3.5: Adding Functionality to a GH Component

In order to make the component do something one has to add code to the “SolveInstance” function in “TensionElimComponents”:

protected override void SolveInstance(IGH_DataAccess DA)
{
    GH_Model in_gh_model = null;
    if (!DA.GetData<GH_Model>(0, ref in_gh_model)) return;
    var model = in_gh_model.Value;

    // maximum number of iterations
    int max_iter = 10;
    DA.GetData<int>(1, ref max_iter);

    // load case to consider for elimination of elements
    int lc_num = 0;

    // clone model to avoid side effects
    model = (Karamba.Models.Model)model.Clone();

    // clone its elements to avoid side effects
    model.cloneElements();

    // clone the feb-model to avoid side effects
    model.deepCloneFEModel();

    string singular_system_msg = "The stiffness matrix of the system is singular.";

    // do the iteration and remove elements with tensile axial forces
    for (int iter = 0; iter < max_iter; iter++)
    {
        // create an analysis and response object for calculating and retrieving results
        feb.Deform analysis = new feb.Deform(model.febmodel);
        feb.Response response = new feb.Response(analysis);

        try
        {
            // calculate the displacements
            response.updateNodalDisplacements();
            // calculate the member forces
            response.updateMemberForces();
        }
        catch
        {
            // send an error message in case something went wrong
            throw new Exception(singular_system_msg);
        }

        // check the normal force of each element and deactivate those under tension
        double N, V, M;
        bool has_changed = false;
        foreach (var elem in model.elems)
        {
            // retrieve resultant cross section forces
            elem.resultantCroSecForces(model, lc_num, out N, out V, out M);
            // check whether normal force is tensile
            if (!(N >= 0)) continue;
            // set element inactive
            elem.set_is_active(model, false);
            has_changed = true;
        }

        // leave iteration loop if nothing changed
        if (!has_changed) break;

        // if something changed inform the feb-model about it (otherwise it won't recalculate)
        model.febmodel.touch();

        // this guards the objects from being freed prematurely
        GC.KeepAlive(analysis);
        GC.KeepAlive(response);
    }

    // update model to its final state
    double max_disp = 0;
    try
    {
        // create an analysis and response object for calculating and retrieving results
        feb.Deform analysis = new feb.Deform(model.febmodel);
        feb.Response response = new feb.Response(analysis);

        // calculate the displacements
        response.updateNodalDisplacements();
        // calculate the member forces
        response.updateMemberForces();

        max_disp = response.maxDisplacement();

        // this guards the objects from being freed prematurely
        GC.KeepAlive(analysis);
        GC.KeepAlive(response);
    }
    catch
    {
        // send an error message in case something went wrong
        throw new Exception(singular_system_msg);
    }

    // set up list of true/false values that corresponds to the element states
    List<bool> elem_activity = new List<bool>();
    foreach (var elem in model.elems)
    {
        elem_activity.Add(elem.is_active);
    }

    DA.SetData(0, new GH_Model(model));
    DA.SetDataList(1, elem_activity);
    DA.SetData(2, max_disp);
}

In line 3 a wrapper-object for a Karamba3D model gets initialized to null and set to the value of the input plug of index “0”. The “if” statement in line 4 checks whether there is any data to process. In line 5 the Karamba3D-model gets retrieved from the GH-wrapper. In lines 8 to 9 the value of the “maxiter” plug-in gets read.

All the rest down to line 101 constitutes more or less a replica of the code of section 2.4.2. Lines 102 to 104 transfer the results of the algorithm to the output-plugs.

The example “ActivationDeactivationOfElements_CustomComponent” (see fig. 3.5.1) shows that the results using the GH custom component are the same as in section 2.4.2.

A comparison with the listing in section 2 shows that only the first and last parts differ significantly:

Fig. 3.5.1: Elimination of elements under tension. this time using a custom GH-component.