GitHub

Installation Guide

This page proposes a step by step installation guide to use the OptiPlantPtX tool.

In short:

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Clone the repository to your local machine
  3. Open in VS Code
  4. Setup Julia Environment

Done! Try to run some of the examples following the user-guide

1. Fork the repository

Set up a GitHub account and sign-in. On the online repository, click on Fork > Create a new fork.

2. Clone the repository to your local machine

Install a Git client (choose one you’re comfortable with):

Steps (with GitHub Desktop):

  1. On the OptiPlant repository that you forked, click on the green "<> Code" button, go to HTTPS and copy the URL
  2. In GitHub desktop, go to File > Clone repository
  3. Go in the URL tab and paste the OptiPlant repository URL
  4. Choose the path to clone the repository locally

3. Open in VS Code

Download and install Visual Studio Code. Make sure to select the "Add to PATH" option when installing.

Add_to_PATH

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Go to File > Open Folder → select your OptiPlant folder

4. Setup Julia Environment

  1. Make sure you have the latest Julia version installed: Install Julia.

  2. Add the Julia extension in VS Code using the "Extensions: Marketplace" (access on the square icon on left sidebar of VS Code) Julia_extension

  3. Open the Julia REPL inside VS Code (the first time opening can take a bit of time):

    • Option 1, keyboard shortcut: Press Alt + J then Alt + O
    • Option 2, open the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) and run: Julia: Start REPL

  4. This is now a condensed version of the Julia documentation to use someone else's project:

    • In the REPL, run this command to move one directory up (where the folder where OptiPlant is located): 
    cd("..")

    • Press ] to enter the package manager

    • To set up the environment write:

    activate OptiPlant
    Warning

    If your folder is called differently i.e. "MyOptiPlant" write activate MyOptiPlant instead

    Then write: 

    instantiate

  5. To use Gurobi as a solver, you need to install the software and activate your license using the grbgetkey. Overtime, you may need to update Gurobi to the latest version and re-generate your license to avoid license compatibility issues.

  6. Done! You can exit the package manager pressing the Backspace key and start running the examples from the user-guide.