Is there a particular order that the elements of the net file need to be in?

Miguel Gomez

I am trying to programmatically create a net file for propagation/networking simulations, but I am unable to get the files to work with the WinPropCLI. I can execute a project built with the GUI in windows and then modify the files to have Linux paths for the antennas, databases, etc., and that runs. 

If possible, are there any more examples of setting up projects for use with the WinPropCLI in Linux? or more documentation on how to set up these net, nup files from scratch?

Any help someone could provide would be most appreciated. 

reinerh

Please use the order as given in the example projects or the ones created from your side using the WinProp GUI, there is in principle always the same order used.

The modified flags for the propagation results (first 'y/n' for RunPRO, second 'y/n' for RunMS) indicate if the parameters have been changed after the results have been computed i.e. to invalidate the results in the result tree of ProMan GUI.
You can set both to 'y' when creating the project for running it using WinPropCLI. In ProMan GUI these are set to 'n' after the corresponding result has been computed.

***** Antenna modified since last path loss computation ***********************
ANTENNA 1 MODIFIED y y

reinerh

Hi Miguel,

we do not recommend to create the WinProp project files (.net plus depending on the scenario rural/urban/indoor .nrp/.nup/.****) from scratch. Besides the correct order of the keywords also some required parameters need to be set.

Better define the projects using the WinProp GUI for all the cases you need and then run the corresponding projects using the WinPropCLI under Linux. Then you can try to modify those projects (the defined parameters without adding further keywords) as needed from your side using some scripts or programs.

Hopefully this will help you further!

Best regards,

Reiner

Miguel Gomez

Thank you for your reply, Reiner.

I do not believe that is an acceptable resolution for this. It would require someone to set up every possible scenario with our equipment, which is unreasonable. 5+ antennas, 140 possible bands between them in 25MHz increments, and ~25 sites. 

 

If I had just five sites, each with a choice of four antennas and four frequencies to select, I would have far too many to do manually. 

As for the second thing :

>  Then you can try to modify those projects (the defined parameters without adding further keywords) as needed from your side using some scripts or programs.

Do you mean to say I could make a single project that I then reference without adding more to the files? Also, since the net files seem to have different keywords, if I needed one setup for propagation only and another for performing network analysis, would that be two separate projects in my directory?

 

As for this statement:

> "Better define the projects using the WinProp GUI for all the cases you need and then run the corresponding projects using the WinPropCLI under Linux."

What is the point of offering a CLI on Linux?

Recall, that I cannot use the WinProp GUI in Linux, and from your statements, it seems that I must start my project on Windows, and then run in Linux?

How exactly is this supposed to be useful if I have to not be on Linux to even set up the project?

 

 

I understand that you do not recommend building up a project like this. Your comments imply that I should still be able to, even if not recommended. I believe it would be best to have a method of building up these .net/.nrp/.nup/.**** files outside of the GUI so that I can more effectively do the work I am trying to set up. I have already gotten pretty close to having something working; however, there are some issues during the execution that I cannot pin down. If at all possible, providing me with a priority list or some form of ordering for the parameters for the .net/.nrp/.nup/.**** files would most likely solve my issues.

reinerh

Hi Miguel,

I agree if the keywords will be arranged in the correct order in the .net and .nup files it will work, but there is no documentation on that order and therefore we are not generally recommending this approach.

The WinPropCLI.exe is available both under Windows and Linux. This command line executable is used to run already defined WinProp projects.

If you cannot use the WinProp GUI version to set-up a corresponding project (e.g. using 1 site and a few possible frequency bands) from which you can then extend the .net file to more sites and frequency bands, the alternative would be to start from the given example projects which are also included in the installation e.g. under C:\Program Files\Altair\2023\help\winprop\examples\ExampleGuide_models

Then you can check the correct order of the keywords in that example projects.

Hopefully this will help you further!

Best regards,

Reiner

Miguel Gomez

That is the approach I have taken so far.

I have made a few projects in the GUI, gone through the examples, and I am extending those. If at all possible, perhaps putting together some documentation on the order of the keywords for prop, network, rural, urban, and indoor would be a good addition to the current help files. 

I have noticed that the files are updated after running a successful simulation.

example from .net file is that the Paths are updated, ANTENNA N MODIFIED y/n y/n updates as well, and various others. I doubt it would be a difficult task to see the order in which these are written to the file and create some documentation for them.

Just having that available would be a tremendous help for me, but I am sure it would be for others who have maybe wondered how these are put together. 

 

 

reinerh

Please use the order as given in the example projects or the ones created from your side using the WinProp GUI, there is in principle always the same order used.

The modified flags for the propagation results (first 'y/n' for RunPRO, second 'y/n' for RunMS) indicate if the parameters have been changed after the results have been computed i.e. to invalidate the results in the result tree of ProMan GUI.
You can set both to 'y' when creating the project for running it using WinPropCLI. In ProMan GUI these are set to 'n' after the corresponding result has been computed.

***** Antenna modified since last path loss computation ***********************
ANTENNA 1 MODIFIED y y

Miguel Gomez

Alright. Sounds good to me. I will take the order found in the example project files as the order I should use and reach out if I come across any more roadblocks.

 

Much appreciated, Reiner.