Binary MAPDL File Explorer

This tutorial will demonstrate how to explore the content of binary files generated by a MAPDL Session and extract pertinent records.

These files include most of the binary files generated by APDL (e.g. .RST, .FULL, etc.).

from ansys.mapdl.core import launch_mapdl

# Start MAPDL as a service and disable all but error messages.
from ansys.mapdl.core.examples import vmfiles

mapdl = launch_mapdl()

# A specific property under the mapdl class is dedicated for XPL. It's
# based on the APDLMath `*XPL` command.
xpl = mapdl.xpl

# Many commands are directly accessible through the xpl class:
help(xpl)

Open and explore a file

First you need to open an existing file. We can create an example result file by running a verification manual input file and then opening the result file that it creates.

NOTE: for now only one file can be opened at a time

# run Verification Manual 1 and opening the result file it creates
mapdl.input(vmfiles["vm1"])
print(xpl.open("file.rst"))

Using the list function, you can list the records available at the current level.

print(xpl.list())

Using the step and up functions, you can go down into a specific branch of the tree, or go up to the top level

xpl.step("GEO")
print(xpl.list())

Display where you are in the tree or records:

print(xpl.where())

Go up one level to move back to the top and then list the records at the current point.

xpl.up()
print(xpl.list())

Read a record into an APDLMath Vector

The info method will give you information about a record (e.g. length, data type, etc.)

Using the read method, you can read a specific record and fill an APDLMath object.

print(xpl.info("DOF"))
v = xpl.read("DOF")
print(v)

To get this vector into a NumPy array you need to explicitly use asarray:

nod = v.asarray()
print(nod)

Read the first nodal solution First we go into the first solution set

print(xpl.goto("DSI::SET1"))
print(xpl.list())

Then we read the Nodal solution vector "NSL" into a numpy array

u = xpl.read("NSL")
un = u.asarray()
print(un)

Close an opened file

print(xpl.close())

Stop mapdl

mapdl.exit()