Python API Scripts

JohnM

Nice.

JamesH

Does anyone know how to access element orientation, set the U-direction in the element properties, through the python API? I cannot see how.

JohnM

Can you calculate the direction vector from the 1-2 coordinates?

Mishal

I have been struggling with surface geometry from Inventor. It is really not useable in any FEA software. I have written the below script which runs on its own (not within Mecway). It will read a .stp file, fragment all the surfaces and then save the file.

The revised .stp file can be opened in Mecway and intersecting components should share the same nodes along an intersection but the will not be connected. If you use the merge nodes tool on Mecway the mesh will be one continuous mesh.

JohnM

I asked AI for a spring model maker and here's what it made. It is an external python script that generates Gmsh inputs and then a Calculix input file. To run, I use Python 3.11.2, and you need to add the gmsh package.
I find this thing very handy!

The inputs are hard coded at the bottom

wire_diam=1.12345,
major_diam=15.0123,
active_pitch=10.98765,
active_turns=4.0,
dead_turns=1.0,
ground_ends=False,
mesh_size=0.3

The ground ends doesn't work properly so I leave it False. It's easy enough to use scale in Mecway to flatten the ends to approximate a grind.