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Like most Ansys products, SCADE comes with a comprehensive Python API. It allows you to programmatically use SCADE to automate tasks (e.g. setting up a CI\/CD toolchain for your SCADE models).
\nIn this article, we’ll explore how to set up your favorite Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to write and debug Python code interacting with SCADE.<\/p>\n
To get started, you’ll need access to SCADE developer docs, a working installation of SCADE, a sample Python script to test that all works as intended, and of course, your trusty IDE. Let’s tick these off one by one.<\/p>\n
As a developer, your go-to page for working with SCADE should be developer.ansys.com\/scade<\/a>. On there, you will find key resources such as the SCADE Python API Guide. To interact with SCADE, you need a local installation of the SCADE product.<\/a><\/p>\n It comes with:<\/p>\n Note<\/em>: you may use your own distribution of Python instead of the one provided with SCADE. Should you opt for this, please make sure you extend your Let’s get started with a basic script template that opens a SCADE project and sets it up for use through the API. It will allow you to verify that your IDE setup is correct and functional.<\/p>\n First, we need to load the project itself, represented by a When using your IDE of choice, you’ll need some preamble code to explicitly load a project:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Note:<\/em> SCADE supports running Python scripts directly from its user interface (known as SCADE Studio) or from the command line:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In both cases, the project is automatically loaded by the SCADE executable before the Python script starts. Therefore, there is no need to explicitly load a project and the Next, we’ll import some API modules:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Note<\/em>: SCADE comes with two project APIs:<\/p>\n The documentation advises importing Finally, we can add some basic statements to navigate the model and print some information:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Note<\/em>: The Here is the final script, all put together:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now that we have the basics, let’s look at setting up your IDE. In this article, we’ll look at three popular ones: Visual Studio Code (or VS Code), PyCharm and Visual Studio.<\/p>\n Visual Studio Code (code.visualstudio.com<\/a>) is a free open-source IDE. It is popular because of its customizability through numerous extensions.<\/p>\n Install & launch the IDE, then install the Python extension:<\/p>\n \n A VSCode project, or more precisely a workspace, is a directory. Simply drag and drop a directory containing the above test script onto the IDE window to initialize a Python project. In your project, create a folder called <\/p>\n This tells VSCode to use the Python interpreter embedded with SCADE and enables autocomplete for the SCADE API. Inside folder <\/p>\n This ensures that the SCADE API library is used at runtime. Your VSCode project structure should now look as follows:<\/p>\n \n You may run and\/or debug your Python script. The debug view allows you to peek into the variables and their structure:<\/p>\n \n PyCharm (jetbrains.com\/pycharm<\/a>) is another popular IDE, specific to Python.<\/p>\n Click "File" then "New Project…" to open this dialog:<\/p>\n \n Click "Add Interpreter" to add the Python executable delivered with your installation of SCADE:<\/p>\n \n Complete project creation by clicking "OK", then "Create". Click "File" then "Settings…" to open the settings window. Configure "Project Structure" as follows:<\/p>\n \n Use button "+ Add Content Root" to add the following folders:<\/p>\n This tells PyCharm to use the SCADE API sources for autocompletion services.<\/p>\n You may run and\/or debug your Python script. The debug view allows you to peek into the variables and their structure:<\/p>\n \n Visual Studio (visualstudio.microsoft.com<\/a>) is a popular IDE for .NET and C++ development on Windows. It can support Python development thanks to extensions.<\/p>\n Upon installation of Visual Studio, make sure to tick the Python Workload:<\/p>\n \n Click "File", "New", then "Project" to open the new project dialog. Select "From Existing Python code" then click "Next":<\/p>\n \n Fill in your preferred project name and path, then finalize by clicking "Create". Your Solution Explorer should look like this:<\/p>\n \n By default, the project uses one of your standard installed Python interpreters. We recommend using the Python environment installed with SCADE. To do so, right click "Python Environments", then "View All Python Environments". Click "Add Environment" and fill the pop-up as follows:<\/p>\n \n Click "Add" to apply your changes. The new Python environment should now be selected in your Solution Explorer view. Next, right-click "Search Paths" and select "Add Folder to Search Path…" twice to add the following folders:<\/p>\n This tells Visual Studio to use the SCADE API sources for autocompletion services. Make sure to drop the sample Python script into your project folder. Your Solution Explorer view should now look as follows:<\/p>\n \n You may run and\/or debug your Python script. The debug view allows you to peek into the variables and their structure:<\/p>\n \n Once this small test script works in your IDE of choice, you are ready to go! Remember to refer to the API documentation over at developer.ansys.com\/scade<\/a> as you develop. If you have questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to ask our Ansys expert community<\/a> .<\/p>\n
\nAt the time of this writing, the page points to the guide for version 2023 R2.
\nThe API allows you to:<\/p>\n\n
A local SCADE installation<\/h5>\n
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\/contrib\/Python310<\/code><\/li>\n\/SCADE\/APIs\/Python\/lib<\/code><\/li>\n\/SCADE\/bin<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nPYTHONPATH<\/code> environment variable with the above directories.<\/p>\n
\nA sample starter script<\/h5>\n
.etp<\/code> file on disk.<\/p>\n\n<\/span>##<\/span>\n# identical to scade -script ...<\/span>\nimport<\/span> <\/span>scade_env<\/span>\nscade_env.<\/span>load_project('path\/to\/my\/scade\/project.etp'<\/span>)\n##<\/span>\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n<\/span>scade.exe -script ... []\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\nload_project<\/code> call is simply ignored.<\/p>\n
\n\n<\/span>import<\/span> <\/span>scade.model.project.stdproject<\/span> <\/span>as<\/span> <\/span>project<\/span>\nfrom<\/span> <\/span>scade<\/span> <\/span>import<\/span> output\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n
scade.model.project.natproject<\/code>: pure Python API.<\/li>\nscade.model.project.stdproject<\/code>: SCADE Studio API.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nscade.model.project<\/code> which resolves to one of the above APIs depending on the name of the executable running the script: vcs.exe<\/code> or stdtcl.exe<\/code> on one hand, any other executable like python.exe<\/code> on the other hand.
\nIn our sample script however, importing stdproject<\/code> directly ensures that scripts behave the exact same way, whether they are launched from a SCADE environment or an external Python environment.<\/p>\n
\n\n<\/span>projects =<\/span> project.<\/span>get_roots()\nfor<\/span> p in<\/span> projects:\n assert<\/span> isinstance<\/span>(p, project.<\/span>Project)\n output(p.<\/span>pathname +<\/span> 'n'<\/span>)\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
\nassert<\/code> statement may help your IDE realize that p<\/code> is of type Project<\/code>.<\/p>\n
\n\n<\/span>##<\/span>\n# identical to scade -script ... <\/span>\nimport<\/span> <\/span>scade_env<\/span>\nscade_env.<\/span>load_project('path\/to\/my\/scade\/project.etp'<\/span>)\n##<\/span>\n\nimport<\/span> <\/span>scade.model.project.stdproject<\/span> <\/span>as<\/span> <\/span>project<\/span>\nfrom<\/span> <\/span>scade<\/span> <\/span>import<\/span> output\n\nprojects =<\/span> project.<\/span>get_roots()\nfor<\/span> p in<\/span> projects:\n assert<\/span> isinstance<\/span>(p, project.<\/span>Project)\n output(p.<\/span>pathname +<\/span> 'n'<\/span>)\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\nSetting up your favorite IDE<\/h4>\n
Visual Studio Code<\/h5>\n
Installation<\/h6>\n
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Ctrl + Shift + X<\/code><\/li>\npython<\/code> in the search field<\/li>\n![](\"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/scade-005-vscode-install.gif\")
\nInstalling the Python extension<\/em>\n<\/p>\nProject creation & configuration<\/h6>\n
.vscode<\/code>. Inside folder .vscode<\/code>, create a file called settings.json<\/code> with the following content:<\/p>\n\n<\/span>{\n <\/span>\/\/ Use Python interpreter embedded with SCADE<\/span>\n <\/span>\"python.defaultInterpreterPath\"<\/span>: <\/span>\"\/contrib\/Python310\/python.exe\"<\/span>,\n <\/span>\/\/ Enable Intellisense autocomplete<\/span>\n <\/span>\"python.autoComplete.extraPaths\"<\/span>: <\/span>[\n <\/span>\"\/SCADE\/bin\"<\/span>,\n <\/span>\"\/SCADE\/APIs\/Python\/lib\"<\/span>\n <\/span>],\n <\/span>\"python.analysis.extraPaths\"<\/span>: <\/span>[\n <\/span>\"\/SCADE\/APIs\/Python\/lib\"<\/span>\n <\/span>]\n}\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n.vscode<\/code>, create a file called launch.json<\/code> with the following content:<\/p>\n\n<\/span>{\n <\/span>\"version\"<\/span>: <\/span>\"0.2.0\"<\/span>,\n <\/span>\"configurations\"<\/span>: <\/span>[\n <\/span>{\n <\/span>\"name\"<\/span>: <\/span>\"Python: Current File\"<\/span>,\n <\/span>\"type\"<\/span>: <\/span>\"python\"<\/span>,\n <\/span>\"request\"<\/span>: <\/span>\"launch\"<\/span>,\n <\/span>\"program\"<\/span>: <\/span>\"${file}\"<\/span>,\n <\/span>\"console\"<\/span>: <\/span>\"integratedTerminal\"<\/span>,\n <\/span>\"justMyCode\"<\/span>: <\/span>true<\/span>,\n <\/span>\"env\"<\/span>: <\/span>{\"PYTHONPATH\"<\/span>: <\/span>\"\/SCADE\/APIs\/Python\/lib;\/SCADE\/bin\"<\/span>},\n <\/span>}\n <\/span>]\n}\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/scade-005-vscode-project-structure.png\")
\nVSCode project structure<\/em>\n<\/p>\nResults<\/h6>\n
![](\"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/scade-005-vscode-debug.png\")
\nDebugging a SCADE Python script in VSCode<\/em>\n<\/p>\nPyCharm<\/h5>\n
Project creation & configuration<\/h6>\n
![](\"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/scade-005-pycharm-new-project.png\")
\nNew PyCharm project<\/em>\n<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/scade-005-pycharm-add-interpreter.png\")
\nAdding a Python interpreter to PyCharm<\/em>\n<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/scade-005-pycharm-project-structure.png\")
\nPyCharm project structure to work with SCADE APIs<\/em>\n<\/p>\n\n
SCADEAPIsPythonlib<\/code><\/li>\nSCADEbin<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nResults<\/h6>\n
![](\"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/scade-005-pycharm-debug.png\")
\nDebugging a SCADE Python script in PyCharm<\/em>\n<\/p>\nVisual Studio<\/h5>\n
Installation<\/h6>\n
![](\"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/scade-005-visual-studio-install-python-workload.png\")
\nVisual Studio installation with Python Workload<\/em>\n<\/p>\nProject creation & configuration<\/h6>\n
![](\"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/scade-005-visual-studio-new-project.png\")
\nCreating a new Python project in Visual Studio<\/em>\n<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/scade-005-visual-studio-project-structure.png\")
\nSolution Explorer before project configuration<\/em>\n<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/scade-005-visual-studio-add-python-environment.png\")
\nAdding the SCADE Python environment to Visual Studio (shown for SCADE 2024 R1)<\/em>\n<\/p>\n\n
SCADEAPIsPythonlib<\/code><\/li>\nSCADEbin<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nComplete project structure<\/em>\n<\/p>\nResults<\/h6>\n
![](\"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/01\/scade-005-visual-studio-debug.png\")
\nDebugging a SCADE Python script in Visual Studio<\/em>\n<\/p>\nQuestions?<\/h4>\n
About the author<\/h4>\n
![](\"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/08\/scade-jhenry.png\")
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