Command Line Interface

Installation and Setup

Before you can use the Build Processor, you need to install it. Follow these steps:

Locate the Build Processor installation package.
Install the Build Processor according to your system’s installation instructions.
After installation, the executable can be found at the following path:
```
C:\ProgramData\Materialise\BuildProcessors\Packages\BP_Nikon_SLM-X-X-X\Driver\Pipeline\BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe
```
Replace X-X-X and X.X.X with the version of the Build Processor (e.g., 1.1.5).

Command Line Usage

The Build Processor provides several command-line operations for processing builds, generating parameter files, and exporting data.

General Syntax

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe <command> [options]

Available Commands

process

Run the build processor to slice and prepare a build file.

Usage:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe process -i <input_file> -o <output_folder> [options]

Arguments:

Argument	Description	Required
`-i, --input`	Input file to preprocess (matamx or 3mf)	Yes
`-o, --output`	Output folder for processed files	Yes
`-p, --parameters`	Input parameters file (JSON)	No
`--job-name`	Job name (overrides parameters file)	No
`--sub-folder`	Create timestamped subfolder in output	No
`--machine-specification`	Path to machine specification JSON file	No
`--export-parameters`	Export parameters to output folder	No
`--resource-monitor`	Log memory/CPU usage and create diagnostics	No

Example:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe process -i platform.matamx -o ./output -p parameters.json --resource-monitor

generate

Generate various model files and default parameters.

Usage:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe generate <target>

Available Targets:

defaults - Generate default parameters (compact JSON)
defaults-pretty - Generate default parameters (formatted JSON)
parameter-model - Generate parameter model schema
ui-model - Generate UI model
pipeline-model - Generate pipeline model
migration-model - Generate migration model
machine-spec - Generate machine specification
machine-models - Generate machine models
id-txt - Generate BP identification file

Example:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe generate defaults-pretty > default_parameters.json

generate-models

Generate all model files to a specified directory.

Usage:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe generate-models <output_dir> [options]

Arguments:

Argument	Description	Required
`output_dir`	Output folder for generated models	Yes
`--images-dir`	Images folder (can be specified multiple times)	No
`--lang-dir`	Language folder for localized strings	No

Example:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe generate-models ./models --images-dir ./images --lang-dir ./lang

export-part-guids

Export part GUIDs from a matamx or 3mf file for use in parameter overrides.

Usage:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe export-part-guids -i <input_file> [options]

Arguments:

Argument	Description	Required
`-i, --input`	Path to input file (matamx or 3mf)	Yes
`--output`	Output path for part GUIDs (JSON or CSV)	No
`--platform-index`	Platform index (default: 0)	No
`--format`	Output format: `json` or `csv` (default: json)	No

Examples:

# Print to console as JSON
BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe export-part-guids -i platform.matamx

# Print to console as CSV
BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe export-part-guids -i platform.3mf --format csv

# Save to file
BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe export-part-guids -i platform.matamx --output parts.json

Output Format:

The command exports part information with the following fields:

part_name - The name of the part instance
part_guid - The globally unique identifier (lowercase) for use in parameter overrides
platform_index - The platform index the part belongs to

generate-doe-parameters

Create a parameters.json file with part overrides from a CSV file for Design of Experiments (DOE).

Usage:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe generate-doe-parameters --base-parameters <file> --csv <file> --matamx <file> --output <file> [options]

Arguments:

Argument	Description	Required
`--base-parameters`	Path to base parameters.json file	Yes
`--csv`	Path to CSV file with part overrides	Yes
`--matamx`	Path to matamx file to extract part GUIDs	Yes
`--output`	Output path for new parameters.json	Yes
`--platform-index`	Platform index (default: 0)	No

Example:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe generate-doe-parameters --base-parameters base.json --csv overrides.csv --matamx platform.matamx --output final_params.json

export-doe-csv-template

Export a template CSV file for part overrides in Design of Experiments.

Usage:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe export-doe-csv-template --output <file> [options]

Arguments:

Argument	Description	Required
`--output`	Output path for template CSV	Yes
`--all-fields`	Include all available fields in template	No
`--matamx`	Path to matamx file to populate part names	No

Example:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe export-doe-csv-template --output template.csv --matamx platform.matamx

migration

Migrate parameters from older profile formats to the current format.

Usage:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe migration --input-file <file> --media-type <type> --output-file <file> [options]

Arguments:

Argument	Description	Required
`--input-file`	Input file to migrate	Yes
`--media-type`	Media type of input file	Yes
`--output-file`	Output file path	Yes
`--language`	Language of the input file	No
`--machine-model-id`	Machine model identifier	No
`--machine-specification-file`	Path to machine specification JSON file	No

Supported Media Types:

application/vnd.mtls.machine-manager.profiles+json - Machine Manager profiles
application/vnd.mtls.bp.profiles - Build Processor profiles

Example:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe migration --input-file old_profile.bpprof --media-type application/vnd.mtls.bp.profiles --output-file new_params.json

generate-docs

Generate documentation in reStructuredText format.

Usage:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe generate-docs -o <output_dir>

Example:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe generate-docs -o ./documentation

generate-ui-csv

Generate UI settings documentation in CSV format.

Usage:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe generate-ui-csv -o <output_file>

Example:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe generate-ui-csv -o ui_settings.csv

generate-localization

Generate localization files for internationalization.

Usage:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe generate-localization -o <output_dir>

Example:

BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe generate-localization -o ./localization

Working with Part Overrides

Part overrides allow you to specify different parameter values for individual parts in a build. To use part overrides effectively:

Extract Part GUIDs: Use the export-part-guids command to identify the GUIDs of parts in your build file.
Create Override CSV: Use the export-doe-csv-template command to generate a template CSV file.
Edit CSV: Fill in the CSV with your desired parameter overrides for each part.
Generate Parameters: Use the generate-doe-parameters command to create a complete parameters.json file with your overrides.
Process Build: Use the process command with your new parameters file.

Example Workflow:

# Step 1: Export part GUIDs
BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe export-part-guids -i platform.matamx --output parts.json

# Step 2: Create CSV template
BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe export-doe-csv-template --output template.csv --matamx platform.matamx

# Step 3: Edit template.csv with your overrides (use Excel, text editor, etc.)

# Step 4: Generate final parameters
BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe generate-doe-parameters --base-parameters base_params.json --csv template.csv --matamx platform.matamx --output final_params.json

# Step 5: Process the build
BP_Nikon_SLM_X.X.X.exe process -i platform.matamx -o ./output -p final_params.json

Tips and Best Practices

Always verify your output directory is empty or use --sub-folder to create timestamped directories.
Use --resource-monitor to track performance and diagnose issues with large builds.
Keep your parameters files version controlled to track changes over time.
Use the export-part-guids command to verify part GUIDs before setting up overrides.
Test parameter changes on small builds before running large production builds.

Troubleshooting

Output directory not empty: The process command requires an empty output directory. Either clear the directory or use the --sub-folder option.
Invalid part GUID: Use the export-part-guids command to verify the correct GUIDs for your parts. GUIDs are case-insensitive and should be in lowercase format.
Migration failed: Ensure you’re using the correct media type for your input file. Check the file format and try using the appropriate media type string.
Parameters file validation error: Use generate defaults-pretty to see the expected parameter structure and compare with your parameters file.