Importing XML / text as geometry

Grasshopper
,
1

The structural analysis program Dr. Frame 2D exports the model geometry as an “.XML” which reads as a .txt in windows explorer. I want to use GH/Pancake to read the XML and generate the geometry from Dr. Frame.

Here’s the output…

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<DrFrameGeometry1a>
	<Units>
	<LengthUnit>ft</LengthUnit>
	</Units>
	<JointList>
		<Joint>
			<xyzLoc>12 24</xyzLoc>
			<ID>1</ID>
		</Joint>
		<Joint>
			<xyzLoc>0 12</xyzLoc>
			<ID>2</ID>
		</Joint>
		<Joint>
			<xyzLoc>12 12</xyzLoc>
			<ID>3</ID>
		</Joint>
		<Joint>
			<xyzLoc>12 0</xyzLoc>
			<ID>4</ID>
		</Joint>
		<Joint>
			<xyzLoc>0 0</xyzLoc>
			<ID>5</ID>
		</Joint>
	</JointList>
	<MemberList>
		<Member>
			<EndJoints>3 1</EndJoints>
			<EndFixity>fixed-fixed</EndFixity>
		</Member>
		<Member>
			<EndJoints>2 1</EndJoints>
			<EndFixity>fixed-fixed</EndFixity>
		</Member>
		<Member>
			<EndJoints>5 3</EndJoints>
			<EndFixity>fixed-fixed</EndFixity>
		</Member>
		<Member>
			<EndJoints>4 3</EndJoints>
			<EndFixity>fixed-fixed</EndFixity>
		</Member>
		<Member>
			<EndJoints>2 3</EndJoints>
			<EndFixity>fixed-fixed</EndFixity>
		</Member>
		<Member>
			<EndJoints>5 2</EndJoints>
			<EndFixity>fixed-fixed</EndFixity>
		</Member>
	</MemberList>
	<SupportList>
		<Support>
			<atJoint>4</atJoint>
			<Fixity>pinned</Fixity>
		</Support>
		<Support>
			<atJoint>5</atJoint>
			<Fixity>pinned</Fixity>
		</Support>
	</SupportList>
</DrFrameGeometry1a>

Is this possible? I consulted the pancake documentation but there is not a lot of information about XML import specifically. Does anybody have an idea as to the extent of additional scripting required to realize this import scheme?

Thanks

2

Do you have a picture what kind of structure this xml represents?

It’s completely possible to read in the xml and parse the information into geometry. But there seems to be very limited amount of data in the file.

3

image
image828×578 32.6 KB

the text file I posted is the export from this model

4

Hi @ct.rhino ,
Here is a python component which reads the previously shown .xml file.
Current limitation: your Rhino units must be the same as the units in the .xml file. But this can also be fixed.
I tested it on Rhino 6.

image
image823×311 41.7 KB

Dr_Frame_xml_reader.gh (11.4 KB)
Dr_Frame_truss.xml (1.2 KB)

3 Likes
5

some notes: Pancake can import XML data associations but it’s leaving you to parse the imported data.

1 Like
6

pancake_xml.gh (16.1 KB)

image
image2427×934 339 KB

2 Likes
7

What would need to be changed so this runs in the new editor with Python 3?

image
image1175×1646 74.5 KB

Dr_Frame_xml_reader_8.gh (13.7 KB)

8

getchildren is deprecated in 3.9. You may use iteration.

1 Like