Configurable Driver-Properties

Introduction and Overview

A Python object called driver is exposed to the user via the DRIVER-command. The usual syntax of accessing the members or properties of this object is as follows:

    DRIVER
      driver.Logger.LogLevel = LogLevels.DEBUG
      driver.Modules[ ToscaModules.TOSCA_PREP ].Path = r'e:\FE_APP\TOSCA\SMATsoToscaPrep.exe'
    END_

The driver-object contains further Python-objects. An overview of the hierarchy of all available objects looks as follows:

The squared letters (shown also in the Legend) correspond to the different types of the Python-objects. A detailed explanation of the different objects is provided in the sections below.

`driver.Solver`

The driver.Solver object provides access to the settings of the FE-solver used for the optimization. Please note that this object can have additional and/or different members for some solvers. For example, the driver.Solver.MatrixFormat is used only in the context of the Abaqus solver and is ignored for other solvers.

Name	Data Type	Range of Values	Description	Default Value
`driver.Solver.Name`	Enumeration constant	FeSolvers.ABAQUS FeSolvers.ANSYS FeSolvers.MSCNASTRAN FeSolvers.MARC FeSolvers.PERMAS	Identifies the solver used for the optimization.	FeSolvers.ABAQUS
`driver.Solver.Path`	String	For example, `r'e:\FE_APP\Solver\MySolver.exe'`	Points to the full path of the main solver executable file.	Installation/configuration setting
`driver.Solver.AddCallArgs`	List of Strings	Arbitrary strings containing solver specific command-line arguments. Example: `[ '--format_matrices', 'FIL' ]`	Allows addition of command-line arguments to the solver call.	Empty list
`driver.Solver.Wrapper`	List of Strings	Please refer to the section: Defining Wrappers for Executable Modules	Provides a way to execute the solver as a child process of a given tool.	Empty List
`driver.Solver.StandardCallArgs`	List of Strings	Arbitrary strings containing solver specific command-line arguments. Example: `[ '--format_matrices', 'FIL' ]`	Allows overwriting of the default command-line arguments for the solver.	Installation/configuration setting
`driver.Solver.Cpus`	Integer	1, 2, 3, ...	Defines the number of CPUs to be used by the solver.	1
`driver.Solver.NumQueues`	Integer	1, 2, 3, ...	Defines the maximum number of solver-tasks to be executed simultaneously.	1
`driver.Solver.MaterialCluster`	Integer	Non-negative integer, typical values: 10000..100000	Defines the maximum number of materials (after reduction) in the modified input deck. More materials improve the resolution of the optimization method, but may slow-down the solver pre-processor. If no value is provided, the default value of 10000 is assumed and used internally. Please enter a value of 0 to disable clustering of materials and thus use a separate material for each element.	Unset, i.e. 10000 is enforced.
`driver.Solver.CheckStrings`	List of Two Strings	Solver-specific string messages to look for in the solver output. The first string corresponds to solver success, the second string corresponds to solver failure.	Redefinition of these strings enables the user to change the criterion for determining whether the solver run succeeded or failed. Example: a value of `[ 'Solver Run OK', '' ]` instructs the Python Control that the solver run was successful in the string 'Solver Run OK' is found. A value of `[ '', 'Solver Run Failed!' ]` prescribes the criterion for failure, assuming success if the string 'Solver Run Failed!' is not detected.	Installation/configuration setting
`driver.Solver.MessageExt`	String	A valid file extension string.	Redefinition of the file extension of the solver message file. Example: `'msg'` is the extension for the Abaqus Standard solver, `'sta'` - for the Abaqus Explicit solver.	Installation/configuration setting
`driver.Solver.runMode` (Abaqus-specific)	Enumeration constant	AbaqusRunModes.SEQUENTIAL AbaqusRunModes.SIMULTANEOUS	Affects the way the Abaqus-solver is executed. The "sequential" mode forces Abaqus to be started anew for each optimization iteration. The "simultaneous" mode keeps the Abaqus process alive during the whole optimization.	AbaqusRunModes.SIMULTANEOUS for topology optimization, AbaqusRunModes.SEQUENTIAL otherwise
`driver.Solver.MatrixFormat` (Abaqus-specific)	Enumeration constant	MatrixFormats.SIM MatrixFormats.FIL	Prescribes which file format is used for the transfer of elemental stiffness matrices from Abaqus to SIMULIA Tosca Structure.	MatrixFormats.SIM
`driver.Solver.PseudoStepToLc` (Abaqus-specific)	Integer (Boolean)	0 or 1	Triggers the automatic conversion of Abaqus linear STEP-commands into LOADCASE-commands for improved solver performance.	1
`driver.Solver.MaxStepPseudoLc` (Abaqus-specific)	Integer	Arbitrary integer value	Establishes a limit for the number of Abaqus LOADCASE-keywords to be used within one STEP-keyword. A negative value or zero indicates that the limit is disabled.	-1
`driver.Solver.iMode` (Nastran-specific)	Enumeration constant	MSCNastranRunModes.I4 MSCNastranRunModes.I8	Defines the mode for the Nastran-solver (I4 or I8).	MSCNastranRunModes.I4

`driver.LifeSolver`

The driver.LifeSolver object provides access to settings specific to the different Life-solvers which are supported by SIMULIA Tosca Structure.

The driver.LifeSolver object is derived from the driver.Solver object and thus most of the settings are identical between driver.LifeSolver and driver.Solver. In this section, only the settings unique to the Life-Solvers are documented.

Name	Data Type	Range of Values	Description	Default Value
`driver.LifeSolver.Inverse`	Integer (Boolean)	0 or 1	Trigger an inverted value interpretation for the Damage-value.	1

`driver.Modules`

The driver.Modules dictionary gives access to the setup of the SIMULIA Tosca Structure executable modules. The user can replace one or mode modules for a specific optimization run. For a list of the modules, please refer to the Redefinition of the Tosca Modules section.

Name	Data Type	Range of Values	Description	Default Value
`driver.Modules[ <Module> ].Name`	Enumeration constant	ToscaModules.ABQ_LC_STEP ToscaModules.FEM_INCLUDE ToscaModules.FEM_2_ONF ToscaModules.FEM_MODIF ToscaModules.TOSCA_PREP ToscaModules.TOSCA_OPT ToscaModules.RES_2_VTM ToscaModules.ODB_2_VTM ToscaModules.LIFE_2_VTM ToscaModules.REPORT ToscaModules.SMOOTH ToscaModules.ONF_2_SIM	Read-only name of the module, used as an index for the dictionary. Basically identical to `<Module>`. These values are explained in more details in the Redefinition of the Tosca Modules section.	Installation/configuration setting
`driver.Modules[ <Module> ].Path`	String	A valid path to a file	Established an alternative execution module.	Installation/configuration setting
`driver.Modules[ <Module> ].AddCallArgs`	List of Strings	Arbitrary strings containing module specific command-line arguments. Example: `[ '--format_matrices', 'FIL' ]`	Allows addition of command-line arguments to the module call.	Empty list
`driver.Modules[ <Module> ].LogLevel`	Enumeration constant	LogLevels.QUIET LogLevels.CRITICAL ... (same as `driver.Logger.LogLevel` below)	Establishes a new log-level setting for the module.	Inherit global log-level for the run: value copied from `driver.Logger.LogLevel`
`driver.Modules[ <Module> ].Wrapper`	List of Strings	Please refer to the section: Defining Wrappers for Executable Modules	Provides a way to execute the module as a child process of a given tool.	Empty List

`driver.Logger`

The driver.Logger object allows modification of the logging settings of the SIMULIA Tosca Structure run.

Name

Data Type

Range of Values

Description

Default Value

driver.Logger.LogFileName

String

A valid path to a file

Redirect the log-output to a new file.

Please note that some messages - output prior to the setting of the new log-file - may end up logged in the default log-file.

For optimization: TOSCA.OUT

For post-processing: TOSCA_POST.OUT

For info output: TOSCA_INFO.OUT

driver.Logger.LogLevel

Enumeration constant

LogLevels.QUIET

LogLevels.CRITICAL

LogLevels.ERROR

LogLevels.WARNING

LogLevels.NOTICE

LogLevels.QA_INFO

LogLevels.INFO

LogLevels.DEBUG

LogLevels.TRACE

LogLevels.DEVELOP

Establish a new global log-level.

Please note that some messages - output prior to the setting of the new log-level - may be logged with a different log-level.

LogLevels.INFO

driver.Logger.ScreenLogLevel

Enumeration constant

LogLevels.QUIET

LogLevels.CRITICAL

... (same as driver.Logger.LogLevel above)

Establish a new global log-level for the console output.

Please note that some messages - output prior to the setting of the new log-level - may be displayed with a different log-level.

LogLevels.NOTICE

`driver.registerSaveRule`

The driver.registerSaveRule function allows the user to add rules for saving files from the SIMULIA Tosca Structure working directory.

Here is an example of the usage of driver.registerSaveRule. In this example, any *.odb files found at the end of the optimization design cycle ("Iteration") are saved into the sub-folder SAVE.odb. A suffix with the iteration number is added to the file name, and this is done for design cycles 0, 1, and the last one.

DRIVER
  driver.registerSaveRule( UpdateRules.COPY, CheckPoints.ITER_COMPLETE, EventTimes.FIRST_LAST, [ '*.odb' ], 'SAVE.odb', '_%i' )
  driver.registerSaveRule( UpdateRules.COPY, CheckPoints.ITER_COMPLETE, (EventTimes.NTH, 1), [ '*.odb' ], 'SAVE.odb', '_%i' )
END_

The meaning of the arguments to driver.registerSaveRule can be explained as follows:

The action to perform ("What") can be one of the following:

UpdateRules.COPY: Copy the file(s)

UpdateRules.MOVE: Move the file(s)

UpdateRules.DELETE: Delete the file(s)
The check-point for the action ("When") can be one of the following:

CheckPoints.PERT_COMPLETE: After a perturbation step is completed

CheckPoints.ITER_COMPLETE: After a design cycle ("Iteration") is completed

CheckPoints.OPT_COMPLETE: After the whole optimization is completed

CheckPoints.MX_COMPLETE: After a matrix cycle is completed

CheckPoints.PERT_BEGIN: A perturbation step is about to begin

CheckPoints.OPT_BEGIN: The optimization is about to begin
The frequency for the action ("How often") can be one of the following:

EventTimes.EVER: Every time

EventTimes.NEVER: Never

EventTimes.FIRST: Only the first time

EventTimes.LAST: Only the last time

EventTimes.FIRST_LAST: Only the first and the last time

EventTimes.NTH: Only once, the N^th-time

EventTimes.FREQ: Every N^th-time
The object(s) for which to perform the action ("Which") should be provided as a list with file-names or file-masks.
"Where" is the name of a sub-folder to the SIMULIA Tosca Structure working directory. The file(s) which match the save-rule will be stored into this sub-folder. The folder is created, as necessary.
The files being stored are renamed by adding a suffix to the base file name. The one of the following special strings can be used:

%i: Iteration number

%p: Perturbation number