Accept paths as Path objects (not only strings)

Bindings/Python/swig/python_preliminaries.i

@@ -48,3 +48,22 @@ note: ## is a "glue" operator: `a ## b` --> `ab`.
 %}
 };
 %enddef
+
+// Support for pathlib.Path objects
+// ================================
+%typemap(in) std::string const & (std::string temp, int res = SWIG_OLDOBJ) {
+    if (PyUnicode_Check($input)) {
+        temp = std::string(PyUnicode_AsUTF8($input));
+        $1 = &temp;
+    } else {
+        PyObject* fspath = PyOS_FSPath($input);
+        if (fspath != NULL) {
+            temp = std::string(PyUnicode_AsUTF8(fspath));
+            Py_DECREF(fspath);
+            $1 = &temp;
+        } else {
+            PyErr_Clear();
+            %argument_fail(SWIG_TypeError, "std::string const &", $symname, $argnum);
+        }
+    }
+}

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ performance and stability in wrapping solutions.
 - Implemented `generateDecorations()` for `Station` to allow visualization in the Simbody visualizer. (#4169)
 - Added `Component::removeComponent` and `Component::extractComponent` methods, which enable removing subcomponents that were previously added via `Component::addComponent` or the `<components>` XML element (#4174).
 - Updated required language level to C++20. (#3929)
+- Python API accepts Path objects instead of only strings
 - Breaking: removed the `operator==` and `operator<` overloads in `ControlLinearNode` and replaced usages with the equivalent utility functions `isEqual()` and `isLessThan()`. (#4095)
 
-
 v4.5.2
 ======
 - The performance of `getStateVariableValue`, `getStateVariableDerivativeValue`, and `getModelingOption` was improved in