Can I launch a PyMechanical tool from within Mechanical?

Landon Mitchell Kanner

My colleague has created an app using PyMechanical. I want to launch the app from within Mechanical and have it connect to the existing Mechanical session. Is this possible?

Landon Mitchell Kanner

Yes. First you will start Mechanical's GRPC Server using the command
port_number = Ansys.ACT.Mechanical.MechanicalAPI.Instance.ApplicationAPI.StartGrpcServer()

Then you will need to pass the port_number to the PyMechanical tool so it can connect using the command
mechanical = launch_mechanical(start_instance=False, port=port_number, cleanup_on_exit=False)

Let's look at an example.
First create a PyMechanical script called 'PyMechanicalScript.py' with the following code:

import sys
import os
from ansys.mechanical.core import launch_mechanical

port = sys.argv[1]

print(__name__)
print(f'Connecting to Mechanical on port = {port}')

mechanical = launch_mechanical(start_instance=False, port=port, cleanup_on_exit=False)
print(mechanical)

Then run this code from the Mechanical Scripting Console as follows:

import subprocess 

port_number = Ansys.ACT.Mechanical.MechanicalAPI.Instance.ApplicationAPI.StartGrpcServer()

Cpython_path = r'C:\Users\lmkanner\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\python.exe' # Must include ansys.mechanical.core
Cpython_file = r'<path to PyMechanicalScript.py>'

subprocess.Popen(args=[Cpython_path,'-i',
        Cpython_file,str(port_number)]
        ,stdin=None, stdout=None, stderr=None)

This will open a Python interpreter window that is connected to your Mechanical session via the variable 'mechanical'. For example, you could solve the first analysis in your open Mechanical session by copy/pasting the following in to the Python window:
mechanical.run_python_script("ExtAPI.DataModel.Project.Model.Analyses[0].Solve()")

Attached is the same example encapsulated as an ACT extension.

Mike.Thompson

@Landon Mitchell Kanner , can you also comment on what versions of Mechanical/PyMechanical are required for this?

Landon Mitchell Kanner

@Mike.Thompson said:
@Landon Mitchell Kanner , can you also comment on what versions of Mechanical/PyMechanical are required for this?

As written, it works starting at 2023R1. At 2022R2, you would have to specify the port number:

port_number = 8000
Ansys.ACT.Mechanical.MechanicalAPI.Instance.ApplicationAPI.StartGrpcServer(port_number)