Overview of Optimization Technique Plug-ins

Isight provides two ways to implement an Optimization Technique plug-in. In both cases a Java class must be provided to allow Isight to call the plug-in to obtain information and to perform the specific functions for that plug-in.

The Optimization plug-in Java interface can be implemented directly to create such a Java wrapper, which will provide the necessary communication between Isight and the algorithm. Because of the nature of Isight simulation process flows, it must be possible that the algorithm code be re-entered multiple times within an Isight job execution; the data management can be challenging, requiring significant modifications to the algorithm code.

While the java wrapper approach provides the most computationally efficient plug-in implementation, Isight provides a simpler way (see External Executable Plug-ins) to integrate your optimization algorithm using files to communicate with an external executable program (the algorithm code). Using the external executable program is advisable when your optimization algorithm is written in a non-Java language and can be implemented as a standalone executable program.

If you prefer to implement the Java interface directly to create the wrapper, you can start with the provided Java wrapper template and contact SIMULIA customer support for any additional help. Development of the Optimization Technique plug-in using the external executable approach is documented in this section.