pytakeoff 0.1.0

Python client for the Takeoff hydrofoil design platform

pytakeoff

Python client for the Takeoff hydrofoil design platform.

Everything the web app can do — projects, foil sections, analysis, optimization — scripted from Python. pytakeoff speaks the same WebSocket command protocol as the frontend, so every server command is available, and all permissions, credits, and rate limits are enforced server-side exactly as in the browser.

Install

pip install pytakeoff

Authentication — API keys, never passwords

Scripts authenticate with an API key. Get one either way:

• In the GUI: Account → API Keys → Generate API key (shown once — copy it).

• From the terminal (one-time interactive setup):

  python -c "from pytakeoff import TakeoffClient; TakeoffClient.setup()"
  

  This asks for your username/password once, creates a key over a single request, and prints it (shown only once — copy it). The password is never stored.

TakeoffClient resolves the key from the api_key= argument, the TAKEOFF_API_KEY environment variable (recommended for CI), or an optional ~/.takeoff/credentials file — in that order. Never commit a key to a repository. Leaked a key? Revoke it in the GUI; your password and other keys are unaffected.

Quickstart

from pytakeoff import TakeoffClient

# Your API key (GUI → Account → API Keys). Or omit api_key= entirely and it is
# resolved from TAKEOFF_API_KEY / ~/.takeoff/credentials. Never commit a real key.
API_KEY = "tk_xxxxxxxx_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

# Connects to the official https://app.takeoff-technologies.com by default —
# no port needed. Self-hosted / dev: TakeoffClient("http://localhost", api_key=...)
# (plain-http URLs get port 8000 applied internally).
with TakeoffClient(api_key=API_KEY) as client:
    # Projects
    for p in client.projects.list():
        print(p["name"])

    project = client.projects.open("my_foil")

    # Entities (FoilSection, Wing, Bulb, Hull, Sail, ...)
    sections = project.foil_sections()
    project.update_entity("FoilSection", {"id": "<section-id>", "name": "renamed"})

    # 2D polar analysis (returns Plotly figure JSON among other data)
    polars = project.compute_polars(alpha_range=[-10, 10], reynolds_million=1.0)

    # Optimization with live progress
    result = project.optimize(
        "<optiaerofoil-entity-id>",
        on_progress=lambda pct, msg: print(f"{pct}% {msg or ''}"),
        timeout=None,  # wait as long as it takes
    )

    project.save()

Examples — simplest to more complex

Runnable scripts in examples/, numbered in learning order:

1. 01_create_api_key.py — one-time setup: create an API key from the terminal (or use the GUI) and copy it into your scripts.
2. 02_connect.py — connect and print who you are.
3. 03_projects.py — list your projects and show the currently open one (client.projects.current()).
4. 04_foil_section.py — the high-level FoilSection API: get/set control points, geometric parameters, structural parameters.
5. 05_polar_analysis.py — 2D analysis: configure a sweep, run it, work with the raw numbers (incl. chordwise Cp).
6. 06_optimization.py — 2D optimization: configure objectives/constraints, run with progress, inspect the result.

Prefer notebooks? The same three topics with plots: 07_foil_section.ipynb, 08_analysis_2d.ipynb, 09_optimization_2d.ipynb.

Foil sections

project.foil_sections() / project.foil_section(name) return high-level handles with three get/set pairs. Getters fetch live values; setters apply the change and return the achieved values (parametric setters refit the B-spline, so they can differ marginally from the request). Units match the GUI: tc, camber, te_thickness are percent of chord.

section = project.foil_section("main_foil")

cp = section.control_points()      # {"upper": [[x,y],...], "lower": [...], "degree", "n_coefs"}
section.set_control_points(upper=cp["upper"], lower=cp["lower"])

geo = section.geometry()           # {"tc", "camber", "le_radius", "te_thickness", "te_angle"}
section.set_geometry(tc=12.0, camber=2.5)

struct = section.structure()       # {"area", "Ixx", "SMx", "J", "centroid"(read-only)}
section.set_structure(area=struct["area"] * 1.1)

xy = section.points()              # the computed outline coordinates

2D analysis

project.analysis_2d(...) holds sweep parameters (alpha_range, reynolds_million, flap_range/flap_lock, ncrit, mach, solver, fluid, ...) and runs them over the visible foil sections:

analysis = project.analysis_2d(alpha_range=[-10, 10], reynolds_million=1.0, flap_lock=True)
result = analysis.run()       # raw arrays: alpha, Cl, Cd, Cm, Cl_Cd, ..., top_x/top_Cp (chordwise)
figures = analysis.figures()  # or the web app's ready-made Plotly figures

2D optimization

project.create_optimization_2d(...) / project.optimization_2d(name) return an Optimization2D handle on an OptiAeroFoil entity:

opt = project.create_optimization_2d("my_opt", initial_section="main_foil", solver="NN",
                                     optimizer_config={"maxiter": 100, "tol": 1e-3})
opt.set_objectives([{"func": "maxGlide", "Re": 1e6, "alpha": 4.0, "solve_for": "fixed"}])
opt.set_constraints(geo=[{"variable": "get_tc", "operator": ">", "value": 0.10}])

response = opt.run(on_progress=lambda pct, msg: print(pct, msg), timeout=None)

r = opt.result()              # latest run: opt_data (scores), opt_section (geometry)
opt.save_result()             # optimized section -> project as a FoilSection
opt.restore("1")              # reload a stored run; opt.runs(), opt.delete_runs([...])

Objective func is "minCd", "maxCl", "maxGlide", or any min<var>/max<var> over the polar variables; solve_for is "fixed", "alpha" (hit target_Cl), or "flap".

Every command, not just the facade

The facade (client.projects, Project) covers the common workflows. Everything else goes through the generic escape hatch — any of the server's registered commands can be called directly:

client.call("wing_set_span", wing={"id": wing_id}, span=1.25)
client.call("run_simulation", entity_id=sim_id, on_progress=print, timeout=None)

Discover what the server offers (fetched live, always in sync with the server version):

commands = client.commands()          # {name: {description, credit cost, ...}}
print(sorted(commands))

Server-initiated events

The server pushes broadcasts (saves by collaborators, property updates, job progress). Subscribe with:

client.on("project_saved", lambda msg: print("saved:", msg))
client.on("*", lambda msg: ...)  # everything

Handlers run while a call() is waiting for its response — keep them fast and don't issue new commands from inside one.

Error handling

import time
from pytakeoff import (
    CommandError, CommandTimeout, ConnectionClosed, GuiSessionActive, RateLimited,
)

try:
    client.call("run_optimization", entity_id=opt_id, timeout=3600)
except RateLimited as e:
    time.sleep(e.retry_after)                 # server throttled us; wait and retry
except GuiSessionActive:
    print("Close your browser session to switch projects from a script")
except CommandError as e:
    print("Server rejected:", e, e.payload)   # payload carries structured details
except CommandTimeout:
    print("Took too long")
except ConnectionClosed:
    client.reconnect()                        # re-exchanges the API key if needed

Good to know

• Scripts are rate limited. API-key connections have per-account command budgets (a per-minute cap, plus a tighter hourly cap on heavy commands like run_simulation/run_optimization), one heavy command in flight at a time, and a small cap on concurrent connections. Limits scale with your plan. The browser GUI is not affected. Hitting a limit raises RateLimited with retry_after.
• One session per user. The server keeps a single session per account, shared between your scripts and your browser. While your GUI is open, entity edits from a script are allowed (the GUI shows a "Script connected" chip and can refresh), but project switching/closing commands raise GuiSessionActive.
• Credits & permissions apply exactly as in the web app; paid commands bill your account.
• Binary mesh data: a few commands (get_entity_mesh, get_simulation_visualization, ...) answer with raw FlatBuffer bytes. pytakeoff returns them as a FlatBufferResult without decoding — most scripting workflows never need them.
• Long sessions: session tokens expire after ~1 hour; if the connection drops, client.reconnect() re-exchanges your API key and reconnects.

Development

git clone https://github.com/takeoff-technologies/pytakeoff.git
cd pytakeoff
pip install -e ".[dev]"

License

Apache-2.0 — see LICENSE.