Auxiliary functions

This section lists various auxiliary GUI toolkit functions.

addExitCallback(callback)

Registers a callback function to be called when the application is about to exit.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
callback	Function		The function to be called when the application is about to exit.

afxCreateIcon(fileName)

Returns an icon created by reading the specified file, which can be in one of these formats: BMP, GIF, PNG, XPM. The file format is assumed from the file extension (which is not case sensitive). Returns 0 if the file cannot be opened.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
fileName	String		File name.

afxCreateBMPIcon(fileName)

Returns an icon created by reading the specified file in BMP format. Returns 0 if the file cannot be opened.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
fileName	String		File name.

afxCreateGIFIcon(fileName)

Returns an icon created by reading the specified file in GIF format. Returns 0 if the file cannot be opened.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
fileName	String		File name.

afxCreatePNGIcon(fileName)

Returns an icon created by reading the specified file in PNG format. Returns 0 if the file cannot be opened.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
fileName	String		File name.

afxCreateXPMIcon(fileName)

Returns an icon created by reading the specified file in XPM format. Returns 0 if the file cannot be opened.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
fileName	String		File name.

afxDisableWidgetTree(widget)

Disables the specified widget and all its children.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
widget	Widget		The parent widget, which will be disabled along with all its children.

afxEnableWidgetTree(widget)

Enables the specified widget and all its children.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
widget	Widget		The parent widget, which will be enabled along with all its children.

afxGetIcon(fileName, size)

Enables you to use Abaqus/CAE icons in your customization. Set the size argument to 1 for normal-sized icons or to 0 for small icons.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
fileName	String		File name.
size	String		Icon size.

displayURL(url)

Displays the specified URL in a web browser. Returns the status of the call. This call will use an open web browser if there is one. This method can be accessed via webBrowser.displayURL from module uti. See also openWithURL.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
url	String		The URL of the page to be displayed.

getAFXApp()

Returns the application object.

getAFXAliasMap().setPrefix(widget, prefix)

Sets the prefix key —usually the dialog box class name—of a widget.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
widget	FXWindow		The widget to which the prefix is being set.
prefix	String		The prefix key for the widget.

getAFXAliasMap().setName(widget, name)

Sets the name key of a widget.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
widget	FXWindow		The widget for which the name is being set. The name key is used, along with a prefix, to identify the widget.
name	String		The name of the widget.

getAFXFont(opts=FONT_PROPORTIONAL)

Returns the specified font.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
opts	Int	FONT_PROPORTIONAL	Type of font to get. Possible choices are FONT_PROPORTIONAL, FONT_MONOSPACE, FONT_REGULAR, FONT_BOLD, FONT_ITALIC, FONT_BASE, or FONT_SMALL.

afxGetColorHexSpecFromID(colorId)

Returns the equivalent hex string for the specified color index.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
colorId	Integer		The index of the color to be converted to a hex string. For example, green would be FXRGB(0, 255,0). See the Colors appendix of the Abaqus GUI Toolkit Reference Guide for details.

afxGetColorHexSpecFromName(colorName)

Returns the equivalent hex string for the specified color name.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
colorName	String		The name of the color to be converted to a hex string. For example, 'Red'. See the Colors appendix of the Abaqus GUI Toolkit Reference Guide for details.

getCurrentContext()

Returns the current GUI context dictionary, which contains the following keys: mdbName, viewportName, objectPath, objectType, modelName, and moduleName. You can be notified of context changes by using the registerCurrentContext function.

getCurrentModuleGui()

Returns the current moduleGui object. You can call that object's getModuleName method to check its name.

getCursorPosition()

Returns a tuple of status,x,y,buttonState. The status (TRUE or FALSE) indicates the success of the call. The x and y values represent the position of the cursor in the window's coordinate system (origin is in the upper left, positive Y points downward). This method is defined in FXWindow, so it may be called on any object derived from FXWindow.

getDisplayedObjectType()

Returns the type of the object displayed in the current viewport. Possible return values are: PART, ASSEMBLY, ODB, XY_PLOT, SKETCH, or None.

getSeparator(parent, count)

Returns the nth (specified by the count argument) separator widget of the parent.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
parent	Widget		The widget to be searched (children are not traversed).
count	Int		The number of the separator (e.g. specify 2 to get the second separator).

getWidgetFromText(parent, text)

Returns a widget whose label or tip text matches the specified text and is also a child of the specified widget.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
parent	Widget		The widget at which the search begins (children are traversed too).
text	String		The text to be matched (must be an exact match).

openWithURL(url)

Displays the specified URL in a web browser. Returns the status of the call. This call will always open a new web browser. This method can be accessed via webBrowser.openWithURL from module uti. See also displayURL.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
url	String		The URL of the page to be displayed.

registerCurrentContext(callbackFunction)

Registers a query on the current context. The specified callback function will be invoked when the current viewport or displayed object changes. Use the getCurrentContext method to get the values of the current objects. Note that unregisterCurrentContext should be called with the same argument to unregister the query when it is no longer needed.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
callbackFunction	Function		Function to be called when the current context changes.

registerPluginToolset()

Registers the plug-in toolset with the application.

objectPath.registerQuery(callbackFunction, callOnRegister=TRUE)

Registers a query on the object. The specified callback function will be invoked when the object changes. For more information, see “Receiving notification of kernel data changes,” Section 6.8 of the Abaqus GUI Toolkit User's Guide. Note that unregisterQuery should be called with the same argument to unregister the query when it is no longer needed.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
callbackFunction	Function		Function to be called when the object changes.
callOnRegister	Bool	TRUE	If TRUE, the callback function will be called when the query is registered.

objectPath.registerInclusive(callbackFunction, callOnRegister=TRUE)

Registers a query on the object and its children. The specified callback function will be invoked when the object or its children change. Note that unregisterQuery should be called with the same argument to unregister the query when it is no longer needed.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
callbackFunction	Function		Function to be called when the object or its children change.
callOnRegister	Bool	TRUE	If TRUE, the callback function will be called when the query is registered.

removeExitCallback(callback)

Unregisters a callback function to be called when the application is about to exit. The function must have been previously registered using addExitCallback.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
callback	Function		The function to be removed from the callback list.

sendCommand(writeToJournal, command, writeToReplay=True, writeToJournal=False)

Sends a command string to the kernel.

Note: The writeToJournal argument should not usually be necessary. If the command is a built-in Abaqus Scripting Interface command, it will be written to the journal file automatically. If the command is not a built-in Abaqus Scripting Interface command but it changes the mdb using built-in Abaqus Scripting Interface commands, the changes to the mdb will be written to the journal file automatically. However, if the command is not a built-in Abaqus Scripting Interface command and it makes changes to the mdb that would not otherwise be written to the journal file, the command itself should use the journalMethodCall function to write itself to the journal file.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
writeToJournal
command	String		Command string.
writeToReplay	Bool	True	If True, the command will be written to the replay file.
writeToJournal	Bool	False	If True, the command will be written to the journal file.

setCurrentModel(modelName)

Sets the current model to the specified model name.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
modelName	String		The name of the model to be made current.

setSwitchModuleHook(callbackFunction)

Sets a function that will be called whenever the user switches into a GUI module. When the user switches into a GUI module, the specified function will be called, passing it the name (shown in the Module combo box) of the new module. Note that the setSwitchModuleHook function does not take keyword arguments and, if necessary, it may be called multiple times.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
callbackFunction	Function		The function to be called when a GUI module is switched into. Note that you cannot issue a kernel command from within this function or it will cause the application to lock up.

shutdown()

Exits Abaqus/CAE. This is equivalent to selecting File->Exit.

switchModule(moduleName)

Switches into a GUI module.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
moduleName	String		Module to switch into.

unregisterCurrentContext(callbackFunction)

Unregisters a query on the current context. The specified callback function should be the same argument that was used to register the query.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
callbackFunction	Function		Function to be called when the current context changes.

objectPath.unregisterQuery(callbackFunction)

Unregisters a query on the object. The specified callback function should be the same argument that was specified to register the query.

Argument	Type	Default	Description
callbackFunction	Function		Function to be called when the object changes.