Hands-On:

Automation and Customization of

Your Structural Simulation
Workflows

1 Jun 2023

Start of Recording
© Copyright 2023 ANSYS, Inc. / Confidential
 Key Take-Aways of Today’s Session

Save time and improve robustness by automating your

workflows

Automate and customize either from within Ansys tools or from

within your external tools

Create efficient custom postprocessing workflows

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 Ansys Learning Hub & Siemens Private Learning Room

https://www.ansys.com/alhactivation_en

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 Introduction of Presenters & Account Team

Pernelle Marone Hitz, Michael Hortmann, Alexander Stubenrauch, André Braune,

Lead Application Engineer Enterprise Account Director Strategic Account Manager Sr. Technical Account Manager
[email protected] [email protected] alexander.stubenrauch@ [email protected]
ansys.com

Questions ? – Please use Chat function or use Q&A slot at the end

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• DECEMBER 2019

Hands-On:
Automation and Customization of
Your Structural Simulation
Workflows

© Copyright 2023 ANSYS, Inc. / Confidential

 Two possible approaches to scripting

Product 1
Product 1

Product 2 Ansys Ecosystem Ansys Product 2

Ecosystem
Technology 3
Product 4
Product 3

Product scripting PyAnsys scripting

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 Scripting from within the products

Geometry scripting (SpaceClaim or Discovery)

MAPDL scripting

Mechanical scripting
WB scripting

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 Scripting from within the customer tools
Products
Any tool from which you can write Python (UI is yours to choose)
Ansys
API
Product A
PyAnsys
technology Ansys
API
Product B

Ansys
API
MAPDL

Technology components
Possibility to use other
useful Python tools Meshing

Data
Processing
Framework

Customer Ansys
tools Technology

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Product scripting
 Product scripting

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 Geometry scripting
• Prepare geometry
• Modify parameters
• Replay script
• Recording capabilities
• In SpaceClaim or in Discovery

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 Project page scripting
• Create component systems
• Link them together
• Update them
• Recording capabilities

Example: Sequentially solve blocks with internal names “SYS” and “SYS 2”.

Update result cell of analysis block “SYS”

Update result cell of analysis block “SYS 2”

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 Mechanical scripting: automation

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 Mechanical scripting: complete model setup and postprocessing

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 Mechanical code objects
Run scripts automatically at the “proper time”

Python Code Object Python Result Object

Automate changes and non-graphical operations Create custom plots

• Execute Python code in response to events occurring • Create custom postprocessing workflow
in Mechanical
• Plot result as if it was a standard Mechanical item
• Use Python code to inject MAPDL commands into the
solver input • Add properties in the details view as needed (inputs,
outputs, parameters)
• Define custom properties
• Based on DPF technology

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 Python Code example: Create new parameters for design
variations
def before_solve(this, analysis):# Do not edit this line
"""
Called before solving the parent analysis.
Keyword Arguments :
this -- this python object
analysis -- Static Structural
"""
preload =
this.PropertyProvider.GetPropertyByName("Parameters/Preload
(N)").Value

all_prets = DataModel.GetObjectsByName('Bolt Pretension')

for prets in all_prets:

times = range(1,prets.Parent.AnalysisSettings.NumberOfSteps+1)
preload_vals=[]
time_vals=[]
Preload value available as parameter for time in times:
time_vals.append(Quantity(float(time), "sec"))
• Update can be applied to one or more preload_vals.append(Quantity(float(preload), "N"))
pretension objects
prets.Preload.Inputs[0].DiscreteValues = time_vals
• Called before solving to update value sent to prets.Preload.Output.DiscreteValues=preload_vals
the solver

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 Python Result example: stress threshold
Standard result: plot stress on complete model

Python result: plot stress above a specified value

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 Mechanical scripting ease of use

Automation scripts can

be saved to a button

Both Python Code and

Python Code object can be Use DPF to create Python Result objects allow
Automate result search used to send MAPDL custom results for user inputs and outputs,
and label creation commands to the solver (Mechanical) and parametric definition

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Ansys Customization
Toolkit (ACT)
 Customization tools (ACT)
• Encapsulate and distribute scripts and ‘know-how’ in an intuitive way
• Create your own loads, boundary conditions, or results
• Guide and automate simulation workflows using ACT Wizards
• Hide source code from end users

Custom loads, custom results, … Embed MAPDL macros Guided workflows

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 ACT personas and file types

❑ End-user side ❑ Creator’s side

▪ Install binary .wbex file ▪ .xml file to configure the UI (buttons, actions, etc)
▪ IronPython (.py) script file to implement the
extension’s functionalities
▪ For wizards, .html files can be added to guide
user through the different steps

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Data Processing
Framework (DPF)
technology
 DPF: a powerful way to post-process and create custom results

.RST
.RTH

Manipulate/ Visualize/
Access Transform/
Simulation
Export/
Map Transfer
Data
Simulation Data Field Data

.csv
.vtk
.hdf5 Physics Agnostic
Performance
Remote/Distributed Access Create custom plots
Pythonic Facilitate data transfer in multi-tool simulations
Customizable
Open Source
Dedicated Libraries (eg: numpy, matplotlib)
Plug & Play

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 DPF data model – Operator
• Each process is divided into several unitary operations carried out by operators

• Operators can be chained to realize simple or complex operations

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 Where can DPF be used ?

In Mechanical: Mechanical DPF

• Scripting console
• Python Code object
• Python Result object

In PyAnsys: PyDPF
• Several packages to address different needs:
• PyDPF-Core: standard implementation of DPF
• PyDPF-Post: simplified functions for standard post-processing
• PyDPF-Composites: for postprocessing of composite models

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 Example #1: Pressure profile

Pressure variation for nodes in contact with upper plate

Ansys internal model along with deformation profile

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 Example #2: Expanding generalized Axisymmetric results

Standard results Expanded results thanks to

Mechanical DPF

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PyAnsys scripting
 PyAnsys scripting

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 What is PyAnsys?
Not a product! Set of technologies that allow the user to interface with Ansys products pythonically

Python Ansys PyAnsys

The PyAnsys project is Ansys’s commitment to open-source where we provide

Python libraries that expose Ansys technologies in the Python ecosystem
through APIs and interfaces that are clear, concise, and maintainable. This
allows Ansys customers to do:
• Flexible Automation: Democratize powerful capabilities offered by Ansys through scripting
• Flexible Distribution : Connect Ansys and Open-Source technologies in a seamless manner
• Broader Technology Integration: Integrate Ansys physics capabilities easily with AI/ML

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 What is open source in PyAnsys?

That’s the open This remains proprietary

source part and consumes product
licenses

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 What’s the UI like?
No specific UI. User’s choice.
• PyAnsys is a set of tools to interact with Ansys products from a Python interface
• Any Python interface can be used (even the Windows Command Prompt !)
• Using an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is recommended to write and maintain code.
Many IDEs are available: Spyder, PyCharm, VS Code, Visual Studio, ….

User can also develop apps by coding both

Code can be written from a web-page thanks An IDE can be used (PyCharm, Spyder, …) the front end and the back end
to Jupyterlab

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 Available PyAnsys packages

Simulation librairies Utility librairies Postprocessing librairies

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 PyAnsys Source Code and Documentation
PyAnsys is an open-source project. The source code and documentation are provided on Github.

https://github.com/ansys

Source Code and Documentation

Introduction videos
available on ansys.com:
• 3 min video
• 15 min video

Each package has documentation

and many examples

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 Example: Web app to perform FE simulation

• Standalone App

• UI is created through Python

too (in this case, Plotly Dash)

• Simulation is done in the

back through FE analysis in
PyAnsys

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In any case
 Choosing between various technologies – running scripts
Actively developing Run script from console

Source code can be

exposed
Development is
User button
Manually by clicking on “frozen”
a button

Need a deployable
solution that protects
ACT Custom Button
source code and is
easily distributable

Deploying a Mechanical To create a custom

Python Result
script result
Source code exposed;
no need to distribute
For other reasons than
Python Code
creating a result plot

Automatically at the
right time and/or with
user inputs To create a custom load ACT Custom Load
or boundary condition

Need a deployable
solution that protects To create a custom
ACT Custom Result
source code and is result plot
easily distributable

For other reasons ACT Custom object

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 Choosing between various technologies – guided workflows

In-product solution
ACT Wizard
with low-code UI

Guided workflow
External solution with
greater deployment Web App
and UI flexibility

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 Ansys Developer Forum

https://discuss.ansys.com/

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 Getting support, asking for enhancement, report a bug
Bug Open an issue in Github

Related to PyAnsys Feature request Open an issue in Github

Help with a command

Use the Dev Forum
or a script
I need help

Help with command or

Use the Dev Forum
script
Related to Product
Scripting
Contact Ansys TECS
Customer Support
Any issue
(open a Service
Request)

They will put you in

Want to discuss a
Contact AM and or TAM contact with an
project
application engineer

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 Documentation and training material

Documentation Training material Support

SpaceClaim/Discovery scripting Ansys Help: SCDM scripting Ansys Learning Hub: Scripting in Ansys Developer Forum,
SpaceClaim Ansys Customer Portal,
Ansys Innovation Courses: Scripting in [email protected]
Ansys Discovery, Advanced scripting in
Ansys Discovery
Mechanical scripting Ansys Help: Scripting in Mechanical Ansys Learning Hub: Ansys Mechanical Developer Forum,
Scripting Ansys Customer Portal,
[email protected]

DPF scripting • For Mechanical DPF: Ansys Help: Ansys Learning Hub: Introduction to Data Developer Forum,
Python Result Processing Framework Ansys Customer Portal,
• For PyDPF: Github Documentation: DPF [email protected]
docs
ACT scripting Ansys Help: Customization suite Ansys Learning Hub: Introduction to Ansys Developer Forum,
ACT in Mechanical, Introduction to Ansys Ansys Customer Portal,
ACT Wizards [email protected]

PyAnsys Github Documentation: PyAnsys project Ansys Innovation Courses: Intro to Using PyAnsys: Ansys Developer Forum
Python, Getting Started with PyMAPDL, Report issues (bug, enhancement need):
Developing WebApps for Modeling and open an issue on Github (in the repo of
Simulation Using PyAnsys each package)

41 ©2023 ANSYS, Inc. / Confidential

 Key Take-Aways of Today’s Session

Save time and improve robustness by automating your

workflows

Automate and customize either from within Ansys tools or from

within your external tools

Create efficient custom postprocessing workflows

42 ©2023 ANSYS, Inc. / Confidential

 End of Recording

Q&A

What questions do you

have?
Please use Chat function or unmute yourself
 The Siemens Private Tour – Next Events

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