| name | workbench-sim |
| description | Use when the user asks Codex, Claude Code, ChatGPT-style coding agents, or another AI agent to connect to Ansys Workbench through sim-cli. Supports Workbench journal execution, project inspection, persistent sessions, Mechanical handoff, bounded execution, artifact reporting, and troubleshooting. Requires a user-owned Ansys installation. |
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.
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.
Hard constraints (apply to every session)
- Never call
launch_workbench() from a snippet. sim-cli already
started the Workbench session. A second launch spawns a conflicting
server process.
- 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.
- Results go through file convention. IronPython stdout is not
piped. Write JSON to
%TEMP%/sim_wb_result.json for the driver to
read back.
- Never invent Category A defaults. Geometry, materials, BCs,
acceptance criteria — if missing, ask the user.
- Acceptance ≠ exit code. Validate against physics-based criteria
(e.g., component count, temperature range), not just exit code.
- Workbench owns cells 1-3. Engineering Data, Geometry, and Model
orchestration belongs here. Mechanical setup, solve, and results belong to
solver=mechanical.
- 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.
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.
