-- Apologies if this has already been covered elsewhere --
BLUF: Is there an ABAQUS-accepted best practice for developing python scripts within an IDE?
When developing new scripts for model generation/execution/etc., I will typically use the .rpy file to get a skeleton of what I'm trying to do. This works very well, especially when I'm not trying to do anything exotic. However, when I am doing something more involved (e.g., complex dimensioned sketches, set generation, or a command that isn't reflected in the .rpy file), the scripting process becomes more tedious.
My typical process is as follows:
- Search the documentation for the relevant commands,
- Hope I implemented the command with the correct syntax,
- Print relevant quantities during trial runs
- Go back to step 1 or 2 if something didn't work how I intended.
This process becomes laborious, especially when model execution takes more than a few seconds. This also contributes to a steep learning curve with Abaqus scripting, as new analysts are forced to debug "blindly" by spamming print statements.
I may be ignorant, but is there a sanctioned solution for integrating Abaqus python scripting within an IDE (VS Code, etc.)? In particular, I'm interested in:
- A local variable tracker, to see how variables change/are executed
- Command autocomplete
- Type hints (e.g., retrieving the documentation for a part object)
- Syntax error highlighting (e.g., highlighting when you mess up the syntax for a findAt)
I'm familiar with the Abaqus PDE, but that functions as a code editor and not an IDE. A few user-built options exist on GitHub/stack exchange/etc., but since they seem to recreate the Abaquscripting documentation, and because I haven't been able to vet them, I won't publicize them here. For this reason, I want to ask: what is the Abaqus-recommended best practice to integrate python scripting within an IDE?
