Given up on installation.

[dummifiedme]

Hello everyone,

After deciding to use pychrono for my project, I kept trying to get it to work, but it simply doesn't. Throwing all kinds of errors. The c++ version worked fine for me, but when I tried to build pychrono, using the manual, I couldn't complete it citing various errors at different times.

Anyway, I am pretty sure it is due to my lack of knowledge about how packages are built.

But just as a suggestion, the whole process of installation should be a little more hassle-free as most of the people that might be using it would be from non-CS discipline. 

Thanks for the support on my questions!

I have no doubts on the capability of the package in anyway.

Regards,

DM

[Marcel Offermans]

Hello DM,

I managed to compile and work with Chrono. I did not try PyChrono yet, but from the instructions page there are two options for installing it (using precompiled modules or building it from source). The former should be fairly easy, even for "non-CS" people. Is that what you tried to do? If so, at what step of the instructions on https://api.projectchrono.org/pychrono_installation.html did something fail? If you describe what you were doing and where you think it went wrong, I'm sure someone here can help.

Greetings, Marcel

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[Radu Serban]

Sorry to hear that.  We do our best to keep the installation process as simple as possible and as simple as we can (know how) to make it.  Keep in mind that our core expertise is also not CS.

If you or anyone else wants to contribute to this part of the project, we always welcome pull requests on GitHub.

Having said that, please provide more details on what you tried and what went wrong.

What OS are you working on?

What version of Python do you use?

Are you trying to build PyChrono from sources or are you trying to install a conda package?

- If the former, what version of SWIG do you use? Which Chrono modules do you enable? What and where is the problem?

- If trying to install a conda package, note that we are actively working on changing how these packages are built and ironing out some issues with them. As such,  the packages in the anaconda repository are in continuous flux.  Stay tuned.

--Radu

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From: projec...@googlegroups.com <projec...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of dummifiedme <dummi...@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2022 6:59:17 AM
To: ProjectChrono <projec...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [chrono] Given up on installation.

 

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[dummifiedme]

Hello Marcel,

I had indeed tried the conda setup and there are some issues with that install (irrlicht doesn't seem to work). I was then told to build it from source as it works fine. 

Since then, I am only trying. :D
As for the problem, the instructions are confusing at some points. Eg. First we need to build C++ from source. Then again "ccmake" config with Python option on. It might get confusing as to we have to run those steps again or just turn on the python module the first tie itself!

I had installed C++ from source and tried to run a demo, which seemed to run fine.

Then I started with the pychrono installation and things went south there. There were some files always missing. 
I am still trying. I will let you know whatever error I face this time around :(

Regards, 
DM

[dummifiedme]

Hey Radu,

Ofcourse, I know how hard people are trying to make it better at every step. I am never denying that. I really like what this project has achieved. (And as an anthropology enthusiast, it makes me feel amazed on how people can come together and build great things that too for free for use)

I am learning programming and the physics behind FE/MBD, if I get used to this project, I would love to contribute wherever I can!

As for my system I am on Manjaro Linux (arch based) and python version is 3.10.

I am trying to build pychrono from sources. As I mentioned in another comment, I had previously tried conda version, but it had some issues with irrlicht.
I am turning on only two modules: irrlicht and postprocessing. I don't even know which ones I should turn on for the simulation I want to work on. (it basically involves cable, beams and a few rigid bodies. There are contacts in place as well)

Regards

DM

[Radu Serban]

Hi DM

 

First of all, for the functionality that you listed, the two optional modules you enabled should suffice. 

 

It’s still not clear to me what issues you are having with building PyChrono from sources?

 

Now, if you successfully built the C++ libraries and demos, you are almost there.  What you will need in addition is just the SWIG package (you will be asked for the path to the SWIG executable unless you install it in a system path).

 

Once you have that, rerun CMake (reopening the configuration you already have is just fine) and enable the Python module (set ENABLE_MODULE_PYTHON to “on”).  After you hit Configure, if the SWIG executable was not found automatically, set the CMake variable SWIG_EXECUTABLE and Configure again.  Then generate your build files.

 

After that it’s just a matter of ‘make’ (and optionally ‘make install’), just like before.

 

As a side note, related to a comment you made to Marcel, you *do not* have to go through the process of building all of Chrono without the Python module enabled and then again after enabling that module.  You can enable all desired modules (Python included) the very first time.  Just make sure to go through the usual cycle of CMake configurations and resolve all necessary dependencies.   By the way, if the documentation is unclear or confusing in this or other parts, this would be a great contribution you could help with!

 

Note also that PyChrono is simply a set of wrappers around the Chrono C++ libraries.  These are still needed in order to use PyChrono!  That is the case with any other piece of software that uses SWIG (or similar technologies) to provide Python wrappers to libraries developed in other languages.

 

Once you build Chrono (now with the Python module enabled), besides the Chrono shared libraries, you will also get the Python hooks.  These will be located in your build tree (under bin/).  In order to use Pychrono you *must* properly set your PYTHONPATH environment variable to include the path to the PyChrono modules (something like /path-to-your-chrono-build-tree/bin/).  Of course, if you choose to install the Chrono libraries and Python hooks elsewhere (through make install), you will need to set PYTHONPATH accordingly.

 

Please let me know where in the above process you encounter problems.

 

--Radu

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/projectchrono/8002ff1a-9fff-4e1a-9e12-0009a87d7c99n%40googlegroups.com.

[dummifiedme]

Hello 

Thanks Radu for the reply. It cleared a lot of my confusion. I installed pyChrono from source and added PYTHONPATH environment variable as well. But as I tried to run a demo, it threw an error. Can someone help out with this?

Regards, Thanks!