Python

http://code.enthought.com/enthon/

We recommend the use of Enthought Python. This version of Python has some of the packages for FiPy already included. Download and install the latest version.

PySparse

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=101403

Download and install the latest version of PySparse for Windows (pysparse-x.y.z.win32-py2.X.exe). Be sure to select the version compiled with the correct version of Python to match the Enthought Python installation.

FiPy

http://www.ctcms.nist.gov/fipy/download/

Download and unpack the zip file (FiPy-x.y.win32.zip). Run the FiPy installer FiPy-x.y.win32.exe, which is in the base FiPy-x.y directory.

Gmsh

http://www.geuz.org/gmsh

If you wish to run examples that have unstructured meshes, it is necessary to install Gmsh. Download and unpack the latest version of Gmsh for Windows. Open the unpacked folder with a browser and copy the gmsh.exe file to C:\Python2X.

PyVTK

http://www.ctcms.nist.gov/fipy/download/

If you wish to use MayaVi, PyVTK is a requirement. Download and install the latest version from the FiPy downloads page (PyVTK-x.y.z.win32.exe).

MayaVi

MayaVi comes with Enthought Python, so no installation steps need to be taken.

Interactive Viewing

Ipython works well with Matplotlib, but does not seem to display the Mayavi viewer correctly. IDLE has problems with interactive viewing, but this can be remedied by the following:

• Click on Start
• Click on Programs
• Click on Python 2.X (Enthought Edition)
• Right click on IDLE (Python GUI) and click on Create Shortcut which creates IDLE (Python GUI)(2)
• Right click on IDLE (Python GUI)(2)
• Click on properties
• Add the -n option to Target being sure to leave a space after the last quote and before -n
• Drag and drop IDLE (Python GUI)(2) to the desktop to create an icon.

Testing

If you have a working copy of the source, not an installed version of FiPy , you can run the tests using Ipython from the base FiPy directory, by typing

>>> run setup.py test

in the Ipython shell. There does not seem to be a good way to run the tests using IDLE.

Running Examples

Running the FiPy examples can be problematic in Ipython as there seems to be a bug with the execution of the doctest environment. One way to overcome this is to extract the example doctests to regular script files using:

>>> run setup.py copy_script --From=path/to/doctest/script.py --To=script.py``

and then execute using:

>>> run script.py

You can edit python files with the edit command:

>>> edit script.py

Yoou can also use IDLE to run the examples. You can use the IDLE file browser to open the examples and run the module.

• Click on File
• Click on Open
• Open C:\Path\To\Base\FiPy\directory\examples\diffusion\steadyState\mesh50x50\input.py

This will open an editor, press the F5 key to run the example. A matplotlib viewer should appear with rainbow stripes.

Another way to use FiPy examples is to import the example file and then run any functionality it may have. For example at the IDLE command line run the following code:

>>> import sys
>>> sys.path.append('C://Path//To//Base//FiPy//Directory')
>>> from examples.levelSet.electroChem.inputGold import runGold
>>> runGold(numberOfSteps = 100)

If you have installed the optional packages, a MayaVi viewer should appear with a trench filling simulation.