Solutions Manager#

The SAF SDK framework includes a Visual Studio Code extension called Solutions Manager. This extension provides a user-friendly interface for creating and managing solutions, configuring dependencies and environments, and running solutions directly from VS Code.

During the solution creation process, Solutions Manager:

  • Automatically installs the ansys-saf-cli package in the VS Code environment.

  • Manages solution lifecycle operations through ansys-saf-cli behind the scenes, eliminating the need for direct command-line interaction.

  • Provides an integrated, visual workflow within VS Code, offering a more streamlined and user-friendly experience than using the command-line interface alone.

Installation#

To download and install the Solutions Manager extension:

  1. Download the solutions-manager-extension-v*.*.*.vsix file for the desired release from the Releases page.

  2. Open VS Code.

  3. Open the Extensions view by:

    • Clicking the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar, or

    • Pressing Ctrl+Shift+X.

  4. In the Extensions view, click the More actions (three-dot) menu in the top right corner and select Install from VSIX.

    Install from VSIX option in the Extensions view

  5. Browse to the downloaded solutions-manager-extension-v*.*.*.vsix file, select it, and click Install.

After the installation is complete, the Solutions Manager automatically installs ansys-saf-cli and configures the required environment. You can now begin creating and managing SAF solutions directly from VS Code.

Customization of view visibility#

You can customize which Solutions Manager views are visible in Visual Studio Code.

Available solutions view#

By default, the Available Solutions view is visible in the Solutions Manager pane. You can control its visibility using either of the methods in the following sections.

Available solutions view visible in Solutions Manager

Note

Currently, you can customize the visibility of only the Available Solutions view.

Method 1: Use VS Code settings#

  1. Open VS Code Settings:

    • Press Ctrl+, (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+, (macOS).

    • Or use File → Preferences → Settings.

  2. In the search bar, type Solutions Manager.

  3. Find the Solutions Manager extension settings.

  4. Toggle the checkboxes to show or hide the view.

    Solutions Manager settings in VS Code

Method 2: Settings JSON#

  1. Open your VS Code user settings JSON file:

    1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) to open the Command Palette.

    2. Type Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON) and select it.

    Note

    Depending on your VS Code version, this command may appear as Preferences: Open Settings (JSON) or Open User Settings (JSON). Use the command that opens the user settings file, not a workspace settings file.

  2. Add the following entry to the existing top-level settings JSON object (do not overwrite other settings):

    {
  "solutions-init.enableSolutionsList": false
}

  3. Set the value to true to show the view or false to hide it.

    Use Preferences: Open Workspace Settings (JSON) if you want to apply this setting only to the current workspace.