Importing numpy package into ABAQUS 6.10 Python environment

Question

I have not been successful at importing numpy package to ABAQUS Python environment from previous discussions on this similar problem.

I am working on Microsoft Windows 7 (64-bit). I have installed ABAQUS 6.10. And by typing the command abaqus python in MS-DOS prompt I figured that ABAQUS 6.10 uses Python 2.6.2 version. For an important reason, my python script file needs to use the array function available in the numpy package. I undertook the following steps based on previous discussions:

Python 2.6.2 installation:

1. Installed Python 2.6.2 version (32-bit) to C:\Python26\ (I already had Python 2.7.6 installed in folder C:\Python27\)
2. Changed the environment system variables under PATH variable to C:\Python26\; (previously it was C:\Python27\)
3. Changed the environment user variables under PYTHONPATH variable to C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages\ (previously it was C:\Python27\)
4. Loaded Python 2.6.2 successfully using command python in MS-DOS prompt.

Numpy installation for Python 2.6.2:

1. Downloaded and installed numpy (32-bit) MSI installer file numpy-1.3.0-win32-superpack-python2.6 from Sourceforge.net- NumPy 1.3.0 in C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages folder.
2. Loaded Python 2.6.2 successfully using command python in MS-DOS prompt.
3. Imported numpy successfully using the command import numpy in python environment.

Numpy installation for ABAQUS 6.10:

1. Copied the numpy folder from C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages\ and pasted to D:\SIMULIA\Abaqus\6.10-1\Python\Lib\site-packages, which is the python modules folder for ABAQUS. Please note I have installed ABAQUS 6.10 in D: drive.
2. Created a python script file, myScript.py, containing just the following line of code: from numpy import * and saved it in the desktop.
3. Opened MS-DOS prompt and changed folder destination to my desktop containing myScript.py.
4. I finally typed the following commands in MS-DOS prompt to run the script file in the ABAQUS Python environment: abaqus cae noGUI=myScript.py and I got the following errors:

Abaqus License Manager checked out the following license(s):
"cae" release 6.10 from 127.0.0.1
<2010 out of 2011 licenses remain available>.
ImportError: DLL load failed: %1 is not a valid Win32 application.

File "myScript.py", line 4, in <module> from numpy import array

File "C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages\numpy\__init__.py", line 130, in <module>
        import add_newdocs
File "C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages\numpy\add_newdocs.py", line 9, in <module>
        from lib import add_newdoc
File "C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages\numpy\lib\__init__.py", line 4, in <module>
        from type_check import *
File "C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages\numpy\lib\type_check.py", line 8, in <module>
        import numpy.core.numeric as _nx
File "C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages\numpy\core\__init__.py", line 5, in <module>
        import multiarray

Abaqus Error: cae exited with an error.

Note: I installed Python 2.6.2 32-bit because the numpy available for 64-bit was showing a warning that it is unstable and would subsequently crash.

My basic question is: "How can I successfully import numpy package into ABAQUS environment?"

Answer 1

Honestly, the 32-bit version of numpy will not work with a 64-bit version of Python. Therefore, the error is quite expected. Even if Abaqus were to use a 32-bit version, I would strongly advise not to copy and paste the directory of the library.

dim_voly answer is an easy way to get around this problem, but here are some instructions if you really want to use numpy inside Abaqus

• This link explains quite clearly how to install numpy. You will need to include the Abaqus Python directory in the PATH environmental variable. Once pip is installed, it should be easy to install numpy and any other library you need.

• I am currently using Abaqus 6.13 which already comes installed with numpy. Thus, upgrading your software can also be a viable solution.

Hope this helps

Answer 2

I had trouble importing anything into the Abaqus python environment. The workaround I used was to generate the .py script using a main .py script. So all the calculations are done and pasted in as text into a template .py script. Then later the main script calls abaqus to run the python script.

I generally found that the python version within Abaqus is behind the mainstream python version and doing anything remotely out of the ordinary doesn't work as it depends on Simulia to update things. I use too many custom packages as well.

In any case you end up wanting a master python script to set up high level things like folders and reading in data from tables. And if you're running a script to build a model, I don't doubt that you're doing a parametric study so your loops for that can be in the main script.

What also sometimes works for passing data into the abaqus .py file is setting up a struct or class and saving it using pickle. As far as I recall pickle works and is importable as long as the class does not contain any custom imports.