Added bracket_sim1-solution_1.dat (Nastran input file) to tests.
This is the SOL 101 Linear Statics input for the Bracket model.
Analysis Setup:
- Solution: SOL 101 Linear Statics
- Loads: ~1000N total force in -Z direction (3 application points)
- Constraints: Fixed supports at base (40+ nodes)
- Mesh: ~585 elements (CTETRA)
- Material: Aluminum 6061-T6
- Units: mm, mN (milli-newton), kg
Note: This is the INPUT file. To test the OP2 extractor, the
corresponding OUTPUT file (bracket_sim1-solution_1.op2) is needed,
which is generated by running the solver in NX Simcenter.
Updated the parser to work with actual NX .sim/.prt files which are
binary format (not XML) in NX 12+.
Key Changes:
- Added dual-mode parser: XML for test files, binary for real NX files
- Implemented string extraction from binary .sim files
- Updated solution detection to recognize Nastran SOL types
- Fixed expression extraction with proper NX format pattern:
#(Type [units]) name: value;
- Added multiple .prt file naming pattern support
- Added .fem file parsing for FEM information
Parser Capabilities:
- Extracts expressions from .prt files (binary parsing)
- Detects solution types (Linear Statics, Modal, etc.)
- Finds element types from .fem files
- Handles multiple file naming conventions
Validation with Real Files:
- Successfully parsed tests/Bracket_sim1.sim (6.2 MB binary file)
- Extracted 1 expression: tip_thickness = 20.0 mm
- Detected 18 solution types (including Nastran SOL codes)
- Works with both XML test files and binary production files
Technical Details:
- Binary files: latin-1 decoding + regex pattern matching
- Expression pattern: #(\w+\s*\[([^\]]*)\])\s*([a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*)\s*:\s*([-+]?\d*\.?\d+)
- Multiple .prt file search: exact match → base name → _i suffix
- FEM parsing: extracts mesh, materials, element types from .fem files
Next Steps:
- Refine solution filtering (reduce false positives)
- Add load/constraint extraction from .fem files
- Test with more complex models
This commit implements the first phase of the MCP server as outlined
in PROJECT_SUMMARY.md Option A: Model Discovery.
New Features:
- Complete .sim file parser (XML-based)
- Expression extraction from .sim and .prt files
- Solution, FEM, materials, loads, constraints extraction
- Structured JSON output for LLM consumption
- Markdown formatting for human-readable output
Implementation Details:
- mcp_server/tools/model_discovery.py: Core parser and discovery logic
- SimFileParser class: Handles XML parsing of .sim files
- discover_fea_model(): Main MCP tool function
- format_discovery_result_for_llm(): Markdown formatter
- mcp_server/tools/__init__.py: Updated to export new functions
- mcp_server/tools/README.md: Complete documentation for MCP tools
Testing & Examples:
- examples/test_bracket.sim: Sample .sim file for testing
- tests/mcp_server/tools/test_model_discovery.py: Comprehensive unit tests
- Manual testing verified: Successfully extracts 4 expressions, solution
info, mesh data, materials, loads, and constraints
Validation:
- Command-line tool works: python mcp_server/tools/model_discovery.py examples/test_bracket.sim
- Output includes both Markdown and JSON formats
- Error handling for missing files and invalid formats
Next Steps (Phase 2):
- Port optimization engine from P04 Atomizer
- Implement build_optimization_config tool
- Create pluggable result extractor system
References:
- PROJECT_SUMMARY.md: Option A (lines 339-350)
- mcp_server/prompts/system_prompt.md: Model Discovery workflow
