Help with connecting to running sim via python API

[aurora-lander]

Hi,

I am attempting to run a bluesky simulation via the gui and then connect to this simulation with a python script. I am currently running in a Ubuntu 24 container and just using the pip install bluesky-simulator[full] package.

Right now my process is:
bluesky --groupid 11
Go into the gui's File -> Open and selecting scenario DEMO/demo-scenario.scn.

Once this is open and I see the platforms moving I then run this python script:

import bluesky as bs
import sys, time


def main():
    bs.init(mode="sim", detached=False, group_id="11")
    bs.net.connect()
    #bs.sim.run()
    print("Post run")
    while True:
        bs.net.update()
        bs.traf.update()
        if bs.traf is None:
            pass
        if bs.traf.id is None:
            pass
        for item in bs.traf.id:
            print(item)
        time.sleep(0.5)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    sys.exit(main())

This hits the loop but I see no data which makes me think I am just creating a separate sim process. What is the proper way to connect to another bluesky instance that is running. Ideally I want to separate out the instances to one starts and run the scenario while another connects and logs data or interacts with the scenario in some way.

[jooste]

Hi @aurora-lander,

Sorry for not picking up on this. The script example you give indeed provides a simulation node (see the mode="sim" in your init call).
To set up a bluesky client, initialise bluesky with mode="client". You can subscribe to data published by simulation nodes using bluesky.network.subscriber. You can find an example under extra on the repository.