refc: backwards-compatible componentmodeler run() and autograd-support

[yaugenst-flex]

Greptile Summary

Updated On: 2025-09-10 08:44:14 UTC

This PR implements backwards-compatible component modeler run() functionality with autograd support. The changes consolidate the component modeler execution path under the unified tidy3d.web.run() API while maintaining backwards compatibility for existing code.

The core changes involve three main areas:

1. API Consolidation: The autograd run() function in tidy3d/web/api/autograd/autograd.py is modified to accept ComponentModeler objects by broadening the simulation parameter type from td.Simulation to typing.Any. This enables the function to handle both regular simulations and component modelers through a unified interface.

2. Component Modeler Routing: New routing logic detects ComponentModeler instances and routes them to the appropriate smatrix local run function when they contain autograd-valid simulations or when local_gradient is enabled. This leverages the existing smatrix infrastructure while enabling autograd capabilities.

3. Documentation Cleanup: The migration documentation is updated to remove references to deprecated legacy functionality, specifically removing the "legacy run command" section that documented tidy3d.plugins.smatrix.run.run. This aligns the documentation with the deprecation of the legacy helper function.

The integration fits well with the existing codebase architecture by reusing established patterns for type checking and routing to different execution paths. The changes maintain the existing td.Simulation autograd path unchanged, ensuring no breaking changes for current users while extending functionality to component modelers. The test updates demonstrate that the new API works correctly, with modeler.run() now returning smatrix data directly instead of requiring an additional smatrix() call.

Important Files Changed

Changed Files

Filename	Score	Overview
docs/api/plugins/smatrix_migration.rst	5/5	Removes deprecated legacy run command documentation to align with API modernization
tests/test_plugins/smatrix/test_component_modeler_autograd.py	4/5	Updates tests to use new web.run() API and validates autograd functionality with component modelers
tidy3d/web/api/autograd/autograd.py	4/5	Adds component modeler support to autograd run function with type broadening and routing logic

Confidence score: 4/5

• This PR is generally safe to merge with some attention needed for the type system changes
• Score reflects solid architectural design but introduces runtime type checking instead of compile-time validation
• Pay close attention to the autograd.py file for potential type safety implications

Sequence Diagram

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Diff Coverage

Diff: origin/develop...HEAD, staged and unstaged changes

• tidy3d/plugins/smatrix/component_modelers/base.py (100%)
• tidy3d/plugins/smatrix/run.py (100%)
• tidy3d/web/api/autograd/autograd.py (100%)

Summary

• Total: 19 lines
• Missing: 0 lines
• Coverage: 100%

[groberts-flex]

looks good to me, just a couple small questions! Thanks @yaugenst-flex