Broke the methods apart to make it cleaner if the user wants more meshing control

README.md

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import cadquery_assembly_mesh_plugin.plugin
 You can then tag faces in each of the assembly parts and create your asembly. To export the assembly to a mesh file, you do the following.
 
 ```python
-your_assembly.assemblyToGmsh(mesh_path="tagged_mesh.msh")
+your_assembly.saveToGmsh(mesh_path="tagged_mesh.msh")
 ```
 
 Normal tag names lead to a physical group with the assembly part name prefixed. So a tag name of `inner-bottom` on an assembly part with the name `steel_plate` will be `steel_plate_inner-bottom`
@@ -54,11 +54,42 @@ assy = cq.Assembly()
 assy.add(shell, name="shell", loc=cq.Location(cq.Vector(0, 0, 0)), color=cq.Color("red"))
 assy.add(insert, name="insert", loc=cq.Location(cq.Vector(0, 0, 0)), color=cq.Color("blue"))
 
-assy.assemblyToGmsh(mesh_path="tagged_mesh.msh")
+assy.saveToGmsh(mesh_path="tagged_mesh.msh")
 ```
 
 The resulting `.msh` file should have three physical groups named for tags in it. The `in_contact` group should include the faces from both the shell and the insert.
 
+If you want more control over the mesh generation and export, you can use the `getTaggedGmsh` method and then finalize the mesh yourself.
+
+```python
+import cadquery as cq
+import cadquery_assembly_mesh_plugin.plugin
+import gmsh
+
+shell = cq.Workplane("XY").box(50, 50, 50)
+shell = shell.faces(">Z").workplane().rect(21, 21).cutThruAll()
+shell.faces(">X[-2]").tag("inner-right")
+shell.faces("<X[-2]").tag("~in_contact")
+
+# Create the insert
+insert = cq.Workplane("XY").box(20, 20, 50)
+insert.faces("<X").tag("~in_contact")
+insert.faces(">X").tag("outer-right")
+
+assy = cq.Assembly()
+assy.add(shell, name="shell", loc=cq.Location(cq.Vector(0, 0, 0)), color=cq.Color("red"))
+assy.add(insert, name="insert", loc=cq.Location(cq.Vector(0, 0, 0)), color=cq.Color("blue"))
+
+# Get a Gmsh object back with all the tagged faces as physical groups
+gmsh = assy.getTaggedGmsh()
+
+# Generate the mesh and write it to the file
+gmsh.model.mesh.field.setAsBackgroundMesh(2)
+gmsh.model.mesh.generate(3)
+gmsh.write(mesh_path)
+gmsh.finalize()
+```
+
 ## Tests
 
 These tests are also run in Github Actions, and the meshes which are generated can be viewed as artifacts on the successful `tests` Actions there.

assembly_mesh_plugin/plugin.py

@@ -5,12 +5,11 @@
 import gmsh
 
 
-def assembly_to_gmsh(self, mesh_path="tagged_mesh.msh"):
+def get_tagged_gmsh(self):
     """
-    Pack the assembly into a gmsh object, respecting assembly part names and face tags when creating
-    the physical groups.
+    Allows the user to get a gmsh object from the assembly, respecting assembly part names and face
+    tags, but have more control over how it is meshed.
     """
-
     gmsh.initialize()
     gmsh.option.setNumber("General.Terminal", 0)
     gmsh.model.add("coil_assembly")
@@ -126,6 +125,18 @@ def assembly_to_gmsh(self, mesh_path="tagged_mesh.msh"):
 
     gmsh.model.occ.synchronize()
 
+    return gmsh
+
+
+def assembly_to_gmsh(self, mesh_path="tagged_mesh.msh"):
+    """
+    Pack the assembly into a gmsh object, respecting assembly part names and face tags when creating
+    the physical groups.
+    """
+
+    # Turn this assembly with potentially tagged faces into a gmsh object
+    gmsh = get_tagged_gmsh(self)
+
     gmsh.model.mesh.field.setAsBackgroundMesh(2)
 
     gmsh.model.mesh.generate(3)
@@ -136,3 +147,5 @@ def assembly_to_gmsh(self, mesh_path="tagged_mesh.msh"):
 
 # Patch the new assembly functions into CadQuery's importers package
 cq.Assembly.assemblyToGmsh = assembly_to_gmsh
+cq.Assembly.saveToGmsh = assembly_to_gmsh  # Alias name that works better on cq.Assembly
+cq.Assembly.getTaggedGmsh = get_tagged_gmsh

tests/smoke_test.py

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def test_basic_assembly():
     assy = generate_simple_nested_boxes()
 
     # Create a mesh that has all the faces tagged as physical groups
-    assy.assemblyToGmsh(mesh_path="tagged_mesh.msh")
+    assy.saveToGmsh(mesh_path="tagged_mesh.msh")
 
 
 def test_basic_cross_section():
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def test_basic_cross_section():
     assy = generate_test_cross_section()
 
     # Create a mesh that has all the faces in the correct physical groups
-    assy.assemblyToGmsh(mesh_path="tagged_cross_section.msh")
+    assy.saveToGmsh(mesh_path="tagged_cross_section.msh")
 
 
 def test_planar_coil():
@@ -39,4 +39,4 @@ def test_planar_coil():
     assy = generate_assembly()
 
     # Create a mesh that has all the faces in the correct physical groups
-    assy.assemblyToGmsh(mesh_path="tagged_planar_coil.msh")
+    assy.saveToGmsh(mesh_path="tagged_planar_coil.msh")