Improving error message in mapdl.get_value

src/ansys/mapdl/core/mapdl_grpc.py

@@ -1577,11 +1577,18 @@ def _get(self, entity, entnum, item1, it1num, item2, it2num):
             self._get_lock = False
 
         if getresponse.type == 0:
-            raise ValueError(
-                "This is either an invalid get request, or MAPDL is set"
-                " to the wrong processor (e.g. on BEGIN LEVEL vs."
-                " POST26)"
+            self._log.debug(
+                "The 'grpc' get method seems to have failed. Trying old implementation for more verbose output."
             )
+            try:
+                out = self.run("*GET,__temp__," + cmd)
+            except MapdlRuntimeError:
+                # Get can thrown some errors, in that case, they are caught in the default run method.
+                raise
+            else:
+                # Here we catch the rest of the errors and warnings
+                raise ValueError(out)
+
         if getresponse.type == 1:
             return getresponse.dval
         elif getresponse.type == 2:

tests/test_grpc.py

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 from ansys.mapdl.core import examples, launch_mapdl
 from ansys.mapdl.core.common_grpc import DEFAULT_CHUNKSIZE
+from ansys.mapdl.core.errors import MapdlRuntimeError
 from ansys.mapdl.core.launcher import check_valid_ansys, get_start_instance
 
 PATH = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@ def test_clear_multiple(mapdl):
 
 
 def test_invalid_get(mapdl):
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+    with pytest.raises(MapdlRuntimeError):
         mapdl.get_value("ACTIVE", item1="SET", it1num="invalid")
 
 

tests/test_mapdl.py

@@ -1520,3 +1520,11 @@ def test_lsread(mapdl, cleared):
     assert "No nodal" in mapdl.flist()
     mapdl.lsread(mute=True)
     assert "No nodal" not in mapdl.flist()
+
+
+def test_get_fallback(mapdl, cleared):
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="There are no NODES defined"):
+        mapdl.get_value("node", 0, "num", "maxd")
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="There are no ELEMENTS defined"):
+        mapdl.get_value("elem", 0, "num", "maxd")