Basic DPF-Core Usage with PyMAPDL#

This example is adapted from Basic DPF-Core Usage Example and it shows how to open a result file in DPF and do some basic postprocessing.

If you have Ansys 2021 R1 installed, starting DPF is quite easy as DPF-Core takes care of launching all the services that are required for postprocessing Ansys files.

First, import the DPF-Core module as dpf_core and import the included examples file.

import tempfile

from ansys.dpf import core as dpf

from ansys.mapdl.core import launch_mapdl
from ansys.mapdl.core.examples import vmfiles

Create model#

Running an example from the MAPDL verification manual

mapdl = launch_mapdl()

vm5 = vmfiles["vm5"]
output = mapdl.input(vm5)

print(output)

# If you are working locally, you don't need to perform the following steps
temp_directory = tempfile.gettempdir()

# Downloading RST file to the current folder
rst_path = mapdl.download_result(temp_directory)
/INPUT FILE= vm5.dat  LINE=       0
ANSYS MEDIA REL. 2023R2 (05/12/2023) REF. VERIF. MANUAL: REL. 2023R2

*** VERIFICATION RUN - CASE VM5                              ***  OPTION=  4


/SHOW SWITCH PLOTS TO  JPEG        - RASTER MODE.
  *****MAPDL VERIFICATION RUN ONLY*****
    DO NOT USE RESULTS FOR PRODUCTION

         ***** MAPDL ANALYSIS DEFINITION (PREP7) *****

TITLE=
 VM5, LATERALLY LOADED TAPERED SUPPORT STRUCTURE (QUAD. ELEMENTS)


C***     MECHANICS OF SOLIDS, CRANDALL AND DAHL, 1959, PAGE 342, PROB. 7.18


C***          USING PLANE42 ELEMENTS



PERFORM A STATIC ANALYSIS
 THIS WILL BE A NEW ANALYSIS

ELEMENT TYPE          1 IS PLANE182     2-D 4-NODE PLANE STRS SOLID
 KEYOPT( 1- 6)=        2      0      3        0      0      0
 KEYOPT( 7-12)=        0      0      0        0      0      0
 KEYOPT(13-18)=        0      0      0        0      0      0

CURRENT NODAL DOF SET IS  UX    UY
 TWO-DIMENSIONAL MODEL

REAL CONSTANT SET          1  ITEMS   1 TO   6
   2.0000       0.0000       0.0000       0.0000       0.0000       0.0000

MATERIAL          1     EX   =  0.3000000E+08

MATERIAL          1     NUXY =   0.000000

NODE          1  KCS=      0  X,Y,Z=  25.000       0.0000       0.0000

NODE          7  KCS=      0  X,Y,Z=  75.000       0.0000       0.0000

FILL       5 POINTS BETWEEN NODE       1 AND NODE       7
 START WITH NODE       2 AND INCREMENT BY       1

NODE          8  KCS=      0  X,Y,Z=  25.000      -3.0000       0.0000

NODE         14  KCS=      0  X,Y,Z=  75.000      -9.0000       0.0000

FILL       5 POINTS BETWEEN NODE       8 AND NODE      14
 START WITH NODE       9 AND INCREMENT BY       1

ELEMENT      1       2      1      8      9

GENERATE       6 TOTAL SETS OF ELEMENTS WITH NODE INCREMENT OF         1
  SET IS SELECTED ELEMENTS IN RANGE         1 TO         1 IN STEPS OF       1

MAXIMUM ELEMENT NUMBER=         6

SELECT       FOR ITEM=LOC  COMPONENT=X     BETWEEN  75.000     AND   75.000
  KABS=  0.  TOLERANCE= 0.375000

         2  NODES (OF         14  DEFINED) SELECTED BY  NSEL  COMMAND.

SPECIFIED CONSTRAINT UX   FOR SELECTED NODES            1 TO          14 BY           1
REAL=  0.00000000       IMAG=  0.00000000
ADDITIONAL DOFS=  UY

ALL SELECT   FOR ITEM=NODE COMPONENT=
 IN RANGE         1 TO         14 STEP          1

        14  NODES (OF         14  DEFINED) SELECTED BY NSEL  COMMAND.

SPECIFIED NODAL LOAD FY   FOR SELECTED NODES         1 TO        1 BY        1
 REAL= -4000.00000       IMAG=  0.00000000


***** ROUTINE COMPLETED *****  CP =         0.000



*****  MAPDL SOLUTION ROUTINE  *****

PRINT BASI ITEMS WITH A FREQUENCY OF      1
  FOR ALL APPLICABLE ENTITIES

/OUTPUT FILE=

Next, open the generated RST file and print out the Model object. The Model class helps to organize access methods for the result by keeping track of the operators and data sources used by the result file.

Printing the model displays:

  • Analysis type

  • Available results

  • Size of the mesh

  • Number of results

If you are working with a remote server, you might need to upload the RST file before working with it. Then you can create the DPF Model.

dpf.core.make_tmp_dir_server(dpf.SERVER)

if dpf.SERVER.local_server:
    model = dpf.Model(rst_path)
else:
    server_file_path = dpf.upload_file_in_tmp_folder(rst_path)
    model = dpf.Model(server_file_path)

print(model)
DPF Model
------------------------------
Static analysis
Unit system: SI: m, kg, s, V, A, K
Physics Type: Mecanic
Available results:
     -  displacement: Nodal Displacement
     -  reaction_force: Nodal Force
     -  element_nodal_forces: ElementalNodal Element nodal Forces
     -  stress: ElementalNodal Stress
     -  elemental_volume: Elemental Volume
     -  stiffness_matrix_energy: Elemental Energy-stiffness matrix
     -  artificial_hourglass_energy: Elemental Hourglass Energy
     -  thermal_dissipation_energy: Elemental thermal dissipation energy
     -  kinetic_energy: Elemental Kinetic Energy
     -  co_energy: Elemental co-energy
     -  incremental_energy: Elemental incremental energy
     -  elastic_strain: ElementalNodal Strain
     -  thermal_strain: ElementalNodal Thermal Strains
     -  thermal_strains_eqv: ElementalNodal Thermal Strains eqv
     -  swelling_strains: ElementalNodal Swelling Strains
     -  structural_temperature: ElementalNodal Temperature
------------------------------
DPF  Meshed Region:
  33 nodes
  6 elements
  Unit:
  With shell (2D) elements, shell (3D) elements
------------------------------
DPF  Time/Freq Support:
  Number of sets: 1
Cumulative     Time (s)       LoadStep       Substep
1              1.000000       1              1

Model Metadata#

Specific metadata can be extracted from the model by referencing the model’s metadata property. For example, to print only the result_info:

metadata = model.metadata
print(metadata.result_info)
Static analysis
Unit system: SI: m, kg, s, V, A, K
Physics Type: Mecanic
Available results:
     -  displacement: Nodal Displacement
     -  reaction_force: Nodal Force
     -  element_nodal_forces: ElementalNodal Element nodal Forces
     -  stress: ElementalNodal Stress
     -  elemental_volume: Elemental Volume
     -  stiffness_matrix_energy: Elemental Energy-stiffness matrix
     -  artificial_hourglass_energy: Elemental Hourglass Energy
     -  thermal_dissipation_energy: Elemental thermal dissipation energy
     -  kinetic_energy: Elemental Kinetic Energy
     -  co_energy: Elemental co-energy
     -  incremental_energy: Elemental incremental energy
     -  elastic_strain: ElementalNodal Strain
     -  thermal_strain: ElementalNodal Thermal Strains
     -  thermal_strains_eqv: ElementalNodal Thermal Strains eqv
     -  swelling_strains: ElementalNodal Swelling Strains
     -  structural_temperature: ElementalNodal Temperature

To print the mesh region:

print(metadata.meshed_region)
DPF  Meshed Region:
  33 nodes
  6 elements
  Unit:
  With shell (2D) elements, shell (3D) elements

To print the time or frequency of the results use time_freq_support:

print(metadata.time_freq_support)
DPF  Time/Freq Support:
  Number of sets: 1
Cumulative     Time (s)       LoadStep       Substep
1              1.000000       1              1

Extracting Displacement Results#

All results of the model can be accessed through the Results property, which returns the ansys.dpf.core.results.Results class. This class contains the DPF result operators available to a specific result file, which are listed when printing the object with print(results).

Here, the displacement operator is connected with DataSources, which takes place automatically when running results.displacement(). By default, the displacement operator is connected to the first result set, which for this static result is the only result.

results = model.results
displacements = results.displacement()
fields = displacements.outputs.fields_container()

# Finally, extract the data of the displacement field:
disp = fields[0].data
disp
DPFArray([[-4.38851905e-03, -8.90023185e-03,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-6.69683824e-03, -2.11175625e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 4.17859820e-03, -2.11057663e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 3.30502628e-03, -8.89049154e-03,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-5.53644478e-03, -1.42612890e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-1.20792265e-03, -2.11145211e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 3.82436228e-03, -1.42559816e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-4.90502176e-04, -8.89780417e-03,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-2.17801557e-03, -2.15151386e-03,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 1.82830253e-03, -2.15124124e-03,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-3.27160527e-03, -4.90756375e-03,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 2.63019818e-03, -4.89004246e-03,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-8.95838911e-05, -2.15503538e-03,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 0.00000000e+00,  0.00000000e+00,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 0.00000000e+00,  0.00000000e+00,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-1.07316284e-03, -5.41584305e-04,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 9.59021573e-04, -5.64429271e-04,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 0.00000000e+00,  0.00000000e+00,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-1.10106159e-02, -6.60224200e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-1.20838957e-02, -9.90994350e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 3.61860276e-04, -9.88721453e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 3.23207196e-03, -6.59380057e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-1.17563515e-02, -8.18061655e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-5.82220244e-03, -9.89754713e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 2.08036965e-03, -8.18682795e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-3.87518431e-03, -6.59854725e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-8.99066833e-03, -3.98506343e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 4.27062988e-03, -3.98210573e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-1.00608366e-02, -5.19510806e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 3.92601832e-03, -5.19563394e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-2.31550786e-03, -3.98370089e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [-7.85485340e-03, -2.95981071e-02,  0.00000000e+00],
          [ 4.34038437e-03, -2.95942670e-02,  0.00000000e+00]])

Plot displacements#

You can plot the previous displacement field using:

model.metadata.meshed_region.plot(fields, cpos="xy")
basic dpf example

Or using

fields[0].plot(cpos="xy")
basic dpf example

This way is particularly useful if you have used ansys.dpf.core.scoping.Scoping on the mesh or results.

Close session#

Stop MAPDL session.

mapdl.exit()

Total running time of the script: (0 minutes 1.312 seconds)