How to edit any legend value with a UI box in Mechanical?

Rohith Patchigolla

There are some issues pertaining to editing contour legend values in Mechanical. One solution is to add the user environmental variable in Windows, ANS_USE_OPENGL_LEGEND_EDIT to 1, from 2024R2. But, if it doesn't work, how can I create a python button in Mechanical that allows me to edit any contour legend value?

Rohith Patchigolla

This is a continuation of a previous post by @Aria where UI was created via Python button for Contour Max and Min. Thanks Aria for this example!

The current solution expands further generalizing for any contour legend value, where the UI dynamically changes based on number of contour bands.

The below code can be run from Mechanical scripting console, or can be added into a Python button inside Mechanical using Button Editor (In Mechanical --> Automation Tab --> Manage --> Paste the code and save it after giving the button a name).

Once the button is created, here are the steps to use.
1. Activate any particular result object where contour is to be updated (say Equivalent Stress as shown below).

2. Click on the button we created earlier. Pop up box appears. Let's say I want to change the 3rd value from the top (labeled as Legend Value 3 in the pop up box) from default value to say 21

3. Change the value to 21 and click on "Update Contour" at the bottom of the pop up box. Value will be updated.

import clr
clr.AddReference("Ans.Utilities")
clr.AddReference('Ans.UI.Toolkit')
clr.AddReference('Ans.UI.Toolkit.Base')
import Ansys.UI.Toolkit
import Ansys.UI.Toolkit.Base

def ChangeContours():
    try:

        example = ContourGUI()
        example.Run()
    except:
        ExtAPI.Log.WriteError("Exception in ChangeContours()")

def GetMinMax():
    try:
        legendSettings = Ansys.Mechanical.Graphics.Tools.CurrentLegendSettings()
        noBands = legendSettings.NumberOfBands
        legendData = []
        for i in range(noBands):
            legendData.append(legendSettings.GetUpperBound(noBands - i - 1).Value)
        legendData.append(legendSettings.GetLowerBound(0).Value)
        print(legendData)
        return legendData, noBands
    except:
        ExtAPI.Log.WriteError("Exception in GetMinMax()")

class WindowUI(Ansys.UI.Toolkit.Window):

    aLabel = None
    aButton = None
    aTextBox = None
    mainPanel = None
    text_boxes = []  # List to store text boxes

    def __init__(self):
        self.Location = Ansys.UI.Toolkit.Drawing.Point(100,100)
        self.Text = 'Contour editor'
        self.Size = Ansys.UI.Toolkit.Drawing.Size(250,150)
        self.StatusBar.Visible = False
        self.__BuildUI() #this will be defined later
        self.BeforeClose += Ansys.UI.Toolkit.WindowCloseEventDelegate(self.Window_Close)

    def __BuildUI(self):
        res_unit = Tree.FirstActiveObject.Maximum.Unit
        self.mainPanel = Ansys.UI.Toolkit.TableLayoutPanel()
        self.Add(self.mainPanel)
        self.mainPanel.Columns.Add(Ansys.UI.Toolkit.TableLayoutSizeType.Percent, 100)
        self.mainPanel.Rows.Add(Ansys.UI.Toolkit.TableLayoutSizeType.Percent, 33)
        self.mainPanel.Rows.Add(Ansys.UI.Toolkit.TableLayoutSizeType.Percent, 34)
        self.mainPanel.Rows.Add(Ansys.UI.Toolkit.TableLayoutSizeType.Percent, 33)
        legendData, noBands = GetMinMax()

        for i in range(noBands+1):
            label = 'Legend Val ' + str(i+1) + '[' + res_unit + ']'
            self.aLabel = Ansys.UI.Toolkit.Label(label)
            self.mainPanel.Controls.Add(self.aLabel, i, 0)
            self.aTextBox = Ansys.UI.Toolkit.TextBox()
            self.aTextBox.Text = legendData[i].ToString()
            self.mainPanel.Controls.Add(self.aTextBox, i, 1)
            self.text_boxes.append(self.aTextBox)

        self.aButton = Ansys.UI.Toolkit.Button('Update Contour')
        self.aButton.Click += Ansys.UI.Toolkit.EventDelegate(self.On_Click)
        self.mainPanel.Controls.Add(self.aButton, i+1, 0)

    def On_Click(self, sender, args):
        global textString
        # Here I update the legend
        res_unit = Tree.FirstActiveObject.Maximum.Unit
        legendSettings = Ansys.Mechanical.Graphics.Tools.CurrentLegendSettings()
        noBands = legendSettings.NumberOfBands
        # Loop over the text_boxes to get each input value
        for i, textBox in enumerate(self.text_boxes):
            textString = textBox.Text
            if ',' in textString:
                textString = textString.Replace(',','.')
            value = float(textString)
            try:
                legendSettings.SetUpperBound(noBands - i - 1,Quantity(value, res_unit))
            except:
                legendSettings.SetLowerBound(0,Quantity(value, res_unit))

    def Window_Close(self, sender, args):
        Ansys.UI.Toolkit.Application.Quit()

class ContourGUI:

    ex1 = None
    def __init__(self):
        self.ex1 = WindowUI()

    def Run(self):
        Ansys.UI.Toolkit.Application.Initialize()
        self.ex1.Show()
        Ansys.UI.Toolkit.Application.Run()

ChangeContours()