axisvm 1.0.6b0

A Python package for AxisVM

PyAxisVM

The official python package of AxisVM, a Structural Analysis & Design Software. Read the docs here.

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Overview

The PyAxisVM project offers a high-level interface to AxisVM, making its operations available directly from Python. It builds on top of Microsoft's COM technology and supports all the features of the original AxisVM COM type library, making you able to

• build, manipulate and analyse AxisVM models

• find better solutions with iterative methods

• combine the power of AxisVM with third-party Python libraries

• build extension modules

On top of that, PyAxisVM enhances the type library with Python's slicing mechanism, context management and more, that enables writing clean, concise, and readable code.

Installation

This is optional, but we suggest you to create a dedicated virtual enviroment at all times to avoid conflicts with your other projects. Create a folder, open a command shell in that folder and use the following command

>>> python -m venv venv_name

Once the enviroment is created, activate it via typing

>>> .\venv_name\Scripts\activate

The AxisVM python package can be installed (either in a virtual enviroment or globally) from PyPI using pip on Python >= 3.6:

>>> pip install axisvm

Documentation and Issues

The AxisVM API Reference Guide is available in pdf format, you can download it here.

The documentation of this library is available here.

Please feel free to post issues and other questions at PyAxisVM Issues. This is the best place to post questions and code related to issues with this project.

Dependencies

You will need a local licenced copy of AxisVM version >= 13r2. To get a copy of AxisVM, please visit our homepage.

Getting Started

Register the AxisVM Type Library

If this is not your first time using AxisVM through a COM interface on your machine, you should already have a registered type library and you can skip this step. Otherwise, follow the instructions at the beginning of the AxisVM API Reference Guide.

Launch AxisVM

The axisvm.com.client submodule implements various tools to handle the client side operations of creating a COM connection. Import the module and start a new application instance with the start_AxisVM method:

from axisvm.com.client import start_AxisVM
axapp = start_AxisVM(visible=True)

To test the connection, you can query the path of the executable being run by typing axapp.FullExePath.

Basic Usage

If the connection is complete, create a new model and get an interface to it:

modelId = axapp.Models.New()
axmodel = axapp.Models.Item[modelId]

Every time you create a new AxisVM instance with the start_AxisVM command, an attempt is made to import the type library as a python module, or to generate one if necessary. The generated module is then accessible as axisvm.com.tlb.

The next block of commands adds a line to the scene:

from axisvm.com.tlb import lgtStraightLine, RLineGeomData
n1 = axmodel.Nodes.Add(0, 0, 0)
n2 = axmodel.Nodes.Add(1, 1, 1)
l1 = axmodel.Lines.Add(n1, n2, lgtStraightLine, RLineGeomData())

Put AxisVM on top and scale model to fill up the current view:

axapp.BringToFront()
axmodel.FitInView()

At the end of your session, release the connection and close the application simply by typing

axapp.UnLoadCOMClients()
axapp.Quit()

Take a look at the jupyter notebooks in the examples folder of this repository for more use cases.

Tips and Tricks

PyAxisVM wraps up the COM type library, allowing users to exploit the elegant and concise syntax that Python provides, while still leaving everything on the table for legacy code. If for example, we wanted to calculate areas of surface elements, the out of box solution would be something like

areas = []
for i in range(axmodel.Surfaces.Count):
    areas.append(axmodel.Surfaces.Item[i+1].Area)

or using a list comprehension

areas = [axmodel.Surfaces.Item[i+1].Area for i in range(axmodel.Surfaces.Count)]

With PyAxisVM, evaluation of single item properties over collections is as easy as

areas = [s.Area for s in axmodel.Surfaces]

or simply

areas = axmodel.Surfaces[:].Area

Click here to get a full overview about the pythonic usage of the library.

License and Acknowledgements

PyAxisVM is licensed under the MIT license.

This module, PyAxisVM makes no commercial claim over AxisVM whatsoever. This tool extends the functionality of AxisVM by adding a Python interface to the AxisVM COM service without changing the core behavior or license of the original software. The use of PyAxisVM requires a legally licensed local copy of AxisVM.