GearMaster - Complete Engineering Analysis Suite

A comprehensive Python-based engineering platform for mechanical systems simulation, CAD operations, FEA analysis, hydraulic systems modeling, and signal processing. Built with both programmatic and visual programming interfaces.

🎯 Overview

GearMaster is a professional-grade engineering suite designed for:

• 🔧 Mechanical Component Analysis - Fasteners, bearings, gears, shafts
• 🏗️ Structural Analysis - FEA with Ansys DPF integration, cross-section properties
• 💧 Hydraulic Systems Modeling - Cylinders, motors, valves, manifolds
• 📊 Signal Processing - Time-series analysis, FFT, filtering, data analysis
• 🎨 CAD Operations - Geometric modeling and manipulation
• 📈 Data Management - Multi-format data handling (CSV, Excel, HDF5)

Core Features

• Dual Interface Model

  • Programmatic: Direct Python API via GM_modules for automation and scripting
  • Visual: Node-based visual programming via GM_Visual for interactive workflows

• 3D Analysis & Visualization

  • HEXA8 finite element support
  • Rotation-invariant strain energy calculations
  • Ansys DPF/PyDPF integration for result processing

• Material Library

  • Comprehensive material property database
  • Metric and SAE fastener specifications
  • Pre-configured material profiles

• Extensible Architecture

  • Modular design with 11 specialized engineering modules
  • Plugin-ready node system for visual programming
  • Clean separation of concerns

🏗️ Architecture Overview

GM_modules - Core Engineering Libraries

What it is: The programmatic foundation of GearMaster. A collection of 11 specialized Python modules providing direct APIs for engineering calculations and operations.

Use Cases:

• Automated batch analysis scripts
• Integration with other Python tools/frameworks
• Custom simulation workflows
• CI/CD pipelines and testing

Available Modules:

Example Usage:

from GM_modules.Signals import TimeSeriesGenerator, DfTm
from GM_modules.Data import DataManager
from GM_modules.Structures import FEA

# Create time series data
gen = TimeSeriesGenerator()
signal = gen.create_sine_wave(frequency=50, amplitude=1.0, duration=10)

# Manage data
dm = DataManager()
dm.import_data(signal)

# Analyze structure
fea = FEA()
results = fea.analyze_beam(length=1.0, load=1000)

GM_Visual - Node-Based Visual Programming System

What it is: An interactive visual programming interface built on GM_modules. Use drag-and-drop nodes to create complex engineering workflows without writing code.

Use Cases:

• Interactive analysis and exploration
• Non-programmer engineers creating workflows
• Educational demonstrations
• Rapid prototyping of analysis pipelines

Key Features:

• Node Canvas: Drag-and-drop node-based programming
• Node Library: Pre-built nodes for all GM_modules functions
• Project Management: Save/load workflows as .gmvproj files
• Live Execution: Execute workflows with real-time result visualization
• CustomTkinter UI: Modern, responsive interface
• Debug Terminal: In-app logging and error tracking

Node Categories:

• Data Input/Output nodes
• Signal Processing nodes
• FEA/Structural Analysis nodes
• Mechanical Component nodes
• Material Property nodes
• Hydraulic System nodes
• Visualization nodes
• Custom nodes (extensible)

Example Workflow:

[CSV Loader] → [Time-Series Generator] → [FFT Analysis] → [Plot Results]

Launch:

python -m GM_Visual.main
# or
python GM_Visual/main.py

📦 Installation

From PyPI (When Published)

# Core installation
pip install gearmaster

# With Ansys DPF support
pip install gearmaster[ansys]

# With visual programming interface
pip install gearmaster[visual]

# Complete installation
pip install gearmaster[visual,ansys,data]

From Source (Development)

git clone https://github.com/simoneluce/GearMaster.git
cd GearMaster

# Create virtual environment (recommended)
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

# Install in development mode with all features
pip install -e ".[visual,ansys,data,dev]"

Requirements

• Python: 3.9 or higher
• Core Dependencies: NumPy, Pandas, SciPy, Matplotlib
• Optional: Ansys DPF (for pyAnsys and Structures modules)

🚀 Quick Start

Using GM_modules (Programmatic)

# Import a module
from GM_modules.Signals import TimeSeriesGenerator, DfTm
from GM_modules.Materials import MaterialLibrary

# Create engineering objects
time_gen = TimeSeriesGenerator()
mat_lib = MaterialLibrary()

# Access functionality
signal = time_gen.create_sine_wave(freq=10, duration=5)
steel = mat_lib.get_material("Steel_AISI_1045")

print(f"Signal length: {len(signal)}")
print(f"Steel yield: {steel.yield_strength} MPa")

Using GM_Visual (Interactive)

# Start the visual programming interface
python -m GM_Visual.main

# Then in the GUI:
# 1. Create New Project
# 2. Drag nodes from right panel to canvas
# 3. Connect nodes by dragging pins
# 4. Click Run → Run All to execute workflow
# 5. View results in execution terminal

📚 Project Structure

GearMaster/
├── GM_modules/              # Core engineering libraries
│   ├── Signals/            # Signal processing & time-series
│   ├── Structures/         # FEA and structural analysis
│   ├── Mechanical/         # Mechanical components
│   ├── Materials/          # Material properties
│   ├── Hydraulic/          # Hydraulic systems
│   ├── Data/               # Data management
│   ├── Cad/                # CAD operations
│   ├── Fea/                # FEA framework
│   ├── pyAnsys/            # Ansys DPF integration
│   ├── Meshless/           # Meshless methods
│   └── GUIs/               # GUI components
│
├── GM_Visual/               # Visual programming system
│   ├── src/                # Source code
│   │   ├── nodes/          # Node definitions
│   │   ├── canvas/         # Canvas implementation
│   │   ├── core/           # Core systems
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── tests/              # Test suite
│   ├── main.py             # Application entry point
│   └── requirements.txt     # Visual-specific deps
│
├── docs/                    # Documentation (mkdocs)
├── tests/                   # Integration tests
├── pyproject.toml           # Python packaging config
├── requirements.txt         # All dependencies
└── README.md                # This file

🔄 Differences: GM_modules vs GM_Visual

When to Use What

Choose GM_modules when:

• ✅ Automating repetitive analysis tasks
• ✅ Integrating with other Python libraries
• ✅ Building production pipelines
• ✅ Requiring maximum performance
• ✅ You're comfortable with Python

Choose GM_Visual when:

• ✅ Exploring data interactively
• ✅ Prototyping workflows quickly
• ✅ Team includes non-programmers
• ✅ Teaching engineering concepts
• ✅ Need visual feedback on workflows

🧪 Testing

# Run all tests
pytest

# Run tests for specific module
pytest tests/ GM_modules/Signals/tests/

# With coverage report
pytest --cov=GM_modules --cov-report=html

Tests follow pytest conventions with test_*.py files.

📖 Documentation

Full documentation available via MkDocs:

# Install docs dependencies
pip install gearmaster[docs]

# Serve documentation locally
mkdocs serve

# Build static docs
mkdocs build

Visit docs/ for detailed module documentation, tutorials, and API reference.

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Before starting work on a new module:

⚠️ Please contact the owner before starting a new module or making major changes.

1. Create a feature branch from develop
2. Implement your changes following the repository style
3. Add tests in the appropriate tests/ folder
4. Update documentation in the corresponding docs/ folder
5. Submit a pull request against develop branch

Coding Standards:

• Python 3.9+ compatible
• Use type hints where possible
• Follow PEP 8 style guide
• Document all public APIs
• Include unit tests (pytest)

📋 Module Development Guide

Each module follows a standard structure:

ModuleName/
├── __init__.py              # Module exports
├── core.py                  # Main functionality
├── [other core files].py    
├── tests/                   # pytest test files
│   └── test_*.py
├── docs/                    # Module documentation
│   └── [module].md
└── version.py               # Version info

📝 License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.

👤 Author

Simone Lucertini

• Repository: github.com/simoneluce/GearMaster

⚠️ Status

Current Version: 0.102.1
Status: Alpha (under active development)

This project is actively maintained. Features and APIs may change. For production use, pin to a specific version.

🔗 Related Projects

• machinesim: Machine simulation framework
• telematics: Telemetry and data logging system

📞 Support

• 📧 Create an issue on GitHub for bug reports
• 💬 Discussions for feature requests
• 📖 Check documentation in docs/ folder

Happy analyzing! 🚀