Welcome to waster a light  Windows (vista) version of code_aster 10.2.

This program waster copyright 2010 author Pimeca is distributed under 
General Public License (GPL).

INTRODUCTION
============

This package contains an EXPERIMENTAL port of Code Aster v10.2 solver compiled on Windows vista.
No pre nor post processing tools or interface have been included for the time being.
A command line interface (waster.bat) is provided for testing.

This package is intended for training only. The objective is to have a powerful tool to
play with the concepts developed in structural analysis and mechanical engineering. It is not
intended to be used for analysing real cases. For real use cases consider the official release
of Code_aster.

Original Code_Aster is developed by EDF and available at http://www.code-aster.org/ with GPL license.

OVERVIEW
========

This interface is EXPERIMENTAL only.

waster interface can be used to launch a code_aster calculation starting from
aster command file and the mesh file. Command file is specified
by the user in the command line. Mesh files and other necessary files are copied
by the interface from the directory where is the command file in the working directory
used to perform the calculation. Results are copied back from the working directory to the directory
where the command file lies.

waster interface is a script (waster.bat) calling a java API software in waster-X.jar.
java API implements the command line interface and launches aster executable using
Windows commands.

INSTALLING
==========

As this is an experimental work be careful when installing. 
The package is provided as a windows zip file. You have to extract the files in the directory of your
choice:
C:/aster
for example.
Then you will have:
C:/aster/runtime
containing all the necessary files.
runtime and children directories and files should not be changed or renamed.

You have to install Python 2.6 for windows from 
http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.6.6/python-2.6.6.msi
(windows install)
You have to install numpy (python modules) from:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/numpy/files/NumPy/1.5.0/numpy-1.5.0-win32-superpack-python2.6.exe/download
You have to install java in order to use waster interface

TESTING
=======

You can test the installation by running the following commands:
cd C:\aster\runtime\example
C:\aster\runtime\waster a.comm
from a command line window.
You should obtain the results in
C:/aster/runtime/example/a.erre
C:/aster/runtime/example/a.mess
C:/aster/runtime/example/a.resu
C:/aster/runtime/example/base
If you want waster.bat to be available from any directory you must add the directory
containing waster.bat in your PATH environment variable.


DESCRIPTION AND MAIN FEATURES
=============================

This package could be used for running aster commands files (.comm) when mesh files (.mgib, .mail, .mmed)
are available.
MED and HDF5 libraries are included allowing the use of med format for exchanging data between
application.
Mesh in med format can be obtained with Salome platform. Med result files can be viewed using Salome platform
http://www.salome-platform.org/ 
Mesh files (.mgib) can be obtained with GIBI from CEA (http://www.code-aster.org)
Mesh files (.mail) can be obtained from code_aster 

DETAILS OF USE:
===============

the basic use of interface is as follows:
- make sure installation is done. Let us suppose we have C:\aster\runtime called here RUNTIME_HOME
- copy all the data files with a common name and different extensions in a directory of your choice
for example a.comm, a.mgib, a.35,... in the directory C:\test
- in a windows command window type 
cd C:\test
C:\aster\runtime\waster  a.comm
or
C:\aster\runtime\waster file:///C:/test/a.comm
- the working directory is created in
C:\test\work
- the results should be in
C:\test\a.0.resu
C:\test\a.0.erre
C:\test\a.0.mess
C:\base\glob.1
C:\test\pick.1,...
- you can delete the working directory 
If the result files already exist they are incremented in a.1.resu for example.

Association of files are done with the following pattern for a common_name:
		common_name.comm --> fort.1
		common_name.datg --> fort.20
		common_name.mgib --> fort.19
		common_name.msup --> fort.19
		common_name.msh  --> fort.19
		common_name.mail --> fort.20
		common_name.mmed --> fort.21
		common_name.erre --> fort.9
		common_name.mess --> fort.6
		common_name.resu --> fort.8
		common_name.cast --> fort.37
		
		common_name.ij  --> fort.ij


TROUBLESHOOTING:
===============

- waster tries to interpret Windows file path like C:\path\to\file.ext or like C:/path/to/file.ext but
 is designed to read file URI's in the form file:///C:/path/to/file.ext which the recommended practise

- a waster.n.log is created in the directory where you type the command line. It can contain the full
command to launch aster run

- waster fails to create waster.n.log if you have no writing permission in the directory where
you typed the command line. A workaround is to choose another directory  

- the full command created by waster to run aster.exe is in the following form:
RUNTIME_HOME\STA10.2\wasterd.exe RUNTIME_HOME\STA10.2\bibpyt\Execution\E_SUPERV.py -eficas_path RUNTIME_HOME\STA10.2\bibpyt -commandes CMD_FILE_HOME\work\fort.1 -rep_outils RUNTIME_HOME\OUTILS -rep_mat RUNTIME_HOME\STA10.2\materiau -memjeveux 8
You can use it in case of trouble to determine the cause substituting RUNTIME_HOME and COMMAND_FILE_HOME
with the path you used


KNOWN LIMITATIONS
=================

This package only contains the core solver of code_aster.
Following software have NOT been ported:
- ASTK
- EFICAS
- HOMARD
- MUMPS library
- SCOTCH library
- instructions such as MACR_INFO_MAIL (which use HOMARD)
- MACR_RECAL command

see test results for details


LICENSE
=======

This package is under General Public Licence and includes softwares:
. Code_Aster (GPL)
. Python 2.6 (GPL)
. Metis-edf (GPL)
. Apache Software Foundation (apache licence compatible GPL)

HELP
====

For Code_Aster use: post to the forum of Code_Aster at www.code-aster.org web site.

For this package use the forum of Code_Aster with prefix [windows]

