How to create elastic strain plot for each ply of a layered composite modeled by solids?

The idea is to automate the creation of elastic strains result in Mechanical on X or Y direction for all plies of a solid model, grouping these objects and then printing the maximum or minimum values.

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Javier Vique

Creating elastic strain object is straightforward in Mechanical. The main issue might be understanding how plies are selected when Sub Scope By is set as Ply. Please see the code below which identifies the plies (they've got 3D in their names') and then these are used in the scope of each result.

import os

Solution = ExtAPI.DataModel.Project.Model.Analyses[0].Solution
AllPlies = ExtAPI.DataModel.GetObjectsByType(DataModelObjectCategory.AnalysisPly)

def PostCreation(direction):
    MaximumResults = []
    MinimumResults = []
    for Ply in AllPlies:
        if '3D' in Ply.Name:
            StrainElastic = Solution.AddNormalElasticStrain()
            StrainElastic.Ply = [Ply]
            if direction == 'YY':
                StrainElastic.NormalOrientation = NormalOrientationType.YAxis
            StrainElastic.By = SetDriverStyle.MaximumOverTime
            StrainElastic.DisplayOption = ResultAveragingType.ElementalMean
            StrainElastic.RenameBasedOnDefinition()
            MaximumResults.append(StrainElastic)
            StrainElasticMin = StrainElastic.Duplicate()
            StrainElasticMin.By = SetDriverStyle.MinimumOverTime
            StrainElasticMin.RenameBasedOnDefinition()
            MinimumResults.append(StrainElasticMin)
    name_max = '3D_Plies' + direction + '_MaxOverTime'
    name_min = '3D_Plies' + direction + '_MinOverTime'
    Solution.EvaluateAllResults()
    for i in MaximumResults:
        print('Result:%s Ply:%s Strain:%.5f' % (name_max,i.Name,i.Maximum.Value))
    for i in MinimumResults:
        print('Result:%s Ply:%s Strain:%.5f' % (name_max,i.Name,i.Minimum.Value))
    Result_Group = Tree.Group(MaximumResults)
    Result_Group.Name = name_max
    Result_Group = Tree.Group(MinimumResults)
    Result_Group.Name = name_min
    return

PostCreation('XX')
PostCreation('YY')

choukri ELGHERYB

final version with extract csv and picture for each ply
import csv
import os

Solution = ExtAPI.DataModel.Project.Model.Analyses[0].Solution
AllPlies = ExtAPI.DataModel.GetObjectsByType(DataModelObjectCategory.AnalysisPly)

def PostCreation(direction, csv_writer):
MaximumResults = []
MinimumResults = []
for Ply in AllPlies:
if 'TVF57' in Ply.Name:
StrainElastic = Solution.AddNormalElasticStrain()
StrainElastic.Ply = [Ply]
if direction == 'YY':
StrainElastic.NormalOrientation = NormalOrientationType.YAxis
StrainElastic.By = SetDriverStyle.MaximumOverTime
StrainElastic.DisplayOption = ResultAveragingType.ElementalMean
StrainElastic.RenameBasedOnDefinition()
MaximumResults.append(StrainElastic)
StrainElasticMin = StrainElastic.Duplicate()
StrainElasticMin.By = SetDriverStyle.MinimumOverTime
StrainElasticMin.RenameBasedOnDefinition()
MinimumResults.append(StrainElasticMin)
name_max = 'TVF57_Plies' + direction + '_MaxOverTime'
name_min = 'TVF57_Plies' + direction + '_MinOverTime'
Solution.EvaluateAllResults()
for i in MaximumResults:
max_strain = i.Maximum.Value
csv_writer.writerow([name_max, i.Name, max_strain])
print('Result:%s Ply:%s Strain:%.5f' % (name_max, i.Name, max_strain))
ExportImage(i, name_max)
for i in MinimumResults:
min_strain = i.Minimum.Value
csv_writer.writerow([name_min, i.Name, min_strain])
print('Result:%s Ply:%s Strain:%.5f' % (name_min, i.Name, min_strain))
ExportImage(i, name_min)
Result_Group = Tree.Group(MaximumResults)
Result_Group.Name = name_max
Result_Group = Tree.Group(MinimumResults)
Result_Group.Name = name_min

def ExportImage(result, result_name):
Settings = Ansys.Mechanical.Graphics.GraphicsImageExportSettings()
result.Activate()
image_dir = r"D:\images"
if not os.path.exists(image_dir):
os.makedirs(image_dir)
image_path = os.path.join(image_dir, result_name + '' + result.Name + '.png')
try:
ExtAPI.Graphics.ExportImage(image_path, GraphicsImageExportFormat.PNG, Settings)
print('Exported image for result: {}{}'.format(result_name, result.Name))
except Exception as ex:
print('Failed to export image for result: {}_{} - {}'.format(result_name, result.Name, str(ex)))

image_dir = r"D:\images"
if not os.path.exists(image_dir):
os.makedirs(image_dir)

csv_file_path = os.path.join(image_dir, 'results_results_ID1_TVF57.csv')
try:
with open(csv_file_path, mode='w') as file:
csv_writer = csv.writer(file)
csv_writer.writerow(['Result Type', 'Ply Name', 'Strain Value']) # Header row
PostCreation('XX', csv_writer)
PostCreation('YY', csv_writer)
print("CSV file saved: {}".format(csv_file_path))
except Exception as ex:
print('Failed to save CSV file: {}'.format(str(ex)))