Learning Forum

[awbrandt]

When attempting to update all design points in Ansys Workbench (2025 R1) from the Project tab, I get the following error below. I can reproduce the error when using Update All Design Points in the Parameter Set tab. How do I fix this so I can use the Update All Design Points feature? The Retain results box is checked on all design points. This is an academic license and the error persists even when opening Workbench as an admin (Windows 11 system). 

Error message: 

System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: path2
   at System.IO.Path.Combine(String path1, String path2)
   at Ansys.Simulation.Core.Addin.GetGlobalFilesToRetain(IQueryContext context, String designPointDirectoryName, IEnumerable1 forContainers)
   at Ansys.Core.FileManagement.FileManager.GetGlobalFilesToRetain(IQueryContext context, String dpDirName, IEnumerable1 forContainers)
   at Ansys.ParameterManager.Commands.RetainedFilesCalculator.GetFilesForValidData(IEnumerable1 validRetainedData, List1& confirmedValidRetainedData)
   at Ansys.ParameterManager.Commands.SwitchDesignPointHelper.IdentifyRetainedDataAndUpdateHasRetainedDataProperty(IFullContext context, DataReference dp, IEnumerable1 retainedContainersToIgnore, Set1& retainedContainers, Set1& retainedFiles)
   at Ansys.ParameterManager.Commands.SwitchDesignPointHelper.Switch(IFullContext context, DataReference toDP, Boolean isChangingBaseDP, Boolean keepFilesForNonRetainedFromDp, Boolean retainPartialDataForNonRetainedFromDp, IEnumerable1 additionalContainersToRetainForNonRetainedFromDp, Priming priming, IEnumerable1 retainedContainersToIgnoreForToDp, IEnumerable1 containersNotAffectedByParameter, Boolean calculateContainersNotAffectedByParameter, Boolean isPartOfPartialUpdate)
   at Ansys.ParameterManager.Commands.SetActiveDesignPointWithSkippedFilesCommand.Execute(IFullContext context)
   at Ansys.Core.Commands.Concurrency.CommandWorkUnit.executeInContext(CommandContext subContext, IExecutionEngineCallback tracer)
   at Ansys.Core.Commands.Concurrency.BaseWorkUnit.doExecute(IExecutionEngineCallback executionEngine, CommandContext subContext)
   at Ansys.Core.Commands.Concurrency.BaseWorkUnit.Execute(IExecutionEngineCallback executionEngine, Boolean dontCatchExceptions)
--- Ansys.Core.Commands.CommandFailedException: Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: path2
CommandName: Parameters.SetActiveDesignPointWithSkippedFiles(DesignPoint="/Parameters/DesignPoint:9", Priming="UseBaseIfNeeded", AdditionalContainersToRetainForOldActiveDesignPoint=["Geometry 2", "Model 2", "Model 3"], ContainersNotAffectedByParameter=["Engineering Data 2", "Engineering Data 4"])
   at Ansys.Core.Commands.CommandAsyncResult.RethrowFailureException(Exception e)
   at Ansys.Core.Commands.CommandAsyncResult.Wait(Int32 milliSecondsTimeout, Boolean exitContext)
   at Ansys.ParameterManager.Commands.SetActiveDesignPointWithSkippedFilesCommand.InvokeAndWait(IProtectedContext context, DataReference DesignPoint, Priming Priming, Boolean DeleteFilesForOldActiveDesignPoint, Boolean RetainPartialFilesForOldActiveDesignPoint, IEnumerable1 AdditionalContainersToRetainForOldActiveDesignPoint, IEnumerable1 RetainedContainersToIgnoreForNewActiveDesignPoint, IEnumerable`1 ContainersNotAffectedByParameter, Boolean IsPartOfPartialUpdate)
   at Ansys.ProjectSchematic.Update.UpdateImpl.switchDesignPoint(DataReference toDesignPoint, Boolean toUpdateIt, Boolean allUpdatedInFromDP)
   at Ansys.ProjectSchematic.Update.UpdateImpl.d__73.MoveNext()
   at Ansys.ProjectSchematic.Commands.UpdateAllDesignPointsCommand.d__9.MoveNext()
   at Ansys.Core.Commands.Concurrency.SuspendableCommandWorkUnit.executeInContext(CommandContext subContext, IExecutionEngineCallback tracer)
   at Ansys.Core.Commands.Concurrency.BaseWorkUnit.doExecute(IExecutionEngineCallback executionEngine, CommandContext subContext)
   at Ansys.Core.Commands.Concurrency.BaseWorkUnit.Execute(IExecutionEngineCallback executionEngine, Boolean dontCatchExceptions)
--- Ansys.Core.Commands.CommandFailedException: Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: path2
CommandName: UpdateAllDesignPoints(DesignPoints=["/Parameters/DesignPoint:8", "/Parameters/DesignPoint:9", "/Parameters/DesignPoint:10", "/Parameters/DesignPoint:11", "/Parameters/DesignPoint:12", "/Parameters/DesignPoint:13"])
   at Ansys.Core.Commands.CommandAsyncResult.RethrowFailureException(Exception e)
   at Ansys.Core.Commands.CommandAsyncResult.WaitForSuspendOrComplete(Int32 milliSecondsTimeout, Boolean exitContext)
   at Ansys.Core.Commands.Core.OutputArgBase.WaitForSuspendOrComplete(ISuspendResumeCommands suspendResumeHandler, Int32 milliSecondsTimeout, Boolean exitContext)
   at Ansys.ProjectSchematic.GuiOperations.AbstractUpdateProjectDesignPointsGui.Invoke(IUserInteractor interactor)
   at Ansys.UI.GuiOperationContext.Invoke(GuiOperationMetaData operationData)
   at Ansys.UI.UIManager.InvokeOperationCore(String pseudoname, OperationDelegate callback, Boolean allowOSMessages, Boolean coreTransaction, Boolean deferredRefreshOnly)

[Gary_S]

Q: Parameter name: path2
Is this one of your Parameters?

======================

Can you run Winver.exe and tell us the exact update version of Windows 11? It might be 23H2 or 24H2 or 25H2.

[awbrandt]

path2 is not one of my parameters in my design points table (nor something that I made). The Windows version is 23H2.

[Gary_S]

Can you confirm you are solving on a local drive with sufficient disk space? (not a OneDrive or network share).

Unrelated to your issue: If you update to Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2 please use Ansys 2025R1+SP2 or greater or 2025R2. This is due to a Jscript incompatibility starting in Windows 11 24H2.

[awbrandt]

Yes, I am solving on a local drive with sufficient space - about 500 GB of the drive is unused.

[Gary_S]

Save a backup copy of the project. 

Are you able to solve DPs individually?

[awbrandt]

I cannot update DP individually on the original project file. When I archive the project then re-import the archive to a new project, I do not get the same error. 

[mrife]

Hi 

Looking at the start of the error listing:

System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: path2
   at System.IO.Path.Combine(String path1, String path2)

This looks like a Python OS 'path joining' operation but "path2" does not exist.  My guess is that "path2" is supposed to be a file name
with extension.  Maybe in WB select View -> Files and see if any project files are shown in red meaning that they are referenced but missing
in the WB Project.

 

[awbrandt]

No project files are missing or highlighted in red.

[Gary_S]

 

It seems the project structure is corrupt.
The analysis blocks are likely OK however. We should be able to recover. 

Can you tell us what your schematic consists of? Static Structural or ? 

 

[awbrandt]

Steady state thermal and static structural. The geometry is shared from steady state thermal to structural, and so is the solution from steady state thermal to the setup of the static structural.

[Gary_S]

General steps to migrate to a fresh project: 

Open Mechanical
File > Export > .mechdat
Create a new Project.
Drag/drop the .mechdat onto the new Project whitespace.
Save the new Project. 
You will have to expose the "P" Parameters you need from within the new Mechaical.
Tip: If you expose the Parameters in the same order as the old Project, you can more easily copy/paste the Parameters set input values from the old Project to the new one. 
Let us know how it goes.  

 

[awbrandt]

Will links to APDL commands be retained when copying this way? The meshing methods? Which parameters will have their references broken? I have about 20 parameters, ranging from the engineering data to the geometry and loading conditions. 

[Gary_S]

All data and settings will be retained except the "P" parameter checkboxes.