Note the corresponding ID of the string

– ID is like: ID_***

• Search for the string id ID_*** in DSPages/xml folder

• Note the methodName under actionCallback

– Command is like: do***

• Search for the command do*** in DSPages/scripts

• Attach a debugger to Mechanical process to see the script in action


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Finding The Desired Function

Objective:

• Understand how a pressure load is inserted

Approach:

• Locate functionality in GUI


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Finding The Desired Function (2)

• Go to ~DSPages\Language\en-us\xml

• Find the ID_** for Menu string “Pressure” from the dsstringtable.xml

• Search the ID_*** to find the methodName in ~DSPages\xml folder

– Search returns two files

– dscontextmenu.xml

– dstoolbar.xml

You will get the string “Pressure” at multiple locations. Select the one that is most reasonableIn this case it is: ID_EnvironmentInsertStructuralLoadPressure


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Finding The Desired Function (3)

• Open the dscontextmenu.xml file and look for the same string

• The methodName under actionCallback for this string is doInsertEnvironmentPressure

(Searching through “dstoolbar.xml” will also give same methodName)

• Search on the string do*** in ~DSPages/scripts

– Search returns one file DSMenuWrap.js

• Open this file and look for function doInsertEnvironmentPressure

• It has no arguments and it can be called by the following code:

• DS.Script.doInsertEnvironmentPressure();


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Using the Function

Create a JS macro file (e.g. testPressureLoad.js)

• Add a line:

– DS.Script.doInsertEnvironmentPressure();

• Save the file

Run the JS macro file

• Tools Run Macro...

Did it work?

• No

• Yes if you have selected the “Environment” node in the tree before calling the macro


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Analyzing the Outcome

Lets look into the doInsertEnvironmentPressure function again

• This function is calling another function

– doEnvironmentInsertLoad with an argument 8130

• Search doEnvironmentInsertLoad string in DSPages/scripts

– Search returns two files

– DSMenuWrap.js Already we have looked into this!

– DSMenuScript.js Lets look into this now


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Analyzing the Outcome (2)

There is a check inside the function

• It works only when the active object in “Tree” is Environment object

• Otherwise, it doesn’t do anything!


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Attach Debugger to Mechanical session

• To see the script in action, attach debugger to the Mechanical Process– Using Visual Studio Professional

• Approach:– Open Mechanical session– Start Visual Studio (VS)– Go to Tools Attach to Process...– Select the suitable

"AnsysWBU.exe”• Note that the "Script" option under

"Type" (column 4 in the window) is available

• If it is not picked up by default, try to use the "Select" option (button on the right of "Attach to" in the window)

Note: If Design Modeler is also open, there may be multiple AnsysWBU.exe processes

!


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Attach Debugger to Mechanical session (2)

• Press the "Attach" button

• In the VS window, select Debug Break All

• Go back to Mechanical application window and click at any location

– This will pop up the VS window with the JScript in it


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Attach Debugger to Mechanical (3)

• Search for doInsertEnvironmentPressure and attach a “Break Point”

• Press “Continue (F5) ”

– This will not do anything (for now)

• In Mechanical window, insert a pressure load (as usual)

• This takes the control back to VS, where you have attached the break point


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Attach Debugger to Mechanical (4)

• “Step Into (F11)” the function

– This will take to the function: doEnvironmentInsertLoad

• Go line by line “Step Over (F10)”

• Add variables to the Watch window to check different objects

– Specifically watch

• “ds” and

• “wb”

• When done, you can use “Continue (F5)”

• And detach the debugger

– Debug Detach All


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Summary

This presentation highlighted following points:

• Mechanical application architecture

• How to find functions to be used in automation scripts

Documents

Scripting Basics in Mechanical Basics in Mechanical Author Ankur Jaura Created Date 11/29/2012 5:07:30 PM