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The Workbench Node is used to wrap a ANSYS Workbench simulation, transferring data from and to it. This node works on Windows Platform only.
Before using Workbench Node in the run phase, and before trying to edit Workbench simulation from modeFRONTIERTM, you must configure the correct ANSYS Workbench version number in the modeFRONTIER preferences, see Section B.4.4, "ANSYS Workbench" for further details.
Configuring a Workbench node requires setting several parameters:
Name: the name that will be used throughout modeFRONTIER to identify the node. The name must be unique within the set of node names, and must follow the guidelines for node names.
Description: the node description will appear as tooltip when the mouse stops over the node in the Work Flow canvas.
Simulation: the Workbench simulation to be used.
Macro Before Solving: the user defined JScript macro to run before the solving phase. The macro can be located on the filesystem using an absolute path. If the macro is provided by an Input File, Transfer File or Support File Node it must be located using the file name only.
Macro After Solving: the user defined JScript macro to run after the solving phase. The macro can be located on the filesystem using an absolute path. If the macro is provided by an Input File, Transfer File or Support File Node it must be located using the file name only.
Timeout: if differs from 0, the Workbench process will be killed by modeFRONTIER after the number of seconds indicated here.
Store Simulation in Working Dir: if set, before returning the Workbench simulation is stored in the node working directory, using the same name as the original document. The file can then be transferred out to another Workbench node for further processing, or can be manually inspected by an user. This option does not save the external or internal CAD files eventually linked in the Workbench simulation.
Share Simulation: if true, the Workbench Simulation is kept alive among different designs. Preserving the Simulation reduces the startup time.
Keep Alive: if false, a new Workbench process is allocated for each Workbench application.
In order to use the node during the analysis, to open the document in a new Workbench session and to use the introspection, you need to have installed Workbench on your computer
If you have specified a valid Workbench simulation, you could take advantage of the following features:
Opening the indicated document by clicking on . A new Workbench session will start and load the selected simulation.
The introspection facility lets you to specify Workbench parameters by selecting the parameter names directly in the input or output introspection tree dialog. The Workbench parameters could only be selected by using the introspection facility.
You can start the introspection process by clicking on the small folder near the parameter name. A dialog will immediately report you about the introspection progress.
At the end of the introspection process, just click the button and the introspection dialog tree will appear.
The introspection dialog lets you specify the desidered parameter, selecting it by choosing the correct Workbench tree leaf and checking the desired parameter in the Parameter Definition table. The input or output tree contains all the input or output parameters available in the simulation and supported by the ANSYS Workbench API.
At any time you can refresh the introspection contents clicking the button. In any case, every time you open the introspection dialog modeFRONTIER will determine if it needs to refresh the instrospection data.
At run-time, several different operations are carried out behind the scenes:
A Workbench process is aquired. The environment in which Workbench runs will contain the following variables:
CWD: the absolute path of the current Workbench directory
DESIGN_ID: the ID for the design being evaluated
PROJECT_NAME: The name of the modeFRONTIER project within which the script is being run
USER_NAME: The name of the modeFRONTIER user
The input variable values are assigned to the parameter indicated in the Data Input Connector panel.
The Before Simulation User Macro is executed.
If the Store Simulation in Working Dir flag is set, the simulation is stored in the working directory for the job.
All the parameters selected are updated and the needed simulation tree branches are solved.
Output (or buffer) variables values are extracted from the parameters indicated in the Data Output Connector panel.
The After Simulation User Macro is executed.
Workbench process ends its execution.
If everything works correctly, the exit value for the node is zero. Otherwise, one of the following values is returned:
| 1005 | The job has been killed due to timeout |
| 1006 | Workbench Process not avaiable |
| 1007 | Workbench Process Pool not avaiable |
| 1008 | A failure occurred retrieving the Workbench Simulation file |
| 1009 | A failure occurred running the user macro code |
| 1010 | The input variable is not a number (NaN) |
| 1011 | A failure occurred refreshing the geometry of the Simulation: check the link of the CAD file in the Simulation and the consistency of the CAD Parameters |
| 1012 | A failure occurred setting an input variable: the introspection may request a refresh with new input variable assignement |
| 1013 | A failure occurred extracting an output variable: the Simulation couldn't be solved or the introspection may request a refresh with new output variable assignement |
The node has been tested with Workbench version 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0 on Windows XP.
There are some known incompatibility issues:
The node doesn't work with ANSYS Workbench for Linux/Unix.
The node doesn't support the following Workbench parameters and features:
In the Harmonic Tool, the Frequency Response and the Phase Response.
The Probe Tool.
In the Electromagnetic Tool, the Directional Force/Torque.
The Engineering Data can be accessed and modified only via user macro scripts with methods and properties listed in the ANSYS Workbench SDK Customization Guide.
The Workbench node input can be connected to one or more nodes. The connectable nodes are different for each connector. The process input connector can only be connected to the process output connector of nodes that belong to one of the following types:
The data input connector can be connected only to nodes that belong to one of the following types:
For each node belonging to one of the last four node types (i.e., for each node representing a design variable) that you connect, you must also indicate which parameter you want to set with the value. This requires specifying the parameter name.The Workbench node output can be connected to one or more nodes, different for each connector. The process output connector can only be connected to the process input connector of nodes that belong to one of the following types:
The data output connector can be connected only to nodes that belong to one of the following types:
For each output and buffer variable connected, you must also indicate from which parameter you want to read the value. This requires specifying the parameter name.
The following error messages can be associated with a Workbench node:
| 259 | MISSING WORKBENCH SIMULATION | No Workbench simulation has been selected, or the Workbench simulation indicated does not exist |
| 250 | MISSING WORKBENCH PARAMETER | A legal parameter name has not been associated with one or more design variables connected to the Workbench node |
| 251 | WORKBENCH NODE NOT REACHEABLE | The Process Flow cannot be routed through the Workbench node because an appropriate input connection is missing |
| 252 | NO EXIT PATH FOR WORKBENCH NODE | The Process Flow cannot be routed past the Workbench node because an appropriate output connection is missing |
| 253 | NO INPUT FILE OR VARIABLE FOR WORKBENCH NODE | No design variable or file is supplied to the Workbench node |
| 254 | WRONG RELATIVE FILE MACRO BEFORE SIM FOR WORKBENCH NODE | Missing user macro file in working directory |
| 255 | WRONG RELATIVE FILE MACRO AFTER SIM FOR WORKBENCH NODE | Missing user macro file in working directory |
| 202 | INVALID EXIT CONDITION(S) | The conditions for the output nodes that support the Process Flow routing are not mutually exclusive |
General Warnings
In order to perform a correct CAD parameter update you need to configure Workbench for linking the correct CAD file and have the CAD program installed in your machine. To do so you can also consult the ANSYS Workbench documentation.
Every time the CAD file is re-linked or the Workbench simulation is modified in ANSYS Workbench, a new introspection and assignment of input and output variable could be needed.
Due to the blocking popup dialogs that could appear during the run phase in case of Workbench errors or warning, it is strongly reccomended to set up a timeout value, so the next design could start without the user interaction.
The scripting language for the user macro code must be JScript.
In case of large simulation file (30 MB and over) you should clean mesh and results of the model before performing introspections and starting the run phase. In order to reduce the start time requested by the Workbench program, the user can follow these steps:
Start Workbench
Select ->
