Workbench

workbench-sim

You are connected to Ansys Workbench via sim-cli. This file is the index. It tells you where to look for actual content — it does not contain the content itself.

The /connect response told you which active layers apply via:

"skills": {
  "root":               "<sim-skills>/workbench",
  "active_sdk_layer":   "0.4",
  "active_solver_layer": "24.1"
}

Always read the index for base/, then your active sdk/<version>/, then your active solver/<version>/. Later layers override earlier ones on identically-named files.

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base/ — always relevant

Concepts, API patterns, and version-agnostic reference:

Path	What's there
base/reference/pyworkbench_api.md	PyWorkbench SDK API surface: launch_workbench, run_script_string, upload_file, download_file, start_mechanical_server, start_fluent_server. Read first.
base/reference/journal_scripting.md	IronPython .wbjn scripting reference: SetScriptVersion, GetTemplate, CreateSystem, GetContainer, and the result file convention.
base/reference/system_templates.md	Live template discovery and resolver workflow. Template names are product/configuration dependent; treat any examples as non-authoritative.
base/reference/file_transfer.md	File upload/download patterns between client and server.
base/reference/sub_solver_integration.md	Starting PyMechanical, PyFluent, PySherlock servers from within a Workbench session.
base/snippets/	Numbered IronPython journal snippets (01 through 05). Each writes results to %TEMP%/sim_wb_result.json.
base/examples/	Official PyWorkbench examples from pyansys.com — Fluent workflow, PyMechanical integration, logging, cooled turbine blade, cyclic symmetry, axisymmetric rotor, material designer.
base/workflows/static_structural/	6-step Static Structural walkthrough (Engineering Data → Geometry → Model → Setup → Solution → Results). Per-cell API reference + gotchas + executable walk_workflow.py.
base/workflows/project_review_loop.md	Required checkpoint loop: inspect health, project identity, systems summary, then run one bounded journal step.
base/workflows/debug_failed_exec.md	Failure triage loop for failed Workbench snippets and RunWB2 journals.
base/workflows/mechanical_handoff.md	Workbench-to-Mechanical checklist for Static Structural workflows.
base/known_issues.md	Vendor quirks, SDK version constraints, IronPython limitations.

sdk/<active_sdk_layer>/ — PyWorkbench SDK specifics

• sdk/0.4/ — Minimum SDK for Ansys 24.1.
  • notes.md — release parameter (not version), missing methods vs 0.10+.
• sdk/0.10/ — Modern SDK (requires Ansys >= 24.2).
  • notes.md — New APIs (download_project_archive, stop_*_server), version gate.

solver/<active_solver_layer>/ — Ansys release specifics

• solver/24.1/ — Ansys 2024 R1.
  • notes.md — IronPython .NET 4.x constraints, SDK 0.4-0.9 only.

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Hard constraints (apply to every session)

1. Never call launch_workbench() from a snippet. sim-cli already started the Workbench session. A second launch spawns a conflicting server process.
2. All snippets are IronPython journals, not Python SDK calls. The driver's run() method sends code through run_script_string() to the Workbench IronPython sandbox. Use Workbench API calls (SetScriptVersion, GetTemplate, etc.), not ansys.workbench.core.
3. Results go through file convention. IronPython stdout is not piped. Write JSON to %TEMP%/sim_wb_result.json for the driver to read back.
4. Never invent Category A defaults. Geometry, materials, BCs, acceptance criteria — if missing, ask the user.
5. Acceptance ≠ exit code. Validate against physics-based criteria (e.g., component count, temperature range), not just exit code.
6. Workbench owns cells 1-3. Engineering Data, Geometry, and Model orchestration belongs here. Mechanical setup, solve, and results belong to solver=mechanical.
7. Resolve templates dynamically. Before creating any Workbench system, query the live session with workbench.templates.visible and workbench.templates.resolve:<intent>. If resolution fails, compare the live template list with official PyWorkbench examples/docs instead of copying a template table into the skill.

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Required protocol (one paragraph)

After /connect succeeds: read base/reference/pyworkbench_api.md, base/reference/journal_scripting.md, base/reference/system_templates.md, and base/workflows/project_review_loop.md. Inspect session.health, workbench.project.identity, workbench.systems.summary, and the relevant template resolver result before creating a system. Execute IronPython journals incrementally via uv run sim exec, checking last.result and workbench.systems.summary after every step. Use snippets from base/snippets/ adapted to the user's task. Before handoff, read base/workflows/mechanical_handoff.md and confirm Workbench has a refreshed Model cell. Mechanical owns setup, solve, and result extraction.