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Installation

This guide covers the installation of B3P (Blade Preprocessor) and its dependencies. B3P is tested on Ubuntu 24.04 and Windows WSL2 (do not use WSL1). A Python environment (version 3.8 or higher) is required.

Prerequisites

Before installing B3P, ensure the following are installed:

  • Python 3.8+: Install via your package manager (e.g., apt install python3 on Ubuntu) or from python.org.
  • pip: Python package manager, typically included with Python.
  • Git: For cloning the repository (e.g., apt install git on Ubuntu).
  • Conda (optional): For managing dependencies like ANBA4 (install Miniconda or Anaconda from conda.io).
  • CalculiX (optional): Required for 3D FEA (install via apt install calculix-ccx on Ubuntu or follow CalculiX instructions).

Installation Options

B3P can be installed either from PyPI or from source.

Option 1: Install from PyPI

The simplest way to install B3P is using pip:

pip install b3p

This installs B3P and its core dependencies (e.g., pyvista, numpy, pandas).

Option 2: Install from Source

To install from source (e.g., for development or access to the latest features):

  1. Clone the repository: 

    git clone https://github.com/wr1/b3p.git
cd b3p

  2. Install B3P in editable mode: 

    pip install -e .

  3. (Optional) Install development dependencies: 

    pip install -e ".[dev]"

Additional Dependencies

For specific analyses, additional tools may be required:

  • ANBA4: For 2D sectional analysis, install ANBA4 in a Conda environment (e.g., anba4-env). Follow ANBA4's installation instructions or use the default_install.sh script in the B3P repository.
  • CCBlade: For aerodynamic analysis, included with B3P but requires airfoil polar data.

If using the default_install.sh script:

cd b3p
bash default_install.sh

This script sets up ANBA4, CalculiX, and other dependencies in a Conda environment.

Verification

Verify the installation by checking the B3P version:

b3p --version

Run the test suite to ensure functionality:

pytest

Troubleshooting

  • pip errors: Ensure pip is up-to-date (pip install --upgrade pip).
  • Conda issues: Verify Conda is activated (conda activate anba4-env) and the environment includes ANBA4.
  • CalculiX not found: Confirm ccx is in your PATH (which ccx) or specify the executable path with --ccxexe.
  • Permission errors: Use sudo for system-wide installations or a virtual environment.

For further assistance, check the GitHub issues page.