[SOLVED] What is a .sml file a.k.a Sofa Modeling Language ?

[Fabien]

Hi all,

I was playing a bit with the SofaPython and other plugins and I notice it was sometimes using some .sml XML file through a python script for launching a simulation.

Since I did not find any information on that matter, is there someone who has an idea of what is its purpose and where is the documentation about the language ?

Fabien

[Thomas Lemaire]

Hi Fabien,

The .sml files aim at describing a model whereas .scn or .py describe a simulation. When things are split that way, you can have a model description and simulate it in several ways. The SofaPython plugin contains a python package to read and store such model description, which in turn can used whithin python scripts to create a simulation.

In the SofaPython plugin you have such an example, very simple, to display a model.
In the Compliant plugin you have a more complex example “bielle_manivelle”

Thomas

[Fabien]

Hi Thomas,

Thanks for the information.

I have additional questions regarding the topic:
– Will there be documentation detailing the language, or peeking in the code is the way to go ?
– Will it be extended to overall sofa features ?
– Will it be standardized (guidelines) ? In the case where someone wants to add extra features.

Fabien

[Thomas Lemaire]

Hi Fabien,

a few answers :

1) In the short term I could add a dtd for this xml format, also not sure sml is meant to stay in this SofaPython plugin.
2+3) The model description is for now generic enough for our needs, no plan to extend it further – do you have s.t. in mind ? About the scene creation scripts this is quite user/application specific, you can write your own to meet your needs.

Thomas

[Fabien]

Hi Thomas,

The model description is for now generic enough for our needs, no plan to extend it further – do you have s.t. in mind ?

In the examples I saw, the files were describing rigid/joint objects, but not deformable one. Is it intended ?

Fabien

[Thomas Lemaire]

The only public plugin that have s.t. interesting related to sml is Compliant, which is not focused on deformable physics.
Indeed we are using sml to simulate deformable physics, there is no restriction on what you can do with a <solid>, it is up to you to write a python function like the one found in Compliant.sml to create the desired sofa simulation graph.

[Hugo]

Hi @fabienpean,

Did Thomas’ answers help you in running your examples and simulations ?
Best wishes from Stras,

Hugo

[Fabien]

Hi Hugo,
Yes Thomas explained clearly the concept of sml ! I did not push further in that direction but it helped me to get what was the idea behind it.

Cheers,
Fabien

[Author]

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