Introduction

Welcome to the parametric analysis component zipped (PACZ) component plug-in 2026R1 SDK documentation. This guide is intended to help plug-in developers extend the capabilities of Ansys products by adding connections to external data and analysis tools such as Excel, databases, CAD systems, and other engineering applications.

This plug-in framework is intended to cover analyses that take a design point as inputs and produce the resultant outputs. For co-simulation, time, ordinary differential equations (ODE), and eventing based systems, use the much more complex FMI standard.

What is a component plug-in?

A component plug-in is a software extension framework that allows you to integrate external tools and data sources into Ansys workflows. By creating a plug-in, you enable:

Execution of external applications as part of an automated workflow
Exchange of data between an automated workflow and external tools
Creation of reusable analysis components that can be shared across teams

Key concepts

PACZ Component plug-ins consist of two main parts:

Runner: The non-UI portion responsible for batch execution. This is where the actual computation or external tool invocation happens.
Builder UI: The user interface portion that allows users to configure the component. This is optional but recommended for user-friendly plug-ins.

Who should use this SDK?

This SDK is designed for:

Software developers who need to integrate proprietary or third-party tools with Ansys workflows
Engineering teams who want to automate workflows involving external applications
Organizations looking to standardize their analysis processes across multiple tools

Prerequisites

Before you begin developing component plug-ins, you should have:

Development environment: Visual Studio 2019 or later (VS 2022 recommended), or a Java development environment
Programming knowledge: Familiarity with .NET Framework 4.6.2 or Java
SDK access: Access to the SDK ZIP file which contains the Phoenix.ComponentPlugInSDK NuGet package and optionally the Visual Studio template extension

Obtaining SDK access

To obtain access to the ModelCenter Component Plug-In SDK, please contact Ansys ModelCenter support.

What you'll learn

This documentation covers:

Setting up your development environment
Creating your first component plug-in
Understanding the plug-in architecture and lifecycle
Working with variables, files, and external tools
Testing and debugging your plug-ins
Advanced topics like threading and session management
Common issues and solutions
API reference documentation

Next steps

Ready to get started? Head over to the Getting started guide to set up your development environment and create your first plug-in.

If you're new to PACZ component plug-ins, review the Glossary to familiarize yourself with key terminology.

Additional resources

Example plug-ins: Sample code demonstrating common patterns
FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions
Threading guide: Understanding thread safety in plug-in development

Support

For questions or issues not covered in this documentation, please contact Ansys support.

Component Plug-In SDK 2026 R1