READASCII(1)              TIPSY COMMANDS             READASCII(1)

NAME

       readascii - read an ascii file

SYNOPSIS

       readascii filename

DESCRIPTION

       readascii is a command to read in the currently open ascii
       file and write it out in binary form into  file  filename.
       The  ascii2binary program also converts TIPSY ascii format
       into TIPSY binary format.   The  oldreadascii  command  is
       used for ascii files with the old format.

       If  no  ascii  file is open or if a binary file is already
       open an error is generated.  Ascii files are opened  using
       the  openascii  command.  After the binary file is written
       the ascii file is closed and the binary file  filename  is
       opened.   Binary  files  can be opened or closed using the
       openbinary and closebinary commands.

       The ascii file should be of the TIPSY ascii form and typi-
       cally  contains  all  the time frames in sequential order.
       Each time frame should be of the form:


              ntotal, ngas, nstar

              ndimensions

              time

              mass(i), i = 1 to ntotal

              x_position(i), i = 1 to ntotal

              y_position(i), i = 1 to ntotal

              z_position(i), i = 1 to ntotal

              x_velocity(i), i = 1 to ntotal

              y_velocity(i), i = 1 to ntotal

              z_velocity(i), i = 1 to ntotal

              grav_softening_length_dark_particles(i), i =  1  to
              ndark

              grav_softening_length_star_particles(i), i =  1  to
              nstar

              density(i), i = 1 to ngas

              temperature(i), i = 1 to ngas

              sph_smoothing_length(i), i = 1 to ngas,

              metals_gas(i), i = 1 to ngas,

              metals_star(i), i = 1 to nstar,

              formation_time(i), i = 1 to nstar,

              potential_energy(i), i = 1 to ntotal,

       where ntotal is the total number of particles, ngas is the
       number  of gas particles, ndark is the number of dark mat-
       ter particles, and nstar is the number of star  particles.
       The  first  ngas particles should be the gas particles and
       the last nstar particles should be the star particles with
       the  dark  particles being in the middle.  Therefore, each
       time frame should contain 9*ntotal+3*ngas+2nstar +3 lines.

       After  the  binary file is made a specific time must still
       be loaded using the loadbinary command.

SEE ALSO

       closeascii(1),       closebinary(1),        loadbinary(1),
       oldreadascii(1), openbinary(1), openascii(1)



KQ Release 2.0            22 MARCH 1994              READASCII(1)