[python-win32] To control commercial software CST through python

[Max Landaeus]

Hi,

I wrote some code to control CST a couple of years ago. It was quite 
difficult to interface via COM, since some commands simply refused to 
work.  What I did in the end was to as few com-calls as possible and did 
the rest in VB. Even if VB is a terrible language the end result was 
more stable.

Among other things I wrote code to remotely create matching networks in 
the Schematics (DS canvas). Then I created a class in Python to generate 
VB code on the fly, saved it as a VB-file and used the 
DS.RunScript(path) command to get CST to generate the network. This 
worked well.

One more thing: I found that I had to use the DS._FlagAsMethod before I 
used the actual command. I.e I had to do:

     DS._FlagAsMethod("RunScript")
     DS.RunScript(script_file_name)

That helped to get many commands to work - but not all.

BR,
Max

On 2017-04-24 21:12, gowri shankar wrote:
> Dear all,
>              I want to control a commercial numerical solver CST 
> through python. Usually,  CST can be controlled using MATLAB. CST 
> accepts both COM and VBA macros from MATLAB. As VBA is difficult and 
> time consuming to program, i was successful in connecting the CST 
> through COM interface from MATLAB. The sample snapshot of the commands 
> are as below:
> ***********************************************************************
> /    cst = actxserver('CSTStudio.application') % to open the CST/
> /mws=cst.OpenFile('D:\Gowrishankar\PDF\cuboid.cst'); %to open a 
> particular file/
> /    a=20;/
> /    b=20;/
> /    c=72;/
> /    %To store the parameters/
> /    mws.invoke('StoreParameter','a',a);  %These are the COM interface 
> commands from MATLAB to CST/
> /    mws.invoke('StoreParameter','b',b);/
> /    mws.invoke('StoreParameter','c',c);/
> /    %To rebuild /
> /    invoke(mws,'Rebuild');/
> /
> /
> /    %%Setting only the required boudnary conditions only/
> /    bound=invoke(mws,'Boundary');     %These are the COM interface 
> commands from MATLAB to CST/
> /    bound.invoke('Zmin','magnetic');/
> /    bound.invoke('Zmax','magnetic');/
> /
> /
> /    %% Set the frequency range/
> /    solver=invoke(mws,'Solver');/
> /    invoke(solver,'FrequencyRange',freMin,freMax);/
> /
> /
> /    Esolver=invoke(mws,'EigenmodeSolver');/
> /    invoke(Esolver,'Reset');/
> /    invoke(Esolver,'SetMeshType','Tetrahedral Mesh');
> /
> /    invoke(Esolver,'SetNumberOfModes',noOfMode);/
> /    invoke(Esolver,'Start'); %Run the solver
> /
> /noOfModesCalculated=invoke(Esolver,'GetNumberOfModesCalculated');/
> /    for j=1:noOfModesCalculated/
> /eigenFreq(j)=invoke(Esolver,'GetModeFrequencyInHz',j);/
> /    end/
> /
> /
> /    invoke(mws,'Save'); %Save the file/
> /    invoke(mws, 'Quit');  %closes the file/
> /    release(mws); /
> /    invoke(cst, 'Quit');   % closes the CST application/
> /    release(cst);/
> /   dos(['taskkill /F /IM ' '"CST DESIGN ENVIRONMENT.exe"']);/
>
> **************************************************************************
> MATLAB commands work perfectly wihtout any fuss.
> *I have translated the above code in python but i was able to talk to 
> CST with only first 2-3 commands i.e*
> *********************************
> /import win32com.client/
> /cst = win32com.client.Dispatch("CSTStudio.Application")/
> /#Opens a new CST file/
> /mws=cst.OpenFile('D:\Gowrishankar\PDF\cuboid.cst');/
> /
> /
> /#mws=cst.NewMWS()/
> /
> /
> /###*Below this commands i got error or sometimes it didn't give any 
> error but just it didn't worked*/
> /mws.StoreParameter('len2',10.1)/
> /mwssolver=mws.Solver()/
> /mws.Solver.Start()/
> *******************************
> I tried different online forums for help and i was unsuccessful in 
> getting any clue how to move forward. Erros messages didnt revealed 
> any information. I even checked and compared the COM commands used to 
> control Excel from MATLAB and Python. But, still i am not able to 
> progress any further. Moreover, the commercial software guys wont help 
> me in doing with python. Furthermore, i used combrowse.py and make.py 
> to access the different objects of the interface but they are all 
> hidden for CST. Can someone suggest me how should i move ahead, are 
> there any examples available for controlling a windows application 
> through MATLAB and python so that i can understand the co-relation 
> between the commands between the two. Any help in this regard is 
> highly appreciated.
>
>
> Regards,
> GOWRISHANKAR.T.H
>
>
>
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> python-win32 at python.org
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