ndtkit-api 0.0.1

This Python API provides a high-level interface to interact with the NDTkit desktop application. It allows developers to script and automate NDTkit features remotely, leveraging the full power of the underlying Java application through a simple and pythonic library.

NDTkit Python API

This Python API provides a high-level interface to interact with the NDTkit desktop application. It allows developers to script and automate NDTkit features remotely, leveraging the full power of the underlying Java application through a simple and pythonic library.

How it Works ⚙️

The API acts as a client that communicates with a dedicated socket server running within the NDTkit Java application.

1. Python Call: A function is called in Python (e.g., NDTKitCScanInterface.open_cscan(...)).
2. JSON Serialization: The call (class name, method name, parameters) is serialized into a JSON object.
3. Socket Communication: The JSON payload is sent over a TCP socket to the Java server.
4. Java Execution: The server deserializes the request, invokes the corresponding Java API method using reflection, and waits for the result.
5. Return Value: The result from the Java method is serialized back to JSON and sent to the Python client, which deserializes it into a Python object (like a NICartographyFrameCScan instance).

Prerequisites

Before using this API, you must have:

1. Python 3.9+ installed.
2. The NDTkit desktop application installed.
3. The Java socket server for the API must be running. The Python API can automatically launch it if configured correctly.

🚀 Installation & Configuration

1. Clone the repository (or add it to your project). This library is not on PyPI.

2. Configure the connection: At the root of the apipython package, you will find a config directory. You need to edit the config.ini file.

   [Parameters]
   SERVER_HOST = 127.0.0.1
   SERVER_PORT = 32146
   MESSAGE_TYPE = 10
   
   # IMPORTANT: Update this path to point to your serverMode script
   SOCKET_SERVER_COMMAND = <NDTKIT_INSTALL_FOLDER>/NDTkit.vbs # Alternative: <NDTKIT_INSTALL_FOLDER>/modules/serverMode/serverMode.bat
   
   SERVER_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT = 120
   

   • SERVER_HOST: The IP address of the machine running NDTkit. Use 127.0.0.1 if it's on the same machine.
   • SERVER_PORT: The port for the socket communication. This must match the port the NDTkit server is listening on.
   • SOCKET_SERVER_COMMAND: This is the most critical setting. It's the command used to launch the Java socket server. The Python API will execute this command if it cannot connect to the server.

Usage Example

Here is a simple example showing how to open a C-Scan, modify a pixel, and save it to a new file.

# examples.py

import NDTKitCScanInterface
from model.frame.NICartographyFrameCScan import NICartographyFrameCScan

def change_pixel_value(input_file: str, output_file: str):
    """
    Opens a C-Scan, modifies the value of the first pixel, saves it,
    and re-opens it for display.
    """
    print(f"Opening C-Scan: {input_file}")
    # The server is launched automatically if not running
    cscan = NDTKitCScanInterface.openCScan(input_file)

    if not cscan:
        print("Failed to open C-Scan.")
        return

    print(f"C-Scan opened successfully with UUID: {cscan.get_uuid()}")

    print("Retrieving data matrix...")
    data = cscan.get_data()
    print(f"Original value at [0][0]: {data[0][0]}")

    # Modify the data
    data[0][0] = 12.0
    print(f"Setting new value at [0][0] to 12.0")
    cscan.set_data(data)

    print(f"Saving modified C-Scan to: {output_file}")
    NDTKitCScanInterface.saveCscan(cscan, output_file)

    print("Re-opening the saved C-Scan to verify.")
    NDTKitCScanInterface.openCScan(output_file, displayResult=True)
    print("Done.")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    # Make sure to use paths that are valid on your system
    input_cscan_path = "D:/Data/NKC/dd_carto.nkc"
    output_cscan_path = "D:/tmp/modified_cscan.nkc"
    change_pixel_value(input_cscan_path, output_cscan_path)

A class/method available in the Java API which is not appearing in this Python API

It can reachable anyway, it's just the auto-completion of your IDE that is not working. Actually this Python API is using py4j that allows to access any Java API function. Here's an example on how to access to agi.ndtkit.api.NDTKitCScanInterface.openCScan(String) without using this wrapper project:

from ndtkit_socket_connection import gateway


gateway.jvm.agi.ndtkit.api.NDTKitCScanInterface.openCScan("path/to/my/cscan")

So please refers to the NDTkit Javadoc to have an exhaustive look at all the available actions and call them using this solution if they are not available directly in this Python API.