Set Analysis Settings from Excel file - demo extension

Pernelle Marone-Hitz

Below is an example extension that illustrates reading information from an Excel file and defining analysis settings (number of steps, step end tile, number of substeps) based on data written in Excel file.

Pernelle Marone-Hitz

Excel file is defined as follows:

Some important points:

• Tab is called “AnalysisSettings”

• User must first define number of steps in B6 cell

• User can add new values (in columns) but should not change the lines (ie, step end time is read in line 10 for example)

• Some settings are hardcoded in the extension and not read from file (Autotime stepping and “Define By” settings).

The .xml file is:

        <extension version="1" name="SetAnalysisSettings">
        <guid shortid="SetAnalysisSettings">B8050A4F-DB37-46D9-BB33-349D70027F2D</guid>
          <script src="main.py" />
          <interface context="Mechanical">
            <images>images</images>
            <toolbar name="SetAnalysisSettings" caption="Set Analysis Settings">
              <entry name="SetAnalysisSettings" icon="testIcon">
                <callbacks>
                  <onclick>SetAnalysisSettings</onclick>
                </callbacks>
              </entry>        
            </toolbar>
          </interface>
        </extension>

The .py file is:

        def SetAnalysisSettings(analysis):
            import clr
            clr.AddReference("Ans.UI.Toolkit")
            clr.AddReference("Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel")
            import Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel as Excel
            excel = Excel.ApplicationClass()
            #excel.Visible = True # makes the Excel application visible to the user
            #excel.ScreenUpdating = True # enables screen refreshing.
            import Ansys.UI.Toolkit
            
            ## Create Windows explorer pop-up
            DefaultFolder = r'C:\'           
            FilePath =Ansys.UI.Toolkit.FileDialog.ShowOpenFilesDialog(Ansys.UI.Toolkit.Dialog(),DefaultFolder,'All Files(s)|*.*',0,'Select .fac file',None)
            if str(FilePath[0]) != 'OK':
                return
            filename = list(FilePath[1])[0] # only one Excel file must be selected
            workbook = excel.Workbooks.Open(filename)
            inputdata=workbook.Worksheets("AnalysisSettings").Select()# Select Worksheet by Name 
            ws1 = workbook.Worksheets("AnalysisSettings")

            ## Create analysis settings from reading Excel sheet
            analysisSettings = analysis.AnalysisSettings
            
            # Read and store values
            numberSteps = int(ws1.Range("B6").Value2)
            stepEndTimeList=[]
            autotimeSteppingList=[]
            numberSubstepsList=[]
            
            for step in range(numberSteps): 
                # read values    
                stepEndTime = str(ws1.Cells(10,2+step).Value2) # read step end time
                autotimeStepping = str(ws1.Cells(11,2+step).Value2) # read autotimeStepping
                numberSubsteps = str(ws1.Cells(13,2+step).Value2)  # read number of substeps 
                # store values        
                stepEndTimeList.append(stepEndTime) # append to list of steps end time
                autotimeSteppingList.append(autotimeStepping) # append to list of autotimeStepping
                numberSubstepsList.append(numberSubsteps) # append to list of substeps
            # transform values with needed format
            stepEndTimeList = [Quantity(i+"[sec]") for i in stepEndTimeList]
            numberSubstepsList = [int(float(i)) for i in numberSubstepsList]
                  
            # Apply settings
            analysisSettings.Activate()
            for step in range(1,numberSteps+1):             
                analysisSettings.NumberOfSteps = step
                analysisSettings.CurrentStepNumber = step # set current step number        
                analysisSettings.StepEndTime = stepEndTimeList[step-1]# apply step end time        
                analysisSettings.DefineBy = TimeStepDefineByType.Substeps
                analysisSettings.NumberOfSubSteps = numberSubstepsList[step-1]
                analysisSettings.AutomaticTimeStepping = AutomaticTimeStepping.Off
                ExtAPI.Log.WriteMessage(str(numberSubstepsList[step-1]))
                ExtAPI.Log.WriteMessage(str(analysisSettings.NumberOfSubSteps))
                
            ExtAPI.DataModel.Tree.Refresh()        

            excel.Application.Quit()            ## Close Only the Excel file.
            excel.Quit()                        ## Close entire Excel