Introduction

Moldex3D Studio is a Microsoft Windows application which includes COM technology(Component Object Model).
COM objects can be created with a variety of programming languages.

NOTE
We recommend that user shall use the most current version of the Application Programming Interface (“API”) for the Software.
CoreTech shall not be responsible for the consequences of any error, omissions or incompatibility that may occur in any application built by user with the API and sample codes provided by CoreTech.

Deprecated API functions (Deprecated List) will not be maintained and upgraded, and can be removed in the future versions.

Setup

Register Moldex3D Studio as COM server

To use Moldex3D Studio as a COM server, the application must be registered in the Windows registry.

Open the Command Prompt (cmd.exe) as administrator
Register Studio via the following command:
```
C:\Moldex3D\2024\Bin\MDXStudio.exe /regserver
```
If the message box pops up and shows “Studio registered”, it means that the Studio is registered successfully.

The information about Moldex3D Studio COM server

The uuid of type library: {ADF44B00-CF78-4CDA-9669-102E31A0CBF6}
The external name of the application: Moldex3DStudio2024.App

NOTE
If you need the information for earlier versions, please refer to Appendix.

Required Licenses

Moldex3D Tools - API is necessary license to use Studio API.
Moldex3D - STUDIO is necessary license to use Studio application.
Depending on modules or functions, other licenses may be required.

Getting Started with Studio APIs

In this tutorial, you can know how to automate Moldex3D Studio with Python.
There are two ways to do automation with the Studio application:

Create a program to manipulate Studio applications.
Directly run a script in the Studio application to manipulate it.

NOTE
You need to register the Studio application before using Studio API.
If you don't know how to do, you can refer to the section Register Moldex3D Studio as COM server.

Prerequisites

To successfully automate Moldex3D Studio with Python, you need to first set up your Python development environment. It requires:

Python 3
Python extension: pywin32

If they are already installed on your computer, you can jump to the section Create a program to manipulate Studio application.

Install Python 3

Install Python for Windows and add Python to PATH
Python Executable installer is available on Python official website.
Verify the Python installation
If your computer only installs one version of Python, run the following command:
```
python --version
```
If your computer installs more than one version of Python, run the following command:
```
py -3 --version
```

Install the Python extension pywin32

Check if pip is already installed via the following command:
```
py -3 -m pip --version
```
If pip is not installed, you can follow the tutorials on python.org to deal with it.
Use pip to install packages
```
py -3 -m pip install pywin32
```
Verify the pywin32 installation
```
py -3 -m pip list
```

Create a program to manipulate Studio application

1. Generate Python COM support files for a type library

To use a COM object from Python, the module for type library needs to be generated first.

import win32com.client
 
typelib_uuid = '{ADF44B00-CF78-4CDA-9669-102E31A0CBF6}'
win32com.client.gencache.MakeModuleForTypelib(typelib_uuid, 0, 1, 0)

2. Get a Studio COM object from Python

Before calling Studio API functions, you need to get a Studio COM object.
There are three ways to get a COM object with win32com module:

win32com.client.DispatchEx(program_id)
win32com.client.Dispatch(program_id)
win32com.client.GetObject(instance_id)

If you are using Moldex3D Studio 2021 or earlier versions, the methods mentioned above are not supported.
You can refer to the section 2-4. Connect to an existing Studio application (Before Moldex3D Studio 2022) for more information.

2-1. Launch a new Studio application

To launch a new Studio application always, you can use the following codes:

import win32com.client
import pythoncom
 
running_object = pythoncom.GetRunningObjectTable().EnumRunning()
ctx = pythoncom.CreateBindCtx(0)
    
ro_list = []
for obj in running_object:
    ro_list.append(obj.GetDisplayName(ctx,None))
 
program_id = 'Moldex3DStudio2024.App'
studio = None
while studio == None:
    studio = win32com.client.DispatchEx(program_id)
    if studio != None and studio.instance_id in ro_list: #relaunch
        studio = None
    else:
        break

NOTE
The above codes use studio.instance_id to obtain the instance ID via API.
If you are using Moldex3D Studio 2022 or earlier versions, the above codes are not applicable.

2-2. Connect to an existing Studio application

If there is an existing Studio application and you want to get a COM object connecting to the application, you can use the following codes:

import win32com.client
 
program_id = 'Moldex3DStudio2024.App'
studio = win32com.client.Dispatch(program_id)

NOTE
If there is no open Studio application, a new Studio application will be launched.
If there are multiple existing Studio applications, you can get a COM object connecting to the Studio application that is launched first.

2-3. Connect to an specific Studio application

If there are one or more existing Studio applications and you want to get a COM object connecting to a specific one, you can use the following codes:

import win32com.client
 
instance_id = '' # replace it with the instance ID gotten from About dialog in Studio
studio = win32com.client.GetObject(instance_id)

NOTE
The instance ID can be gotten from About dialog in Studio.
It is a string like '{46122917-DF2F-4DDF-A291-18BB78804A51}'.

2-4. Connect to an existing Studio application (Before Moldex3D Studio 2022)

In earlier versions of Moldex3D Studio, you can only manipulate a Studio application via API at a time.
To get a COM object, you can use the following codes:

import win32com.client
 
program_id = 'Moldex3DStudio2021.App'
studio_class = win32com.client.gencache.GetClassForProgID(program_id)
if studio_class is None:
    print('[Error] win32com.client.gencache.GetClassForProgID() failed!')
    studio = None
else:
    studio = studio_class()

NOTE
If there is no open Studio application, a new Studio application will be launched.
Otherwise, you will get a COM object connecting to the Studio application that is launched first.

3. Add a new run for Injection Molding via API

Here is a sample script to automate Moldex3d Studio with Python.
It shows you how to do the following actions via API:

Launch a new Studio application
Open an existing project
Add a new run in the project
Configure run settings
Close the Studio application

# -*- coding: UTF-8 -*-
 
import os
import sys
import win32com.client
 
#---
 
"""
What to learn:
(1) how to open a project file
(2) how to add a new run
(3) how to specify mesh file
(4) how to specify material file for part and then generate default run settings automatically
"""
 
def main():
 
    #---------------------------------------------
    # Setup
    #--------------------------------------------- 
 
    typelib_uuid = '{ADF44B00-CF78-4CDA-9669-102E31A0CBF6}'
    program_id = 'Moldex3DStudio2024.App'
 
    print('1.Generate support for a type library: %s' %typelib_uuid)
    win32com.client.gencache.MakeModuleForTypelib(typelib_uuid, 0, 1, 0)
 
    #---------------------------------------------
    # Launch Studio
    #--------------------------------------------- 
 
    print('2.Launch a new Studio application by DispatchEx(): %s' %program_id)
    studio = win32com.client.DispatchEx(program_id)
 
    #---------------------------------------------
    #
    #---------------------------------------------
 
    print('3.Start to manipulate Studio with API...')
    
    proj_file     = 'C:\\Moldex3D\\2024\\Samples\\Solid\\Injection\\Gear\\Gear.mrm'
    mesh_file     = 'C:\\Moldex3D\\2024\\Samples\\Solid\\Injection\\Gear\\Mesh\\Gear_Part.mfe'
    material_file = 'C:\\Moldex3D\\2024\\Samples\\Solid\\Injection\\Gear\\Material\\ABS_STYLACVA29_1.mtr'
 
    #---------------------------------------------
    # Open a project file
    #--------------------------------------------- 
    
    b_continue  = True
    print('  -Open a project file: %s' %proj_file)
    run_ref = studio.OpenFile(proj_file, 'mm')
    if run_ref == '':
        print('   OpenFile() failed: %s' %studio.error_msg)
        b_continue = False
    else:
        print('   OpenFile(): get Run %s' %run_ref)
 
    #---------------------------------------------
    # Add a new run
    #---------------------------------------------
 
    new_run_ref = ''
    if b_continue:
        new_run_ref = studio.AddRun('IM')
        if new_run_ref == '':
            print('  -AddRun() failed!')
            b_continue = False
        else:
            print('  -Add a new run for Injection molding: Run %s' %new_run_ref)    
 
    #---------------------------------------------
    # Set mesh file
    #---------------------------------------------
    
    if b_continue:
        print('  -Specify mesh file: %s' %mesh_file)
        studio.SetMeshFile(new_run_ref, mesh_file)
        if studio.error_msg != '':
            print('   SetMeshFile() failed: %s' %studio.error_msg)
            b_continue = False
 
    #---------------------------------------------
    # Set material file
    #---------------------------------------------
    
    if b_continue:
        print('  -Specify material file for part and then create default process, computation parameters and analysis sequence')
        studio.SetMaterialFile(new_run_ref, material_file, '-EM -id 1 -createdefault')
        if studio.error_msg != '':
            print('   SetMaterialFile() failed: %s' %studio.error_msg)
            b_continue = False
 
    #---------------------------------------------
    # Close Studio
    #--------------------------------------------- 
 
    os.system("PAUSE")
    print('  -Close Studio')
    studio.Close()
 
 
if __name__=="__main__":
    main()

See Examples to learn more.

Run a script in Studio application

Moldex3D Studio 2022 supports a new function Run Script command.
You can use a Python script to specify a batch of actions via API.
This script must be written in Python 3 and contain the specific function run_script(studio).
Here is a sample script:

#! python3
def run_script(studio):
    # make Studio do something here ...
 
    return 0

NOTE
In a script for the Run Script command, you can use modules in Python standard library and modules in pywin32 only.
The version of Python used in the Run Script command is Python3.8.
Other Python modules installed via pip or other ways are not supported.

1. Create a script for Run Script command

Let us modify the sample script provided in the section Create a program to manipulate Studio application. Then, Create a script to do the following actions:

Check whether a project is open in the Studio
Add a new run to the open project
Configure run settings

#! python3
# -*- coding: UTF-8 -*-
 
def run_script(studio):
 
    print('Start to manipulate Studio with API...')
 
    #---------------------------------------------
    # Check project is open or not
    #--------------------------------------------- 
    
    b_continue  = True
    run_ref = studio.GetCurrentRunRef()
    if run_ref == '':
        print('  [ERROR] There is no open project.')
        b_continue = False
    else:
        print('Current Run: %s' %run_ref)
 
    #---------------------------------------------
    # Add a new run
    #---------------------------------------------
 
    sub_step = 1
    new_run_ref = ''
    if b_continue:
        print('(%d) Add a new run for Injection Molding ...' %sub_step)
        sub_step += 1
        new_run_ref = studio.AddRun('IM')
        if new_run_ref == '':
            print('  -AddRun() failed!')
            b_continue = False
        else:
            print('  -AddRun() succeeded: get Run %s' %new_run_ref)    
 
    #---------------------------------------------
    # configure run setting
    #---------------------------------------------
 
    mesh_file     = 'C:\\Moldex3D\\2024\\Samples\\Solid\\Injection\\Gear\\Mesh\\Gear_Part.mfe'
    material_file = 'C:\\Moldex3D\\2024\\Samples\\Solid\\Injection\\Gear\\Material\\ABS_STYLACVA29_1.mtr'
 
    if new_run_ref != '':
        # specify mesh by file
        if mesh_file != '':
            print('(%d) Specify mesh: %s ...' %(sub_step, mesh_file))
            sub_step += 1
            studio.SetMeshFile(new_run_ref, mesh_file)
            print('    -SetMeshFile(): done')
        
        # specify material by file
        if material_file != '':
            print('(%d) Specify material file for part and then create default run settings: %s ...' %(sub_step, material_file))
            studio.SetMaterialFile(new_run_ref, material_file, '-EM -id 1 -createdefault')
            if studio.error_msg != '':
                print('    -SetMaterialFile() failed: %s' %(studio.error_msg))
            else:
                print('    -SetMaterialFile() succeeded')
                pro_file, iret = studio.GetProcessFile(new_run_ref)
                print('    -Auto-generated process file: %s' %(pro_file))
    
    return 0
 
if __name__=="__main__":
    pass

2. Call Run Script command

Here is a step-by-step to use Run Script Command in Studio:

Luanch a Studio application.
Open a project.
Click Run Script button in Utility tab.
Select a Python file to run. Or you can use the Python file created in the previous section.
If the script is executed successfully, the return value will be 0.

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