Raise an explicit error on plot_contour with empty mesh

src/ansys/dpf/core/errors.py

@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@
 ``fields_container[index]``.
 """
 
+_EMPTY_MESH_PLOTTING_MSG = """"
+The mesh support is empty. 
+Either provide one to the plot function called, or use MeshedRegion.plot 
+and provide the current data as parameter.
+"""
+
 
 class DpfValueError(ValueError):
     """Error raised when a specific DPF error value must be defined."""
@@ -80,6 +86,13 @@ def __init__(self, msg=_FIELD_CONTAINER_PLOTTING_MSG):
         ValueError.__init__(self, msg)
 
 
+class EmptyMeshPlottingError(ValueError):
+    """Error raised when attempting to plot data with no mesh."""
+
+    def __init__(self, msg=_EMPTY_MESH_PLOTTING_MSG):
+        ValueError.__init__(self, msg)
+
+
 class InvalidANSYSVersionError(RuntimeError):
     """Error raised when the Ansys version is invalid."""
 

src/ansys/dpf/core/field.py

@@ -22,11 +22,21 @@
 
 """Field."""
 
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
 import numpy as np
 
 from ansys import dpf
 from ansys.dpf.core import dimensionality, errors, meshed_region, scoping, time_freq_support
-from ansys.dpf.core.common import _get_size_of_list, locations, natures, types
+from ansys.dpf.core.common import (
+    _get_size_of_list,
+    locations,
+    natures,
+    shell_layers as eshell_layers,
+    types,
+)
 from ansys.dpf.core.field_base import _FieldBase, _LocalFieldBase
 from ansys.dpf.core.field_definition import FieldDefinition
 from ansys.dpf.gate import (
@@ -36,6 +46,12 @@
     field_capi,
     field_grpcapi,
 )
+from ansys.dpf.gate.errors import DPFServerException
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: nocover
+    from ansys.dpf.core.dpf_operator import Operator
+    from ansys.dpf.core.meshed_region import MeshedRegion
+    from ansys.dpf.core.results import Result
 
 
 class Field(_FieldBase):
@@ -500,7 +516,14 @@
         op.inputs.connect(self)
         return op.outputs.field()
 
-    def plot(self, shell_layers=None, deform_by=None, scale_factor=1.0, **kwargs):
+    def plot(
+        self,
+        shell_layers: eshell_layers = None,
+        deform_by: Union[Field, Result, Operator] = None,
+        scale_factor: float = 1.0,
+        meshed_region: MeshedRegion = None,
+        **kwargs,
+    ):
         """Plot the field or fields container on the mesh support if it exists.
 
         Warning
@@ -522,21 +545,24 @@
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        shell_layers : shell_layers, optional
+        shell_layers:
             Enum used to set the shell layers if the model to plot
-            contains shell elements. The default is ``None``.
-        deform_by : Field, Result, Operator, optional
+            contains shell elements. Defaults to the top layer.
+        deform_by:
             Used to deform the plotted mesh. Must output a 3D vector field.
-            Defaults to None.
-        scale_factor : float, optional
-            Scaling factor to apply when warping the mesh. Defaults to 1.0.
-        **kwargs : optional
+        scale_factor:
+            Scaling factor to apply when warping the mesh.
+        meshed_region:
+            Mesh to plot the field on.
+        **kwargs:
             Additional keyword arguments for the plotter. For additional keyword
             arguments, see ``help(pyvista.plot)``.
         """
         from ansys.dpf.core.plotter import Plotter
 
-        pl = Plotter(self.meshed_region, **kwargs)
+        if meshed_region is None:
+            meshed_region = self.meshed_region
+        pl = Plotter(meshed_region, **kwargs)
         return pl.plot_contour(
             self,
             shell_layers,
@@ -691,16 +717,23 @@
     def field_definition(self, value):
         return self._set_field_definition(value)
 
-    def _get_meshed_region(self):
+    def _get_meshed_region(self) -> MeshedRegion:
         """Retrieve the meshed region.
 
         Returns
         -------
         :class:`ansys.dpf.core.meshed_region.MeshedRegion`
 
         """
+        try:
+            support = self._api.csfield_get_support_as_meshed_region(self)
+        except DPFServerException as e:
+            if "the field doesn't have this support type" in str(e):
+                support = None
+            else:
+                raise e
         return meshed_region.MeshedRegion(
-            mesh=self._api.csfield_get_support_as_meshed_region(self),
+            mesh=support,
             server=self._server,
         )
 
@@ -736,7 +769,7 @@
         self._api.csfield_set_support(self, value)
 
     @property
-    def meshed_region(self):
+    def meshed_region(self) -> MeshedRegion:
         """Meshed region of the field.
 
         Return
@@ -747,8 +780,8 @@
         return self._get_meshed_region()
 
     @meshed_region.setter
-    def meshed_region(self, value):
-        self._set_support(value, "MESHED_REGION")
+    def meshed_region(self, value: MeshedRegion):
+        self._set_support(support=value, support_type="MESHED_REGION")
 
     def __add__(self, field_b):
         """Add two fields.

src/ansys/dpf/core/meshed_region.py

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 
 from ansys.dpf.core import field, property_field, scoping, server as server_module
 from ansys.dpf.core.cache import class_handling_cache
-from ansys.dpf.core.check_version import server_meet_version, version_requires
+from ansys.dpf.core.check_version import meets_version, server_meet_version, version_requires
 from ansys.dpf.core.common import (
     locations,
     nodal_properties,
@@ -701,3 +701,15 @@ def field_of_properties(self, property_name):
                     # Not sure we go through here since the only datatype not int is coordinates,
                     # which is already dealt with previously.
                     return field.Field(server=self._server, field=field_out)
+
+    def is_empty(self) -> bool:
+        """Whether the mesh is empty.
+
+        A mesh is considered empty when it has zero element, zero face, and zero node.
+        """
+        no_faces = True
+        if meets_version(self._server.version, "7.0"):
+            no_faces = self.faces.n_faces == 0
+        no_elements = self.elements.n_elements == 0
+        no_nodes = self.nodes.n_nodes == 0
+        return no_nodes and no_faces and no_elements

src/ansys/dpf/core/plotter.py

@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@
 from ansys.dpf.core.nodes import Node, Nodes
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
+    from ansys.dpf.core import Operator, Result
+    from ansys.dpf.core.fields_container import FieldsContainer
     from ansys.dpf.core.meshed_region import MeshedRegion
 
 
@@ -851,31 +853,32 @@ def plot_chart(fields_container, off_screen=False, screenshot=None):
 
     def plot_contour(
         self,
-        field_or_fields_container,
-        shell_layers=None,
-        meshed_region=None,
-        deform_by=None,
-        scale_factor=1.0,
+        field_or_fields_container: Union[Field, FieldsContainer],
+        shell_layers: eshell_layers = None,
+        meshed_region: MeshedRegion = None,
+        deform_by: Union[Field, Result, Operator] = None,
+        scale_factor: float = 1.0,
         **kwargs,
     ):
         """Plot the contour result on its mesh support.
 
         You cannot plot a fields container containing results at several
-        time steps.
+        time steps. Use :func:`FieldsContainer.animate` instead.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        field_or_fields_container : dpf.core.Field or dpf.core.FieldsContainer
+        field_or_fields_container:
             Field or field container that contains the result to plot.
-        shell_layers : core.shell_layers, optional
+        shell_layers:
             Enum used to set the shell layers if the model to plot
-            contains shell elements.
-        deform_by : Field, Result, Operator, optional
+            contains shell elements. Defaults to the top layer.
+        meshed_region:
+            Mesh to plot the data on.
+        deform_by:
             Used to deform the plotted mesh. Must output a 3D vector field.
-            Defaults to None.
-        scale_factor : float, optional
-            Scaling factor to apply when warping the mesh. Defaults to 1.0.
-        **kwargs : optional
+        scale_factor:
+            Scaling factor to apply when warping the mesh.
+        **kwargs:
             Additional keyword arguments for the plotter. For more information,
             see ``help(pyvista.plot)``.
         """
@@ -912,6 +915,8 @@ def plot_contour(
             mesh = meshed_region
         else:
             mesh = self._mesh
+        if mesh.is_empty():
+            raise dpf_errors.EmptyMeshPlottingError
 
         # get mesh scoping
         location = None

tests/test_plotter.py

@@ -252,6 +252,16 @@ def test_field_shell_plot_scoping_elemental(multishells):
     f.plot(shell_layers=core.shell_layers.top)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(not HAS_PYVISTA, reason="Please install pyvista")
+def test_field_plot_raise_empty_mesh(simple_bar):
+    ds = core.DataSources(simple_bar)
+    stream_prov = core.operators.metadata.streams_provider(data_sources=ds)
+    result_op = core.operators.result.displacement(streams_container=stream_prov)
+    field = result_op.outputs.fields_container()[0]
+    with pytest.raises(dpf_errors.EmptyMeshPlottingError):
+        field.plot()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.skipif(not HAS_PYVISTA, reason="Please install pyvista")
 def test_plotter_plot_contour_throw_shell_layers(multishells):
     model = core.Model(multishells)