smesh/doc/salome/gui/SMESH/input/smeshpy_interface.doc

/*!

\page smeshpy_interface_page Python interface

Python API of SALOME %Mesh module defines several classes that can
be used for easy mesh creation and edition.

Documentation of SALOME %Mesh module Python API is available in two forms:
- <a href="smeshpy_doc/modules.html">Structured documentation</a>, where all methods and
classes are grouped by their functionality.
- <a href="smeshpy_doc/namespaces.html">Linear documentation</a> grouped only by classes, declared
in the \ref smeshBuilder and \ref StdMeshersBuilder Python packages.

\n With SALOME 7.2, the Python interface for %Mesh has been slightly modified to offer new functionality.
\n You may have to modify your scripts generated with SALOME 6 or older versions.
\n Please see \subpage smesh_migration_page.

Class \ref smeshBuilder.smeshBuilder "smeshBuilder" provides an interface to create and handle
meshes. It can be used to create an empty mesh or to import mesh from the data file.

As soon as a mesh is created, it is possible to manage it via its own
methods, described in class \ref smeshBuilder.Mesh "Mesh" documentation.

Class \ref smeshstudytools.SMeshStudyTools "SMeshStudyTools" provides several methods to manipulate mesh objects in Salome study. 

A usual workflow to generate a mesh on geometry is following:
<ol>
  <li>Create an instance of \ref smeshBuilder.smeshBuilder "smeshBuilder":
    <pre>
      from salome.smesh import smeshBuilder
      smesh = smeshBuilder.New( salome.myStudy )
    </pre></li>
  <li>Create a \ref smeshBuilder.Mesh "mesh" object:
    <pre>
      mesh = \ref smeshBuilder.smeshBuilder.Mesh "smesh.Mesh( geometry )" 
    </pre></li>
  <li> Create and assign \ref basic_meshing_algos_page "algorithms" by
  calling corresponding methods of the mesh. If a sub-shape is
  provided as an argument, a \ref constructing_submeshes_page "sub-mesh"
  is implicitly created on this sub-shape:
    <pre>
      regular1D = \ref smeshBuilder.Mesh.Segment "mesh.Segment"()
      mefisto   = \ref smeshBuilder.Mesh.Triangle "mesh.Triangle"( smeshBuilder.MEFISTO )
      # use other triangle algorithm on a face -- a sub-mesh appears in the mesh
      netgen    = \ref smeshBuilder.Mesh.Triangle "mesh.Triangle"( smeshBuilder.NETGEN_1D2D, face )
    </pre></li>
  <li> Create and assign \ref about_hypo_page "hypotheses" by calling
  corresponding methods of algorithms:
    <pre>
      segLen10 = \ref StdMeshersBuilder.StdMeshersBuilder_Segment.LocalLength "regular1D.LocalLength"( 10. )
      maxArea  = \ref StdMeshersBuilder.StdMeshersBuilder_Segment.LocalLength "mefisto.MaxElementArea"( 100. )
      netgen.SetMaxSize( 20. )
      netgen.SetFineness( smeshBuilder.VeryCoarse )
    </pre>
  </li>
  <li> \ref compute_anchor "Compute" the mesh (generate mesh nodes and elements):
    <pre>
      \ref Mesh.Compute "mesh.Compute"()
    </pre>
  </li>
</ol>

An easiest way to start with Python scripting is to do something in
GUI and then to get a corresponding Python script via 
<b> File > Dump Study </b> menu item. Don't forget that you can get
all methods of any object in hand (e.g. a mesh group or a hypothesis)
by calling \a dir() Python built-in function.

All methods of the Mesh Group can be found in \ref tui_create_standalone_group sample script.

An example below demonstrates usage of the Python API for 3d mesh
generation and for retrieving information on mesh nodes and elements.

\anchor example_3d_mesh
<h2>Example of 3d mesh generation:</h2>
\tui_script{3dmesh.py}

Examples of Python scripts for Mesh operations are available by
the following links:

- \subpage tui_creating_meshes_page
- \subpage tui_defining_hypotheses_page
- \subpage tui_grouping_elements_page
- \subpage tui_filters_page
- \subpage tui_modifying_meshes_page
- \subpage tui_transforming_meshes_page
- \subpage tui_viewing_meshes_page
- \subpage tui_quality_controls_page
- \subpage tui_measurements_page
- \subpage tui_work_on_objects_from_gui
- \subpage tui_notebook_smesh_page
- \subpage tui_cartesian_algo
- \subpage tui_use_existing_faces
- \subpage tui_prism_3d_algo
- \subpage tui_generate_flat_elements_page

*/