Atomizer/.claude/skills/modules/nx-docs-lookup.md

NX Documentation Lookup Module

Overview

This module provides on-demand access to Siemens NX Open and Simcenter documentation via the Dalidou MCP server. Use these tools when building new extractors, NX automation scripts, or debugging NX-related issues.

CRITICAL: When to AUTO-SEARCH Documentation

You MUST call siemens_docs_search BEFORE writing any code that uses NX Open APIs.

Automatic Search Triggers

User Request	Action Required
"Create extractor for {X}"	→ siemens_docs_search("{X} NXOpen")
"Get {property} from part"	→ siemens_docs_search("{property} NXOpen.Part")
"Extract {data} from FEM"	→ siemens_docs_search("{data} NXOpen.CAE")
"How do I {action} in NX"	→ siemens_docs_search("{action} NXOpen")
Any code with NXOpen.*	→ Search before writing

Example: User asks "Create an extractor for inertia values"

STEP 1: Immediately search
→ siemens_docs_search("inertia mass properties NXOpen")

STEP 2: Review results, fetch details
→ siemens_docs_fetch("NXOpen.MeasureManager")

STEP 3: Now write code with correct API calls

DO NOT guess NX Open API names. Always search first.

When to Load

Load this module when:

• Creating new NX Open scripts or extractors
• Working with NXOpen.* namespaces
• Debugging NX automation errors
• User mentions "NX API", "NX Open", "Simcenter docs"
• Building features that interact with NX/Simcenter

Available MCP Tools

siemens_docs_search

Purpose: Search across NX Open, Simcenter, and Teamcenter documentation

When to use:

• Finding which class/method performs a specific task
• Discovering available APIs for a feature
• Looking up Nastran card references

Examples:

siemens_docs_search("get node coordinates FEM")
siemens_docs_search("CQUAD4 element properties")
siemens_docs_search("NXOpen.CAE mesh creation")
siemens_docs_search("extract stress results OP2")

siemens_docs_fetch

Purpose: Fetch a specific documentation page with full content

When to use:

• Need complete class reference
• Getting detailed method signatures
• Reading full examples

Examples:

siemens_docs_fetch("NXOpen.CAE.FemPart")
siemens_docs_fetch("Nastran Quick Reference CQUAD4")

siemens_auth_status

Purpose: Check if the Siemens SSO session is valid

When to use:

• Before a series of documentation lookups
• When fetch requests fail
• Debugging connection issues

siemens_login

Purpose: Re-authenticate with Siemens if session expired

When to use:

• After siemens_auth_status shows expired
• When documentation fetches return auth errors

Workflow: Building New Extractor

When creating a new extractor that uses NX Open APIs:

Step 1: Search for Relevant APIs

→ siemens_docs_search("element stress results OP2")

Review results to identify candidate classes/methods.

Step 2: Fetch Detailed Documentation

→ siemens_docs_fetch("NXOpen.CAE.Result")

Get full class documentation with method signatures.

Step 3: Understand Data Formats

→ siemens_docs_search("CQUAD4 stress output format")

Understand Nastran output structure.

Step 4: Build Extractor

Following EXT_01 template, create the extractor with:

• Proper API calls based on documentation
• Docstring referencing the APIs used
• Error handling for common NX exceptions

Step 5: Document API Usage

In the extractor docstring:

def extract_element_stress(op2_path: Path) -> Dict:
    """
    Extract element stress results from OP2 file.

    NX Open APIs Used:
        - NXOpen.CAE.Result.AskElementStress
        - NXOpen.CAE.ResultAccess.AskResultValues

    Nastran Cards:
        - CQUAD4, CTRIA3 (shell elements)
        - STRESS case control
    """

Workflow: Debugging NX Errors

When encountering NX Open errors:

Step 1: Search for Correct API

Error: AttributeError: 'FemPart' object has no attribute 'GetNodes'

→ siemens_docs_search("FemPart get nodes")

Step 2: Fetch Correct Class Reference

→ siemens_docs_fetch("NXOpen.CAE.FemPart")

Find the actual method name and signature.

Step 3: Apply Fix

Document the correction:

# Wrong: femPart.GetNodes()
# Right: femPart.BaseFEModel.FemMesh.Nodes

Common Search Patterns

Task	Search Query
Mesh operations	siemens_docs_search("NXOpen.CAE mesh")
Result extraction	siemens_docs_search("CAE result OP2")
Geometry access	siemens_docs_search("NXOpen.Features body")
Material properties	siemens_docs_search("Nastran MAT1 material")
Load application	siemens_docs_search("CAE load force")
Constraint setup	siemens_docs_search("CAE boundary condition")
Expressions/Parameters	siemens_docs_search("NXOpen Expression")
Part manipulation	siemens_docs_search("NXOpen.Part")

Key NX Open Namespaces

Namespace	Domain
NXOpen.CAE	FEA, meshing, results
NXOpen.Features	Parametric features
NXOpen.Assemblies	Assembly operations
NXOpen.Part	Part-level operations
NXOpen.UF	User Function (legacy)
NXOpen.GeometricUtilities	Geometry helpers

Integration with Extractors

All extractors in optimization_engine/extractors/ should:

1. Search before coding: Use siemens_docs_search to find correct APIs
2. Document API usage: List NX Open APIs in docstring
3. Handle NX exceptions: Catch NXOpen.NXException appropriately
4. Follow 20-line rule: If extraction is complex, check if existing extractor handles it

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Auth errors	Run siemens_auth_status, then siemens_login if needed
No results	Try broader search terms, check namespace spelling
Incomplete docs	Fetch the parent class for full context
Network errors	Verify Dalidou is accessible: ping dalidou.local

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Module Version: 1.0 MCP Server: dalidou.local:5000