plot results from user defined ACT Extension

Question

As a result of my simulation, I want the volume of a surface body (computed using a convex hull algorithm). This calculation is done in seconds but the plotting of the results takes a long time, which becomes a problem for the future design of experiment. I think the main problem is that a matrix (size = number of nodes =over 33 000 nodes) is filled with the same volume value in order to be plotted. Is there any other way to obtain that value without creating this matrix? (the value retrieved must be selected as an output parameter afterwards) It must be noted that the volume value is computed in python in an intermediate script then saved in an output file that is later read by Ironpython in the main script in Ansys ACT.

Thanks!

The matrix creation in the intermediate script (myICV is the volume computed) :

  import numpy as np
  NodeNo=np.array(Col_1)
  ICV=np.full_like(NodeNo,myICV)
  np.savetxt(outputfile,(NodeNo,ICV),delimiter=',',fmt='%f')  

Plot of the results in main script :

import csv #after the Cpython function 
resfile=opfile
reader=csv.reader(open(resfile,'rb'),quoting=csv.QUOTE_NONNUMERIC) #read the node number and the scaled displ 

NodeNos=next(reader)
ICVs=next(reader)
#ScaledUxs=next(reader)
a=int(NodeNos[1])
b=ICVs[1]
ExtAPI.Log.WriteMessage(a.GetType().ToString())
ExtAPI.Log.WriteMessage(b.GetType().ToString())
userUnit=ExtAPI.DataModel.CurrentUnitFromQuantityName("Length")
DispFactor=units.ConvertUnit(1,userUnit,"mm")

for id in collector.Ids:
    collector.SetValues(int(NodeNos[NodeNos.index(id)]), {ICVs[NodeNos.index(id)]*DispFactor}) #plot results
  
ExtAPI.Log.WriteMessage("ICV read")

So far the result looks like this

Answer 1

Considering that your 'CustomPost' object is not relevant in terms of visualization but just to pass the volume calculation as a parameter, without adding many changes to the workflow, I suggest you to change the 'Scoping Method' to 'Geometry' and then selecting a single node (if the extension result type is 'Node'; you can check data on the xml file), instead of 'All Bodies'.

If you code runs slow due to the plotting this should fix it, cause you will be requesting just one node.

As you are referring to DoE, I understand you are expecting to run this model iteratively and read the parameter result. An easy trick might be to generate a 'NamedSelection' by 'Worksheet' and select 'Mesh Node' (Entity Type) with 'NodeID' as Criterion and equal to '1', for example. So even if through your iterations you change the mesh, we expect to have always node ID 1, so your NamedSelection is guaranteed to be generated successfully in each iteration.

Then you can scope you 'CustomPost' to 'NamedSelection' and then to the one you created. This should work.

If your extension does not accept 'NamedSelection' as 'Scoping Method' and you are changing the mesh in each iteration (if you are not, you can directly scope a node), I think it is time to manually write the parameter as an 'Input Parameter', in the 'Parameter Set'. But in this way you will have to control the execution of the model from Workbench platform.

I am curious to see how it goes.