Automation/Macros/Templates/Batch/MATLAB
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• Programming in VBA / Matlab / etc offers a wide area of possibilites, which can„t be completely explored in short time. It typically needs more time and energy as expected, until everything works.
• Before starting
• Please check carefully, which alternative solutions exist. Please discuss this with a VBA expert in CST„s support team, to find the easiest out of many possible approaches.
• learn with existing small examples to gain experience. It is typically quicker to change existing running examples, than to start from scratch.
• CST provides VBA-Online help and several other examples within installation and www, but still our main goal is to offer comfortable solutions without the need of additional coding.
(CST Maintenance Fee does not include customized programming)
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Clicking on CST Logo brings you to Content Slide
Why to use VBA-macros automation / external tools?
1.
Automatic construction of models
2.
Specialized-Postprocessing  Check Result templates, existing ResultReader.dll + examples
3.
Use external optimizers (=1.+2.)  check CST internal optimizers
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Customize Start Environment
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Customize the default settings for particular types of applications.
At the beginning:
File -> New...
or later: File -> Select Template...
The template library can be easily extended
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Input some commands you often use for your MWS structures, e.g.:
Frequency range, units, Background-mat + boundaries
Definition of materials (parameters, favorite colours ...)
Working plane settings (especially snapping !)
Monitors at favorite frequencies, ...
Open the history list
Mark the commands, press „Macro“
Give a name to your macro, e.g. „File / My defaults“
Click „Make globally available“, then „OK“
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Source-Files are stored in
<CST-STUDIO-SUITE>\Library\New Project Templates
Each template <NAME> consists of 3 files:
1) <NAME>.tpl
(required)
(contains VBA-commands)
2) <NAME>.bmp
(optional)
(contains displayed picture)
3) <NAME>.txt
(optional)
(contains displayed description)
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<NAME>.bmp
<NAME>.txt

Difference: Structure & Control Macro
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All Construction-Steps need to be stored in History List
Various Options exist
1.
.mcs (structure macro) with BeginHide/EndHide/Assign for dialoguehandling, etc
Examples e.g. in Macros > Construct > Coils or Construct > Online
+ quickest way to bring structure parts to history list
- dialogue handling a bit tricky
2.
.mcr (control macro) with VBA-command AddToHistory
Examples e.g. in Macros > Construct > Wires or Construct > Vias
+ dialogue handling easier than .mcs
- all commands need to be entered into a string first ““““, especially cumbersome for VBA commands with arguments
3.
External bas-file (might even contain subroutines) can be included into history via
Macros > File > Import bas-file into history list
+ most flexible way for complex loops/subroutines
- bas-file is external file, not automatically included in cst-file
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 Modify the structure
 Stored in the history list for parametric model definition
 Name: ... . mcs
 Example: Creation of advanced geometry, e.g. spirals,…
Macros -> Construct -> Coils -> Sectioned Spiral
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 Normally do not modify the structure
 Are not automatically stored in the history list
 If actions should be stored in the history list, all commands need to be entered into a string first ““““ and then submitted to History via AddToHistory
 Name: ... . mcr
 Examples: Postprocessing, Calculation of analytical line impedance, etc.
Macros -> Calculate -> Calculate Analytical Line
Impedance
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Customized Postprocessing within STUDIO
Environment
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Purpose: Customized and automized postprocessing
Many postprocessing options are already available.
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 Store in <installationpath>/Library/Result
Templates/1D/my_template.rtp
 Will be evaluated after each solver run.
 Can perform just an action or return 1D or 0D values.
Performs an action
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 Store in <installationpath>/Library/Result
Templates/0D/my_template.rtp
 Will be evaluated after each solver run.
 Can perform just an action or return 1D or 0D values.
 0D Results can serve as Optimizer Goal
Returns a value
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Customized Postprocessing from External
Programs
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Provides external access to CST results
C:\ProgramFiles\CST-STUDIO-SUITE\ResultReaderDLL
Ready to use Matlab-Scripts, also for accessing 3D-Fielddata and farfields
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1D Results
Nearfields
(only hex-mesh no subgrid)
Farfields
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Usage of external Optimizers
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MS Windows
Scripting
Host e.g. ppt-Reports
COM
DCOM
Excel, Word,
Matlab, AutoCad, etc...
e.g. bidirectional Excel link
CST Software
(MWS, DS)
CST Studios can be both: OLE client and server
OLE: CommunicationStandard for Data Exchange
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Whenever CST geometries shall be modified from external software (e.g. Matlab), we recommend to open an existing cst-file, containing parameters .
Those Parameters can then be modified, as shown below. Afterwards „Rebuild“ updates the history and applies the changes to geometry and other settings.
control program
Bas-file
Matlab
StoreParameter „gap“ „7“ invoke(mws, 'StoreParameter', ‘ gap', value);
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
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"C:\ProgramFiles\CST-STUDIO-SUITE\CST DESIGN ENVIRONMENT.exe" –m C:\Work\Start_CST.bas
The contents of the Start_CST.bas file could look as follows:
Sub Main
OpenFile("C:\work\test1.cst”)
Solver.Start
Save
End Sub
If only a solver should be started, above construction can be shortened via:
"C:\ProgramFiles\CST-STUDIO-SUITE\CST DESIGN ENVIRONMENT.exe" –m –r "C:\work\test1.cst”
-r = T-Solver
-f = F-Solver
-e = E-Solver
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% Start CST Studio (always last installed CST version is used) cst = actxserver('CSTStudio.application') mws = invoke(cst, 'NewMWS')
% Open the MWS model invoke(mws, 'OpenFile', 'C:\CST_Test\tsplitter.cst'); for iii = 1:1:2 % Parameter sweep
% Set value of parameter invoke(mws, 'StoreParameter','offset', iii); invoke(mws, ‚Rebuild„);
% Start solver solver = invoke(mws, 'Solver'); invoke(solver, 'Start'); end
% Take over the result; here, as an example, the amplitude (linear) of S11 result = invoke(mws, 'Result1D', 'a1(1)1(1)'); numOfValue = invoke(result, 'GetN'); % Might be used to initialize the variables invoke(result, 'Save', 'C:\tmp\filename');
A = importdata('C:\tmp\filename', ' ', 4) x(:, iii) = A.data(:, 1); % x-data column y(:, iii) = A.data(:, 2); % y-data column invoke(mws, 'Save'); invoke(mws, 'Quit'); release(result); release(solver); release(mws); release(cst);
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ResultReader.dll can be used in combination
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Integrated Development Environment
GUI Builder
Macro Structure
Templates Structure
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The Integrated Development Environment
Open IDE
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The Integrated Development Environment
Run the macro Debug the macro
Edit macro code here (syntax highlighting)
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The Integrated Development Environment
Macro Debugger:
 Set breakpoints
 Step through the macro
 Watch variables
 etc …
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The Integrated Development Environment
Graphical GUI builder
Source code for the dialog box is automatically created and
Inserted at the caret‘s position
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Global macros: stored in the Global macro path
(
INST_DIR\Library\Macros
)
 Local macros: stored in the same path as the project
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Macro name:
Besides the name the macro name defines if it is a structure or control macro and in which of the CST STUDIO SUITE™ programs it will be available.
Folder where the macro is stored defines the position in the macro hierarchy
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Comments – start with '
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Options:
Option Explicit
– Force declaration of all variables
Option Private Module
– Public variables invisible from outside the project
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Included libraries
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Public variables
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Every macro contains at least the subroutine
„Main“ exept Result Templates!
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Other needed functions and subroutines

Defines all necessary input data
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Dialog built by GUI builder
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Gets default settings/ already stored settings
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Stores Settings in common script
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Mandatory function for a 1D Template
(0D Templates need Evaluate0D As Double)
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There exist different ways to create a macro
 Copy and modify an existing macro
 Go to the history list , select lines and press „Macro“
 Use Macro -> Make VBA Control Macro and start from Scratch
 Let MWS create the macro‘s framework by pressing „Edit“ for
 User defined excitation function
 User defined parameter sweep watch
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VBA commands can be obtained by executing the action via the GUI and checking the history list for the command.
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All existing Macros and Templates are stored in:
With drag and drop they can be opened in the VBA editor.
A macro similar to the current needs can be chosen and modified.
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 Online Help
 All commands are also listed in the Online Help
 Have a look at the pre-loaded macro examples
 Visit a special training class on macroprogramming
 Learning by doing….
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Farfield Plot Sweep
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Selects Farfield for superposition, frequency evt. Needs to be adapted.
Settings for number of antennas, spaceshift, phaseshift. Fixed for the time beeing. (Variable in Template)
Settings for farfield plot
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Sets array settings.
Adds obtained value to 1D object
Adds 1D Object to the tree
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Farfield Plot Sweep: Version as Template with
Dialog
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Example: Farfield Plot Sweep - Result Template
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Example: Farfield Plot Sweep - Result Template
Function Define(sName As String, bCreate As Boolean, bNameChanged As Boolean) As Boolean
Define = True
Begin Dialog UserDialog 400,203 ' %GRID:10,7,1,1
GroupBox 20,14,360,182,"Antenna Array Sweep",.GroupBox1
Text 40,35,90,14,"Direction:",.Text1
Text 160,35,90,14,"X",.Text2,2
Text 40,63,90,14,"Number:",.Text3
TextBox 160,63,90,21,.nant
Text 40,98,90,14,"Spaceshift:",.Text4
Text 40,133,90,14,"Phaseshift:",.Text5
TextBox 160,98,90,21,.spaceshift
TextBox 160,133,90,21,.phaseshift
OKButton 40,168,140,21
CancelButton 210,168,140,21
End Dialog
Dim dlg As UserDialog dlg.nant
= GetScriptSetting("NumberOfAntennas","1") dlg.spaceshift = GetScriptSetting("SpaceShift","0") dlg.phaseshift = GetScriptSetting("PhaseShift","0")
If (Not Dialog(dlg)) Then
User dialog editor
Default values
' The user left the dialog box without pressing Ok.
Define = False
Else
' The user properly left the dialog box by pressing Ok.
Define = True
' Store the script settings into the database for later reuse by either the define function (for modifications)
' or the evaluate function.
StoreScriptSetting("NumberOfAntennas",dlg.nant)
StoreScriptSetting("SpaceShift",dlg.spaceshift)
StoreScriptSetting("PhaseShift",dlg.phaseshift)
Store Settings
End If
End Function
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Needs to be adapted, here fixed
Read previously defined settings
Select plot to be evaluated
Change array settings and update
Evaluate value of interest and add to 1D results
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Example: Farfield Plot Sweep - Result Template
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Example: Farfield Plot Sweep Template
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