Question

A simulation program I’m using requires a text based input file. I need to run the simulation in different configurations by changing the values in the text file. I am looking for a way to do this automatically with any script that does not require third party compilers. It has to run natively on a Windows XP machine. I only have a little bit of coding experience in MATLAB and FORTRAN.

I will describe my idea of what the script should do in some pseudo-code:

% speed.txt - a txt file with 10 different speed values
% coeff.txt - a txt file with 10 different coefficients
% dist.txt - a txt file with 5 different distance values
% input.txt - the txt file containing the input parameters. This file has to be changed.
% output.txt- the output of the simulation
% sp - the i-th speed value
% co - the i-th coeff value
% di - the j-th distance value
% D:\FO - Final Output folder

Read input.txt
for i = 1:10
    Display i on screen   % so I know how much of the batch is done
    Go to line 37, overwrite 1st four characters with i-th value from speed.txt
    Go to line 68, overwrite 1st eight characters with i-th value from coeff.txt
    for j = 1:5
         Display j on screen   % so I know how much of the batch is done
         Go to line 67, overwrite 1st five characters with j-th value from dist.txt
         Run simulation.exe
         When simulation is done, get output.txt, rename it to "output_sp_co_di.txt"
         and move the file to D:\FO
    end
end

I hope that this is possible with a .bat or .vbs script (or anything else that will run natively). All help is greatly appreciated.

---

EDIT: after some advice I started a vbs script. I have never used that language before but pulled the thing here under together from scraps on the internet:

Option Explicit

Dim objFSO, strTextFile, strData, strLine, arrLines
Dim filesys, filetxt, path
Dim speed(10), ct(10), dist(4), text(73), d(4)
Dim i, j, k
i = 0
j = 0
k = 0

speed(0) = 3.0
speed(1) = 5.0
speed(2) = 7.0
speed(3) = 9.0
speed(4) = 11.0
speed(5) = 13.0
speed(6) = 15.0
speed(7) = 17.0
speed(8) = 19.0
speed(9)= 21.0
speed(10)= 22.0

ct(0) = 0.987433
ct(1) = 0.816257
ct(2) = 0.816361
ct(3) = 0.720357
ct(4) = 0.418192
ct(5) = 0.239146
ct(6) = 0.154534
ct(7) = 0.107608
ct(8) = 0.079057
ct(9)= 0.060437
ct(10)= 0.053465

dist(0) = 173.48
dist(1) = 260.22
dist(2) = 346.96
dist(3) = 433.7
dist(4) = 520.44

d(0) = 2
d(1) = 3
d(2) = 4
d(3) = 5
d(4) = 6


CONST ForReading = 1

'name of the text file
strTextFile = "TurbSim.inp"

'Create a File System Object
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")


'Open the text file - strData now contains the whole file
strData = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strTextFile,ForReading).ReadAll

'Split the text file into lines
arrLines = Split(strData,vbCrLf)

'Step through the lines
For Each strLine in arrLines
    text(i) = strLine
    i = i + 1
Next

'Open text file to write to
path = objFSO.GetAbsolutePathName("D:\Sandbox\TurbSim.inp")

For i = 0 To 10
    If i = 0 Then
        text(37) = Replace(text(37),"UUUU",speed(i))
        text(68) = Replace(text(68),"CCCCCCCC",ct(i))
    Else
        text(37) = Replace(text(37),speed(i-1),speed(i))
        text(68) = Replace(text(68),ct(i-1),ct(i))
    End If
    For j = 0 To 4
        If j = 0 Then
            text(67) = Replace(text(67),"DDDDD",dist(j))
        Else
            text(67) = Replace(text(67),dist(j-1),dist(j))
        End If

        Set filetxt = objFSO.opentextfile("D:\Sandbox\TurbSim.inp", 2, True)
        For k = 0 To 73
            if k = 73 Then
                filetxt.write text(k)
            Else
                filetxt.write text(k) & vbCr & vbLf
            End If
            objFSO.CopyFile "D:\Sandbox\TurbSim.inp", _
            "D:\Sandbox\input\TurbSim_" & speed(i) & "_" & d(j) &"D.inp"
        Next
        filetxt.close
    Next
Next    


' wscript.echo text(37)
' wscript.echo text(68)
' wscript.echo text(67)

filetxt.Close
'Cleanup
' Set filesys = Nothing
Set objFSO = Nothing

Problem is now that the distance part (the j-loop) is not working properly. From the output generated (TurbSim_speed_dD.inp) I see that only the last distance (520.44) is used. I don’t really understand why, I’ll look into that later. If anyone has a suggestion for improvement, then you’re ideas are always welcome.

Answer 1

I have managed to pull together a .vbs script from various internet references that does what I want. The script does the following:

1. Reads in original input file
2. Stores the data line by line in the text array
3. Reads in speed, coefficient and distance data from text file
4. Stores this data in separate speed, coefficient and distance arrays line by line.
5. Takes first entry of speed and coeff. array and writes it at appropriate places in the
   text array
6. Loops through distance array and writes the text array line by line back to an .inp file
7. Runs the simulation with the edited input file
8. Waits until simulation is terminated.
9. Copy output files from current directory to output folder, renaming them in the process.
10. Wait 10 seconds to make sure copying is finished
    10.Repeat steps 6-10 with all other entries of speed and coeff. array

Requirements for this script to work:

A. An input folder with an .inp file that has “UUUU”, “DDDDD”, “CCCCCCCC” written at places where respectively the velocity, distance and coefficient should be written.

B. An output folder

C. The files speed.txt, ct.txt and distance.txt containing the speed, coefficient and distance values to be used.

D. You should run this script from an admin account. Otherwise you don’t have the permission to check if the simulation is still running with the “Win32_process”.

    Option Explicit

Dim objFSO, strTextFile, strTData, strLine, arrTLines
Dim strVelFile, strCtFile, strDistFile
Dim strVData, strCData, strDData
Dim arrVLines, arrCLines, arrDLines
Dim strLineV, strLineC, strLineD
Dim strComputer, oWMI, colEvents, oEvent
Dim filesys, filetxt, path, curPath
Dim speed(), ct(), dist(), text(73)
Dim oShell
Dim i, j, k
i = 0
j = 0
k = 0

' Subroutine to start an executable
Sub Run(ByVal sFile)
Dim shell

    Set shell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
    shell.Run Chr(34) & sFile & Chr(34), 1, false
    Set shell = Nothing
End Sub

CONST ForReading = 1

' Create a File System Object
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

' Create Shell object. Needed to change directories
Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

'Change current directory to \input folder
oShell.CurrentDirectory = ".\input"

' The name of the original input file 
' with the UUUU, DDDDD, CCCCCCC in the correct places
strTextFile = "TurbSim.inp"

' Open the text file and read it all into strTData
strTData = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strTextFile,ForReading).ReadAll

' Go back to parent folder as there all the other .txt files reside
Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.CurrentDirectory = ".\.."

' name of other input text files
strVelFile = "speed.txt"
strCtFile = "ct.txt"
strDistFile = "dist.txt"

' Open the text file - str*Data now contains the whole file
strVData = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strVelFile,ForReading).ReadAll
strCData = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strCtFile,ForReading).ReadAll
strDData = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strDistFile,ForReading).ReadAll

' Split the text files into lines
arrTLines = Split(strTData,vbCrLf)
arrVLines = Split(strVData,vbCrLf)
arrCLines = Split(strCData,vbCrLf)
arrDLines = Split(strDData,vbCrLf)

' Give the speed, ct and dist arrays their dimension
ReDim speed(UBound(arrVLines))
ReDim ct(UBound(arrCLines))
ReDim dist(UBound(arrDLines))

' Add data to arrays text, speed, ct and dist line by line
For Each strLine in arrTLines
    text(i) = strLine
    i = i + 1
Next

'Reset counter
i = 0

' Step through the lines speed
For Each strLineV in arrVLines
    speed(i) = strLineV
    i = i + 1
Next
i = 0
' Step through the lines ct
For Each strLineC in arrCLines
    ct(i) = strLineC
    i = i + 1
Next
i = 0
' Step through the lines dist
For Each strLineD in arrDLines
    dist(i) = strLineD
    i = i + 1
Next
i = 0

' Get the current path. Needed to point to the executable.
curPath = objFSO.GetAbsolutePathName(".")

For i = 0 To UBound(speed)
    If i = 0 Then 
        ' Replace the UUUU and CCCCCCCC values
        ' Only the first run.       
        text(37) = Replace(text(37),"UUUU",speed(i))
        text(68) = Replace(text(68),"CCCCCCCC",ct(i))
    Else ' Replace the previous speed and coeff. values with the current one
        text(37) = Replace(text(37),speed(i-1),speed(i))
        text(68) = Replace(text(68),ct(i-1),ct(i))
    End If
    For j = 0 To UBound(dist)
        If j = 0 And i = 0 Then 
            ' Replace the DDDDD value (only at first run)
            text(67) = Replace(text(67),"DDDDD",dist(j))
        ElseIf j = 0 And i > 0 Then 
            ' Replace the distance value of the previous speed/coeff. case
            ' with the current one
            text(67) = Replace(text(67), dist(UBound(dist)), dist(j))
        Else    ' Replace the previous distance value with the current one
            text(67) = Replace(text(67),dist(j-1),dist(j))
        End If
        Set filetxt = objFSO.opentextfile(curPath & "\TurbSim.inp", 2, True)
        For k = 0 To 73 ' Write to an .inp file line by line
            if k = 73 Then ' Prevent adding a new line at the end
                filetxt.write text(k)
            Else
                filetxt.write text(k) & vbCr & vbLf
            End If
        Next
        filetxt.close
        ' Execute the simulation
        Run curPath &"\TurbSimGW.exe"

        strComputer = "."
        Set oWMI = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")

        '# Create an event query to be notified within 3 seconds when TurbSimGW is closed
        Set colEvents = oWMI.ExecNotificationQuery _
            ("SELECT * FROM __InstanceDeletionEvent WITHIN 3 " _
             & "WHERE TargetInstance ISA 'Win32_Process' " _
             & "AND TargetInstance.Name = 'TurbSimGW.exe'")

        '# Wait until TurbSimGW is closed
        Set oEvent = colEvents.NextEvent

        ' Copy and rename output files
        objFSO.CopyFile curPath & "\TurbSim.wnd", _
        curPath & "\output\TurbSim_" & speed(i) & "_" & j+2 &"D.wnd"
        wscript.sleep 10000  ' time to allow copying the files
    Next
Next    


'' ' wscript.echo text(37)
'' ' wscript.echo text(68)
'' ' wscript.echo text(67)

filetxt.Close
' Cleanup
' Set filesys = Nothing
Set objFSO = Nothing

Now it works flawlessly. However A solution to requirement D would be nice. My work-around is instead of checking if the program is terminated I just set a sleep value. For this value of sleep I know for sure the simulation is done and the output files are ready to copy.