Creating the Extension for Generic Material Transfer

The file GenericMaterialTransfer.xml follows.

<extension version="1" name="GenericMaterialTransfer">
    <guid shortid="GenericMaterialTransfer">69d0095b-e138-4841-a13a-de12238c83f8</guid>
    <script src="generic_material_transfer.py" />
    <interface context="Project">
        <images>images</images>
    </interface>
    <workflow name="wf5" context="Project" version="1">
        <tasks>        
            <task name="Material" caption="Material" icon="material_cell" version="1">
                <callbacks>
                    <onupdate>update</onupdate>
                </callbacks>
                <inputs>
                    <input/>
                </inputs>
                <outputs>
                    <output format="" type="MatML31"/>
                </outputs>
            </task>
        </tasks>
        <taskgroups>
            <taskgroup name="GenericMaterialTransfer" caption="Generic Material" icon="material_system" category="ACT Custom Workflows" abbreviation="GenMatXfer" version="1">
                <includeTask name="Material" caption="Material"/>
            </taskgroup>
            <taskgroup name="GenericMaterialTransferComplete" caption="Generic Material Complete" icon="material_system" category="ACT Custom Workflows" abbreviation="GenMatXferComplete" version="1">
                <includeTask name="Material" caption="Material"/>
                <includeTask external="True" name="EngDataCellTemplate" caption="Engineering Data"/>
            </taskgroup>
        </taskgroups>
    </workflow>
</extension>

This XML file specifies the custom task groups that are to appear in your custom ACT Workflows task group in the Workbench Toolbox. It performs the following actions:

  • References the script generic_material_transfer.py.

  • Defines a single task in the element <tasks>.

  • Specifies that the callback <onupdate> invokes the function producer_update, which accesses a materials file.

  • Defines the inputs and outputs in the element <inputs> and <outputs>. Note that an empty input and an output are defined. The attribute outputtype is set to MatML31, specifying the kind of data exposed and generated by this task.

  • Defines two custom task groups in the element <taskgroups>.

    • The first custom task group, GenericMaterialTransfer, references the custom task Material, which transfers material data to an Ansys-installed task group Engineering Data that has been added downstream.

    • The second custom task group, GenericMaterialTransferComplete, references the custom task Material and, by using the attribute external, also the Ansys-installed task Engineering Data. The custom task transfers material data to the downstream Ansys-installed task.