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Getting Started

To begin, you need to start the Sim4Life Framework application.

  • On s4l-lite.io:
    Click the New button to go to the service page.
    New Button in s4l-lite.io
  • On sim4life.io and sim4life.science:
    Go to the APPS tab and click on the Sim4Life Framework tile.
    Sim4Life Framework Tile

In both cases, you can then click on Create Project to start a new plugin project:

Create Project Overview

Once the application has started, you will see the familiar Sim4Life user interface. In the toolbar, look for the puzzle piece icon—this opens the Plugin Manager, where you can install existing simulator plugins. In the Simulator tab, you’ll notice a placeholder icon labeled “New Simulation”:

Simulation Tab

When you create your own plugin, your simulation will appear here.

Quick Start Guide

This guide will help you get started with creating your first Sim4Life plugin using our framework.

Creating a New Plugin

The quickest way to create a new plugin is to use our cookiecutter template embedded in a VS Code extension.

Let's start the integrated development environment (IDE) and create your first plugin using a template. Follow these steps:

  1. Open the burger menu and select Open Notebooks. This will launch JupyterLab in a new browser tab: Open Notebooks
  2. In the JupyterLab launcher, click the VS Code icon. This will open Visual Studio Code in a new browser tab: VS Code Launcher
  3. The Visual Studio Code environment comes pre-installed with Python extensions and a dedicated Sim4Life extension: VS Code Extensions
  4. Click on the Sim4Life extension to access a set of tools specifically designed to support plugin development: Sim4Life Extension

The Sim4Life extension provides several useful features for plugin development:

  • Create New Plugin: Launches a form based on a cookiecutter template to help you create a new plugin.
  • Reload Application: Restarts the application so that any changes you made to your plugin become available.
  • Enable Python Debugger: Opens ports on the Sim4Life core application, allowing you to connect a debugger for advanced troubleshooting.
  • Run Pyright: Runs the static type checker on your plugin to help catch errors early.

Let's take a closer look at the Create New Plugin feature. When you select this option, a form will appear:

Create New Plugin

Fill in the required information according to your needs and follow the prompts after clicking Create Plugin.

If everything goes smoothly, you should see a new entry in the Simulation tab under "New Simulation":

New Heat Plugin

Additionally, VS Code will automatically open in the folder where your plugin's source code resides:

VS Code Plugin Code

The plugin is installed in edit mode, and since it is located in the work/workspace folder, it will persist across restarts of the same project. However, it is good practice to sync your new plugin with a GitHub repository to ensure your work is safely backed up and version controlled.

Next Steps