Export time series of STL files (for mesh, Q-isosurface) in ANSYS CFD-Post by script (playing session file)

Overview

I'm still learning, but it seems that basically what you need to do for writing a script for CFD-Post are:

1. Record the session
2. Modify the session file (e.g., adding the for loop)
3. Play the modified session file

So I did the recording, then modified that session file thanks to ( http://www.cfdresearch.com/ansys-fluent-cfd-post-scripts/ ). Basically simply adding the for loop.

Not sure of the syntax yet, but it seems the variable can be specified with $ prefix, as in shell script.

Sample

Let's say you have a time series of the result file (e.g., flapping wing) and you want to same some of them as STL file.

In the sample below, the you're saving 100 time instances as 1.stl, 2.stl, ... for each directory, where actual timestep values for Fluent simulation are 10, 20, 30, ... so the timestep has to be specifed as $i*10.

Here you're saving wing surface and Q-isosurface, both of them had to be created before playing the script.

# Session file started:  2019/10/04 16:21:36
# CFX-19.1

# To avoid unnecessary file pre-processing and modifications, include
# COMMAND FILE at the top of your session file.
# If it is not included, the file is assumed to be older and will be
# modified for backward compatibility.
COMMAND FILE:
  CFX Post Version = 19.1
END

! for ($i=1; $i <= 100; $i=$i+1) {

> load timestep=$i*10

EXPORT:
  ANSYS Export Data = Element Heat Flux
  ANSYS File Format = ANSYS
  ANSYS Reference Temperature = 0.0 [K]
  ANSYS Specify Reference Temperature = Off
  ANSYS Supplemental HTC = 0.0 [W m^-2 K^-1]
  Additional Variable List =
  BC Profile Type = Inlet Velocity
  Export Connectivity = Off
  Export Coord Frame = Global
  Export File = E:/wing_surface/$i.stl
  Export Geometry = On
  Export Location Aliases =
  Export Node Numbers = Off
  Export Null Data = On
  Export Type = STL
  Export Units System = Current
  Export Variable Type = Current
  External Export Data = None
  Include File Information = Off
  Include Header = On
  Location = back
  Location List = wing_surf
  Null Token = null
  Overwrite = On
  Precision = 8
  Separator = ", "
  Spatial Variables = X,Y,Z
  Variable List =
  Vector Brackets = ()
  Vector Display = Scalar
END
>export

EXPORT:
  ANSYS Export Data = Element Heat Flux
  ANSYS File Format = ANSYS
  ANSYS Reference Temperature = 0.0 [K]
  ANSYS Specify Reference Temperature = Off
  ANSYS Supplemental HTC = 0.0 [W m^-2 K^-1]
  Additional Variable List =
  BC Profile Type = Inlet Velocity
  Export Connectivity = Off
  Export Coord Frame = Global
  Export File = E:/Q/$i.stl
  Export Geometry = On
  Export Location Aliases =
  Export Node Numbers = Off
  Export Null Data = On
  Export Type = STL
  Export Units System = Current
  Export Variable Type = Current
  External Export Data = None
  Include File Information = Off
  Include Header = On
  Location = back
  Location List = /VORTEX CORE REGION:Q
  Null Token = null
  Overwrite = On
  Precision = 8
  Separator = ", "
  Spatial Variables = X,Y,Z
  Variable List =
  Vector Brackets = ()
  Vector Display = Scalar
END
>export

!}