PyLith Application#

The top-level object is the PyLith application with four facilities:

metadata:

Simulation metadata;

petsc:

PETSc settings.

problem:

Problem to run, including materials, boundary conditions, etc.; and

dump_parameters:

Dump parameters used and version information to file.

The problem facility defines of the boundary value problem to solve and contains the most information. It defines the finite-element discretization, materials, faults, initial conditions, boundary conditions, and output.

Simulation Metadata#

New in v3.0.0.

We use metadata to provide a concise summary of a simulation. The metadata gives structure to information previously placed in comments within the parameter files while also making this information machine readable. The metadata makes it possible for a Python script to launch an entire suite of simulations and search for simulation parameter files based on the metadata content (see Utilities for more information). For example, users can search examples that use a given feature.

At a minumum the metadata must include: (1) a description, (2) the command line arguments necessary to run the simulation, and (3) the PyLith version(s) that are compatible with the input files. We strongly encourage users to include all of the metadata in their own PyLith parameter files.