BobDyn/BobLib Startup

Use this path when you want to work directly on the Modelica vehicle library: package structure, records, subsystem models, VehicleInterfaces integration, OMEdit diagrams, or direct OpenModelica checks.

Starting point

In this guide, the BobDyn/BobLib root means the repository directory created by the clone step below. Start in that directory before running commands.

What You Need

Install these first:

• Git
• OpenModelica with OMEdit and omc. The checks target OpenModelica 1.26.3, the version in the CI container openmodelica/openmodelica:v1.26.3-ompython.
• Modelica Standard Library 4.1.0
• VehicleInterfaces 2.0.2
• Python 3.11 and GNU Make, to run the repository checks locally

BobLib can also be consumed through BobSim as a submodule, but clone BobLib directly when you are changing the Modelica layer itself.

Step 1: Clone BobLib

git clone https://github.com/BobDyn/BobLib.git
cd BobLib

The active package is:

BobLib/package.mo

Regression and component fixtures live in Tests/BobLibTest/package.mo.

Step 2: Install The OpenModelica Libraries

BobLib loads these exact versions:

Modelica 4.1.0
VehicleInterfaces 2.0.2

From the BobLib root, install them with the repository script:

make modelica-deps

This runs omc msl_setup.mos, which calls installPackage with exactMatch=true for both libraries. You can also run those two installPackage lines by hand in the OpenModelica shell.

To check visually, open File > System Libraries in OMEdit and confirm that both libraries are installed. For CLI work, use the same OpenModelica install that OMEdit uses.

Step 3: Set Up Python

The test harness pins its tools in Tests/requirements-dev.txt (pytest and ruff):

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install -r Tests/requirements-dev.txt

On Windows PowerShell, activate with .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1 instead.

The makefile calls python3 by default. Pass PYTHON= to use a different interpreter:

make test-python PYTHON=.venv/bin/python

On Windows the path is .venv/Scripts/python.exe.

Step 4: Run The Quick Checks

Start with the fast checks:

make lint
make test-python
make modelica-lint
make modelica-smoke

make modelica-smoke needs omc on your PATH. It translates the default standard and regression models to confirm that the package loads and compiles.

Pull request CI runs these four checks and also make modelica-initialization, which initializes every BobLibTest fixture and compares it to its baseline.

List every target with a description:

make help

The full gate is slow

make ci runs make lint and make test. make test runs the full OpenModelica gate: translation, initialization, physics baselines, and signal regressions for the whole package. Run it before you trust a branch or cut a release, not on every edit. On GitHub, the same gate is the manual Release Gate workflow.

A failing model appears in the pytest node ID, for example Tests/test_modelica_translation.py::test_modelica_model_translates[BobLib.Experiments.Standards.VehicleSim].

CI runs on pull requests and on pushes to main and version tags. It does not run on pushes to feature branches. Open a draft pull request if you want CI results before the branch is ready for review.

Step 5: Load BobLib In OMEdit

Open the package with File > Open Model/Library File(s):

BobLib/package.mo

Start with the standard experiment entry points in BobLib.Experiments.Standards:

Model	Use it for
VehicleSim	Full-vehicle maneuver benchmark
FourPostSim	Four-post suspension benchmark
VehicleFMI	Driver-input vehicle boundary for FMI export and driver-in-the-loop or software-in-the-loop work

Use the OMEdit Workflow page for the full visual package-load sequence and maintained screenshots.

Step 6: Know The Direct-Use Surface

For daily BobLib work, the main public surfaces are:

Area	Use it for
BobLib.UsersGuide	Versioned library documentation. Where it and this site disagree, UsersGuide is correct.
BobLib.Experiments.Standards	Complete vehicle entry points: VehicleSim, FourPostSim, and VehicleFMI
BobLib.Records	Vehicle data schemas and complete vehicle definitions
BobLib.Chassis, Aero, Atmospheres, ElectricDrives, Engines, Transmissions, PowerElectronics, Controllers, DriverEnvironments, Drivelines, EnergyStorage	Vehicle subsystem contracts and BobLib physics implementations
BobLib.Utilities	Shared mechanics, math, FMI, and helper functionality

Library changes are recorded in CHANGELOG.md at the BobLib root.

Next Pages

• BobLib Use Guide for the daily model-development loop
• BobDyn/BobLib Overview for package architecture
• CLI Workflow for direct OpenModelica command-line work
• OMEdit Workflow for visual loading and simulation
• BobSim Startup when you want the full workflow wrapper