Python

Any Python script can become a native ONELAB client by importing the onelab.py module.

Getting started

1. Download and uncompress a recent version of Gmsh, or the Gmsh/GetDP bundle for Windows64, Windows32, Linux64, Linux32 or MacOSX. These builds contain the onelab.py module pre-installed in the same directory as the Gmsh executable. If onelab.py is not in the same directory as the Gmsh executable, you will need to configure your PYTHONPATH accordingly.
2. Double-click on the Gmsh executable (gmsh.exe
   Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination
   on Windows).
3. Load one Python script (.py file) through the File/Open menu, e.g. pend.py.
4. Click on Run.
5. ... that's it!

How does it work?

The Python ONELAB interface consists in a single Python module: onelab.py. This module comes pre-installed with Gmsh, in the same directory as the Gmsh executable. When you open a ONELAB-enabled Python solver with Gmsh, Gmsh automatically finds the onelab.py module. You can also of course install onelab.py in any directory of your choosing; in this case don't forget to update your PYTHONPATH environment variable.

The onelab.py module implements a simple client interface to the ONELAB server implemented in Gmsh. It currently only support exchanging numbers and strings. Support for groups and functions will be added in the future.

The easiest way to interface your own Python solver with ONELAB is to have a look at the following example, which implements a simple solver for the double pendulum problem:

#!/usr/bin/env python
#coding=utf-8

# 1) launch "gmsh pend.py"
# 2) there is no 2... :-)

import onelab
import math, os

c = onelab.client(__file__)

def exportMsh(le1,le2):
   mshFile = open(c.getPath("pend.msh"), 'w')
   mshFile.write('$MeshFormat\n2.2 0 8\n$EndMeshFormat\n')
   mshFile.write('$Nodes\n3\n1 0 0 0\n2 0 %s 0\n3 0 %s 0\n$EndNodes\n' %(-le1, -le1-le2))
   mshFile.write('$Elements\n3\n1 1 2 0 1 1 2\n2 1 2 0 1 2 3\n3 15 2 0 2 3\n$EndElements\n')
   mshFile.close()

def exportMshOpt():
   optFile = open(c.getPath("pend.msh.opt"),'w')
   optFile.write('n = PostProcessing.NbViews - 1;\n')
   optFile.write('If(n >= 0)\nView[n].ShowScale = 0;\nView[n].VectorType = 5;\n')
   optFile.write('View[n].ExternalView = 0;\nView[n].DisplacementFactor = 1 ;\n')
   optFile.write('View[n].PointType = 1;\nView[n].PointSize = 5;\n')
   optFile.write('View[n].LineWidth = 2;\nEndIf\n')
   optFile.close()

def exportIter(iter,t,x1,y1,x2,y2):
   mshFile = open(c.getPath("pend.msh"),'a')
   mshFile.write('$NodeData\n1\n"motion"\n1\n\t%f\n3\n\t%d\n3\n' % (t, iter))
   mshFile.write('\t3\n\t1 0 0 0\n\t2 %f %f 0\n\t3 %f %f 0\n$EndNodeData\n' %(x1,y1,x2,y2))
   mshFile.close()

g = 9.8	# acceleration of gravity
m = 0.3 # mass of pendulum balls

l = c.defineNumber('Geom/arm length [m]', value=1.0)
time = c.defineNumber('Dyna/time [s]', value=0.0)
dt = c.defineNumber('Dyna/time step [s]', value=0.001)
tmax = c.defineNumber('Dyna/max time [s]', value=20)
refresh = c.defineNumber('Dyna/refresh interval [s]', value=0.1)
theta0 = c.defineNumber('Init/initial theta angle [deg]', value=10, 
                         attributes={'Highlight':'Pink'})
phi0 = c.defineNumber('Init/initial phi angle [deg]', value=180,
                       attributes={'Highlight':'Pink'})

# we're done if we are in the "check" phase
if c.action == 'check' :
   exit(0)

l1 = l;
l2 = l;
m1 = m;
m2 = m;
theta = theta0 / 180.*math.pi;
phi = phi0 / 180.*math.pi;
theta_dot = 0.0
phi_dot = 0.0
refr = 0.0
iter = 0
time = 0.0

while (time < tmax):
   delta = phi - theta
   sdelta = math.sin(delta)
   cdelta = math.cos(delta)
   theta_dot_dot = ( m2*l1*(theta_dot**2.0)*sdelta*cdelta
                     + m2*g*math.sin(phi)*cdelta
                     + m2*l2*(phi_dot**2.0)*sdelta
                     - (m1+m2)*g*math.sin(theta) )
   theta_dot_dot /= ( (m1+m2)*l1 - m2*l1*(cdelta)**2.0 )
   
   phi_dot_dot = ( -m2*l2*(phi_dot**2.0)*sdelta*cdelta
                    + (m1+m2)*(g*math.sin(theta)*cdelta
                               - l1*(theta_dot**2.0)*sdelta
                               - g*math.sin(phi)) )
   phi_dot_dot /= ( (m1+m2)*l2 - m2*l2*(cdelta)**2.0 )
   
   theta_dot = theta_dot + theta_dot_dot*dt
   phi_dot = phi_dot + phi_dot_dot*dt

   theta = theta + theta_dot*dt
   phi = phi + phi_dot*dt

   x1 =  l1*math.sin(theta)
   y1 = -l1*math.cos(theta)
   x2 =  l1*math.sin(theta) + l2*math.sin(phi)
   y2 = -l1*math.cos(theta) - l2*math.cos(phi)

   time += dt
   refr += dt

   exportMshOpt()

   if refr >= refresh:
      refr = 0
      c.setNumber(c.name + '/Progress', value=time, min=0, max=tmax, visible=0)
      c.setNumber('Dyna/time [s]', value=time)
      c.setNumber('Solu/phi', value=phi)
      c.addNumberChoice('Solu/phi', phi)
      c.setNumber('Solu/theta', value=theta)
      c.addNumberChoice('Solu/theta', theta)
      c.setNumber('Solu/phi dot', value=phi_dot)
      c.addNumberChoice('Solu/phi dot', phi_dot)
      c.setNumber('Solu/theta dot', value=theta_dot)
      c.addNumberChoice('Solu/theta dot', theta_dot)

      # ask Gmsh to refresh
      c.setString('Gmsh/Action', value='refresh')

      # stop if we are asked to (by Gmsh)
      if(c.getString(c.name + '/Action') == 'stop'):
         break;

      exportMsh(l1, l2)
      exportIter(iter, time, x1, y1+l1, x2, y2+l1+l2)
      c.mergeFile(c.checkPath('pend.msh'))
      iter += 1

c.setNumber(c.name + '/Progress', value=0)

Direct link to file `pendulum/pend.py'

Let's examine the example step by step: