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Getting started

Use the SIDRA INTERSECTION API to create and update projects, work with Site and Network data, run analyses, and read results from your own applications. This page gets a working "hello world" running against it.

Windows 64-bit · .NET 8 · C# / VB.NET · C++ · Python

Prerequisites

  • SIDRA INTERSECTION 11.0.3 installed and licensed (the API ships with the product). The installer registers the COM type library (SIDRASolutions.SI.API.tlb) and the .NET COM host (SIDRASolutions.SI.API.comhost.dll).
  • A 64-bit host process. The API is net8.0-windows x64-only and cannot be loaded into a 32-bit process. Set your project's Platform target to x64 (not AnyCPU).
  • .NET 8 runtime present on the machine. The SIDRA INTERSECTION installer satisfies this.

Your application can check the installed copy with ISIAPI.IsLicensed, which returns false for an unlicensed copy. See Licensing for licence requirements.

Supported languages

The API is a .NET 8 assembly for 64-bit Windows. The host process must be 64-bit in every language.

Language How it accesses the API
C# / VB.NET Reference the late-binding wrapper LB_SI11API.dll, targeting net8.0-windows and x64.
C++ Use the COM type library registered by the SIDRA INTERSECTION installer.
Python Use Python.NET to host the .NET 8 runtime and load the API assembly directly.

Add the reference

C# / VB.NET

The API ships with a late-binding wrapper assembly, LB_SI11API.dll, that exposes the SIDRASolutions.SI.API types and loads the installed SIDRA Intersection runtime at run time. Reference it directly instead of going through COM:

  1. Download the Version 11 late-binding wrapper and extract LB_SI11API.dll and its LB_SI11API.deps.json into your project.
  2. Add an assembly reference to it (a <Reference Include="LB_SI11API"> with a <HintPath>; see the C# sample).
  3. Target net8.0-windows and x64 (not AnyCPU).

C++

Use the installed SIDRASolutions.SI.API.tlb type library from a 64-bit Visual C++ project with ATL. Initialise COM on an STA thread before creating the API object. The C++ sample includes the type-library import, build instructions and cleanup.

Python (Python.NET)

Python does not go through COM. Use Python.NET (pythonnet) to host the .NET 8 runtime and load the API assembly directly:

pip install pythonnet

import os
from pythonnet import set_runtime
from clr_loader import get_coreclr

sidra = r"C:\Program Files\SIDRA SOLUTIONS\SIDRA INTERSECTION 11"

# Host the API's own .NET 8 runtime via its runtimeconfig, then load the DLL.
set_runtime(get_coreclr(
    runtime_config=os.path.join(sidra, "SIDRASolutions.SI.API.runtimeconfig.json")))

import clr
clr.AddReference(os.path.join(sidra, "SIDRASolutions.SI.API.dll"))

from SIDRASolutions.SI.API import SIAPI
api = SIAPI()

See the Python sample for locating the install folder from the registry and reading results.

Open a project and read its name

using System;
using SIDRASolutions.SI.API;

class Program
{
    [STAThread]
    static void Main()
    {
        var api = new SIAPI();
        try
        {
            if (!api.IsLicensed)
                throw new InvalidOperationException("SIDRA INTERSECTION must be licensed.");

            if (!api.OpenProject(@"C:\Samples\MyProject.sipx"))
                throw new InvalidOperationException(api.LastErrorMessage);

            ISIAPIProject project = api.Project;
            Console.WriteLine($"Opened: {project.Name}");
            Console.WriteLine($"Site folders: {project.SiteFolders.Count}");
        }
        finally
        {
            api.Close();
        }
    }
}

The entry interface is always ISIAPI. Once a project is open, ISIAPI.Project returns the ISIAPIProject wrapper which is your gateway to Sites (intersections), Networks and analyses.

Next steps

  • Object model: the Project -> Site -> Leg -> Lane hierarchy.
  • Code samples: choose a short C#, C++ or Python walkthrough.
  • Sample project guide: download the larger examples and follow their explanations and run instructions.
  • Downloads: the sample ZIP, wrapper files, offline Help and workshop materials.
  • Previous versions: API Help, wrappers and sample projects for SIDRA INTERSECTION 10 and 9.1.
  • Troubleshooting: if the API fails to load, activate, or open your project.