Exudyn GUI - Model Builder

A user-friendly graphical interface for the Exudyn multibody dynamics simulation framework. ExudynGUI provides an intuitive way to create, visualize, and simulate complex mechanical systems without writing code.

⚠️ Alpha Version Notice
ExudynGUI is currently in alpha development (v0.4). While functional, the API may change and some features are still being developed.

📦 Installation

Prerequisites

ExudynGUI requires Exudyn to be installed first. Install Exudyn from:

• PyPI: pip install exudyn
• GitHub Repository: https://github.com/jgerstmayr/EXUDYN

Install ExudynGUI

Option 1: Install from PyPI (Recommended)

pip install exudynGUI

Option 2: Install from Source

git clone https://github.com/MichaelUIBK/exudynGUI.git
cd exudynGUI
pip install -e .

Option 3: Development Installation

git clone https://github.com/MichaelUIBK/exudynGUI.git
cd exudynGUI
pip install -e ".[dev]"

Dependencies

Core Dependencies:

• Python 3.8+
• PyQt5 >= 5.15.0
• NumPy >= 1.20.0
• Exudyn (multibody simulation engine)

Optional Dependencies:

• PyMuPDF >= 1.20.0 (PDF documentation support)
• QScintilla >= 2.14.0 (advanced code editor)
• IPython >= 7.0.0 (enhanced console)

🎯 Quick Start

Launch the GUI

# From command line (after installation)
exudynGUI

# Or from Python
python -m exudynGUI

Finding Installation Directory

When installed via pip, ExudynGUI files are located in your Python environment:

# Find the installation path
import exudynGUI
import os
print(f"ExudynGUI installed at: {os.path.dirname(exudynGUI.__file__)}")

Common locations:

• Conda environment: ~/anaconda3/envs/your_env/lib/python3.x/site-packages/exudynGUI/
• System Python: ~/python3.x/site-packages/exudynGUI/
• Virtual environment: your_venv/lib/python3.x/site-packages/exudynGUI/

This directory contains examples, exudyn documentation, STL files, and other resources.

Create Your First Model

1. Start ExudynGUI - Launch the application
2. Add Components - Use the "Create" button to add bodies, joints, and forces
3. Set Properties - Configure mass, stiffness, and other parameters
4. Run Simulation - Click the simulation controls to start
5. Analyze Results - View the 3D animation and export data

📖 Documentation

Built-in Help

• F1 - Open online documentation
• Help Menu - Access online PDF documentation and examples
• Tooltips - Hover over controls for quick information

External Resources

• Exudyn Documentation: https://exudyn.readthedocs.io/

Key Components

• Model Manager: Handles Exudyn model lifecycle
• Object Registry: Tracks and manages simulation objects
• Renderer Interface: 3D visualization and interaction
• Property Editor: Dynamic form generation for object properties
• Script Generator: Exports GUI models to Python code

Get Help

• GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
• Discussions: Community discussions
• Email: michael.pieber@uibk.ac.at

📄 License

ExudynGUI is released under the BSD 3-Clause License. See LICENSE for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Johannes Gerstmayr and the Exudyn team for the excellent simulation framework
• Modern AI development tools for accelerating the development process

📈 Project Status

Current Version: 0.4.3 (Glockturm) Status: Alpha - Active Development Stability: Experimental - API may change

Roadmap

• [ ] Menu bar
• [ ] Add drag-and-drop or reorder support in the model tree
• [ ] Allow commenting or grouping of tree items
• [ ] Implement a global search bar for components or fields
• [ ] Improve real-time preview/update in Exudyn viewer during parameter edits
• [ ] Plugin marketplace
• [ ] Add predefined examples to load and try out different models
• [ ] exuPilot, a future AI-assisted features (placeholder)
• [ ] Fem module integration
• [ ] Robotics module integration
• [ ] And much more...

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