Importing data

The importers namespace holds functionality for importing data into SpECTRE. We currently support loading volume data files in the same format that is written by the observers.

Importing volume data

The importers::ElementDataReader parallel component is responsible for loading volume data, interpolating it, and distributing it to elements of one or multiple array parallel components. As a first step, make sure you have added the importers::ElementDataReader to your Metavariables::component_list. Also make sure you have a Parallel::Phase in which you will perform registration with the importer, and another in which you want to load the data. Here's an example for such Metavariables:

template <size_t Dim>
struct Metavariables {
  static constexpr size_t volume_dim = Dim;
  struct system {};
 
  using component_list =
      tmpl::list<ElementArray<Dim, Metavariables>,
                 TestDataWriter<Dim, Metavariables>,
                 importers::ElementDataReader<Metavariables>>;
 
  static constexpr const char* const help{"Test the volume data reader"};
  static constexpr bool ignore_unrecognized_command_line_options = false;
 
  static constexpr std::array<Parallel::Phase, 5> default_phase_order{
      {Parallel::Phase::Initialization, Parallel::Phase::Register,
       Parallel::Phase::ImportInitialData, Parallel::Phase::Testing,
       Parallel::Phase::Exit}};
 
  struct factory_creation
      : tt::ConformsTo<Options::protocols::FactoryCreation> {
    using factory_classes =
        tmpl::map<tmpl::pair<DomainCreator<Dim>, domain_creators<Dim>>>;
  };
 
  // NOLINTNEXTLINE(google-runtime-references)
  void pup(PUP::er& /*p*/) {}
};

To load volume data from a file, write an action in which you invoke importers::Actions::ReadAllVolumeDataAndDistribute on the importers::ElementDataReader. For simple use cases we provide importers::Actions::ReadVolumeData, which can be added to the phase_dependent_action_list of your element array and which will generate input-file options for you. Here's an example that will be explained in more detail below:

      Parallel::PhaseActions<
          Parallel::Phase::Register,
          tmpl::list<importers::Actions::RegisterWithElementDataReader,
                     Parallel::Actions::TerminatePhase>>,
      Parallel::PhaseActions<
          Parallel::Phase::ImportInitialData,
          tmpl::list<
              importers::Actions::ReadVolumeData<OptionsGroup, import_fields>,
              importers::Actions::ReceiveVolumeData<import_fields>,
              Parallel::Actions::TerminatePhase>>,

• The importers::Actions::ReadVolumeData action specifies input-file options and dispatches to importers::Actions::ReadAllVolumeDataAndDistribute on the importers::ElementDataReader nodegroup component. It loads the volume data file once per node on its first invocation. Subsequent invocations of these actions, e.g. from all other elements on the node, will do nothing. The data is distributed into the inboxes of all elements on the node under the importers::Tags::VolumeData tag using Parallel::receive_data.
• The importers::Actions::ReceiveVolumeData action waits for the volume data to be available and directly moves it into the DataBox. If you wish to verify or post-process the data before populating the DataBox, use your own specialized action in place of importers::Actions::ReceiveVolumeData.
• You need to register the elements of your array parallel component for receiving volume data. To do so, invoke the importers::Actions::RegisterWithElementDataReader action in an earlier phase, as shown in the example above.

The parameters passed to importers::Actions::ReadAllVolumeDataAndDistribute specify the volume data to load. See the documentation of importers::Actions::ReadAllVolumeDataAndDistribute for details. In the example above, we use importers::Actions::ReadVolumeData to generate the input-file options for us and place them in an option group:

struct OptionsGroup {
  static std::string name() { return "Importers"; }
  static constexpr Options::String help = "Numeric volume data";
};

This results in a section in the input file that may look like this:

Importers:
  VolumeData:
    FileGlob: "Test_DataImporterAlgorithm2D.h5"
    Subgroup: "TestData"
    ObservationValue: 2.
    Interpolate: False