No documentation on how to build grids/facemaps

[keckler]

The page in the docs describing the facemap input file does not describe how to build the facemap itself. Rather, it links to an example elsewhere in the docs, but that example is not very instructive. Particularly for a hexagonal map it is not straightforward to build one of these facemaps.

As a taunt, the docs say "GUI utilities are also useful for building core maps like this" and then "The ARMI GUI is not yet included in the open-source ARMI framework". Not too helpful!

It would be very helpful for the process of building a facemap to be described, or for more examples to be provided.

[keckler]

I take it back, a little. There are some examples, but you have to look into the API docs. Linking to this in the actual user docs could be helpful, since many users won't use the API.

[john-science]

Hey Chris. I see the facemap file is particularly brief.

1. I am totally new to facemaps, so I would need someone to walk me through them to add more documentation. Could you be that person?
2. I don't actually see any "facemap" examples in those API docs. Where are those?

[keckler]

Hah, unfortunately I am not the person to walk you through that. They are pretty new to me as well. You'll probably have to ask someone like @jakehader or @onufer . A couple things stand out to me right away as being needed, though:

1. What types of grid geometries are possible (i.e. hex, hex_corners_up, cartesian, etc.)
2. In what order to enter the assembly types for each geometry (and if placeholders like '-' are needed in the map)
3. If spacing, indentation, etc. is important
4. What types of symmetry are allowed for each grid type
5. Probably other things

With regards to your second question, I think that the term "facemap" is synonymous in the docs with "grid" or "lattice". So I think you should see in the API docs linked above that there are examples given for "grids". Those are what I was referring to.

[john-science]

Okay, the separate facemap input file no longer exists. I'm just going to remove this section.

There used to be separate "geometry files" as well.

But these days they are all represented by grids in a blueprint file. And there is no separate "geometry", "facemap" or "lattice" file.

[john-science]

Okay, I have removed all references to facemaps from the docs (I think).

As it happens, facemaps were removed from ARMI ages ago, and that's the reason the docs were confusing.

Thanks!