Set Analysis Settings from Excel file - demo extension

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