Making structural simulation with OpenSees and OpenSeesPy effortless and straightforward

Welcome to the documentation for opstool, a thoughtfully crafted preprocessing and postprocessing package designed for OpenSeesPy. This tool simplifies the creation, analysis, and visualization of structural models and results, greatly enhancing both the efficiency and user experience of OpenSeesPy.

Get Started

OpenSees

OpenSeesPy

Portwood Digital

Preprocessing Capabilities

  • Fiber Section Meshing and Property Calculation Using sectionproperties

  • Easily translate Tcl-based OpenSees models into Python scripts

  • Unified Unit Conversion System

  • Integration with Gmsh Meshing

  • Features in Development

Elegant Visualization

  • Powered by PyVista and Plotly

  • Supporting most commonly used OpenSees element types

  • Nearly identical APIs are tailored for both engines

Data Processing

Analysis results are saved and processed using xarray, enabling easy retrieval and interpretation of analysis outcomes.

Analysis Assistance

  • Smart Analysis, features include automatic step size division, algorithm switching, and other advanced functionalities

  • Moment-Curvature Analysis of Sections

  • Linar Buckling Analysis

Citing OPSTOOL

OPSTOOL was published in

OPSTOOL Publication

Yexiang Yan and Yazhou Xie. “opstool: A Python library for OpenSeesPy analysis automation, streamlined pre-and post-processing, and enhanced data visualization.” SoftwareX 30 (2025): 102126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.softx.2025.102126.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711025000937

If you used OPSTOOL in your scientific publication, we would very appreciated if you include the adequate citation:

Bibtex entry:

@article{YAN2025102126,
  title = {opstool: A Python library for OpenSeesPy analysis automation, streamlined pre- and post-processing, and enhanced data visualization},
  author = {Yexiang Yan and Yazhou Xie},
  journal = {SoftwareX},
  volume = {30},
  pages = {102126},
  year = {2025},
  issn = {2352-7110},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.softx.2025.102126},
  }

Why Choose opstool?

  • Efficiency: Streamlines complex workflows, reducing time spent on repetitive tasks.

  • Flexibility: Provides nearly identical interfaces for different visualization engines.

  • Accessibility: Makes advanced structural analysis tools like OpenSeesPy more approachable to users of all levels.

opstool is actively evolving, with continuous additions of new features planned for the future. With opstool, you can focus on what matters most: understanding and solving your structural engineering challenges. Whether you are building models, visualizing results, or interpreting data, opstool is your go-to solution for OpenSeesPy workflows.

Contents

Quick Start

User Guide

Examples

API Reference