Plaxis not starting remotly

It is possible to start PLAXIS Input with specifying the port number and the password. So if you launch PLAXIS via the command line (or the Python subprocess module)

When using the remote scripting in an automated process, you can start the server without manual interaction by launching your PLAXIS application with the AppServerPort and ApppServerPassword command line parameters.

For example in order to start the server in PLAXIS 2D on port 21403 using mypassword as the password:

C:\Program Files\Bentley\Geotechnical\PLAXIS 2D CONNECT Edition V20\PLAXIS2Dx.exe --AppServerPassword=mypassword --AppServerPort=21403

Hi Micha,

Part of the porblem is solved with the line you suggested. I used the following lines in my Python script to start Plaxis remotly with password and port number (just as an example for very unexperienced users of Python as me).

import os

os.system('cmd /k "C:\Program Files\Bentley\Geotechnical\PLAXIS 2D CONNECT Edition V20\Plaxis2DXInput.exe" --AppServerPassword=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx --AppServerPort=10000')

s_i.new()

Although Plaxis starts, with the remote script configuration already set, it does not move out of the first empty window (see attached figure).  There is no error message returned in the Python command window.

To get out of the Plaxis empty window I have to manually clik 'new button' but, other scripts that I prepared to build a Plaxis model do not run.

I still have to manually open Plaxis and set the remote server connection manually and, only after that, I can run the Python scripts I have prepared.

Do you have any suggestion to sort this problem?

All the best,

Joao

Hi Micha,

Part of the porblem is solved with the line you suggested. I used the following lines in my Python script to start Plaxis remotly with password and port number (just as an example for very unexperienced users of Python as me).

import os

os.system('cmd /k "C:\Program Files\Bentley\Geotechnical\PLAXIS 2D CONNECT Edition V20\Plaxis2DXInput.exe" --AppServerPassword=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx --AppServerPort=10000')

s_i.new()

Although Plaxis starts, with the remote script configuration already set, it does not move out of the first empty window (see attached figure).  There is no error message returned in the Python command window.

To get out of the Plaxis empty window I have to manually clik 'new button' but, other scripts that I prepared to build a Plaxis model do not run.

I still have to manually open Plaxis and set the remote server connection manually and, only after that, I can run the Python scripts I have prepared.

Do you have any suggestion to sort this problem?

All the best,

Joao

Hi Joao,

In this case, it would be best to use the subprocess module.
Also, it helps to add a small timeout for PLAXIS to launch and fetch the input server and global objects (s_i, g_i)

This works for me:

import subprocess
import os
from plxscripting.easy import *

inputport = 10000
plaxispw= r'YOURPASSWORD'
plaxis_path = r'C:\Program Files\Bentley\Geotechnical\PLAXIS 2D CONNECT Edition V20'
plaxis_input = 'PLAXIS2DxInput.exe'

# first launch PLAXIS
args = [os.path.join(plaxis_path, plaxis_input),
        "--AppServerPort={}".format(inputport),
        "--AppServerPassWord={}".format(plaxispw)]
inputprocess = subprocess.Popen(args)

# then initialize the new_server with additional waiting time
# due to startup of PLAXIS
s_i, g_i = new_server('localhost', inputport, password=plaxispw, timeout=10.0)
s_i.new()

... add your code here

If you want to open a second instance after this code is done and  closing PLAXIS, you can add this to the code to make sure PLAXIS Input is stopped:

## and to make sure PLAXIS is closed after the run:
## Popen process .terminate()  this is a hard stop! nice closure of the project is recommended
s_i.close()
inputprocess.terminate()

Alternatively, you can check if you opened PLAXIS already, and reuse the existing running PLAXIS application.

Resources for Python/s subprocess module: https://docs.python.org/3.7/library/subprocess.html 

Micha,

Thank you. The code works well for me too.

Best regards,

Joao

Hello, sorry this code does not work for me, because it indicates -> ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'plxscripting'

Hello Andres,

Possibly you are trying to run the Python script using the python.exe from Spyder and not from PLAXIS. Therefore all the modules you are looking for are not present in the Python distribution Spyder provides (naturally).

There are two options here:

1. You point Spyder to the PLAXIS Python Distribution. Via Spyder you can point to the PLAXIS Python Distribution, which by default for the CONNECT Edition is stored at (do not pick the internal one): C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Geotechnical
   Look for the instructions for your IDE environment, or search online, like e.g. Spyder:
   • stackoverflow.com/.../how-to-change-python-version-in-anaconda-spyder
   • www.quora.com/How-do-I-change-the-Python-version-in-Spider
2. You install the necessary modules on Spyder's Python Distribution. You can read about it here:
   https://communities.bentley.com/products/geotech-analysis/w/plaxis-soilvision-wiki/51822/how-to-install-additional-python-modules-in-plaxis

If you still have problems, please submit a service request: https://apps.bentley.com/srmanager/ProductSupport