Release Name: FD-Gen Beta 0.1
Release Date: [Oct 15, 2024]
Version: 0.1 (Beta)
Fire data generator (FD-Gen) is a Python-based script tool designed to automate the creation of multiple FDS input files. The tool is developed using the Python programming language. It reads parameters and commands from a text file that integrates FD-Gen syntax into an FDS input file template, enabling seamless customization and automation in the creation of FDS input files.
The workflow of FD-Gen is shown below. It consists of 6 main steps. The comprehensive documentation will be released soon.
Figure 1. FD-Gen framework.
To prepare the FD-Gen input file.
Each data generation project in FD-Gen is controlled by a paragraph of text-based script embedded within the original FDS input file. This script employs a namelist format to input parameters and values throughout the entire data generation process. This structured approach allows for clear organization and efficient manipulation of the fire parameters, facilitating seamless integration with the FDS framework.
The following folder contains several examples of prepared FD-Gen input files.
To open a CMD (Command Prompt) window, change the working directory to your local repository, and then read an input file using FD-Gen.
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Open the Command Prompt.
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Change the current working directory to your local repository.
cd path\to\your\repository -
Read the input file with FD-Gen.
FD-Gen PATH_TO_INPUT_FILE
After running the script for checking and parameter sampling, users can review the sampled parameter values in the PARAMETER_FILE_FOLDER located within the project folder. If the sampling aligns with the design, you can proceed with the program in the command (cmd) window. Otherwise, you'll need to return to the FD-Gen input file to modify the script guiding the parameter sampling.
The wrapping process will automatically replace the sampled values with their corresponding original values within the script lines of the FDS template file. As a result, multiple FDS input files, as designed, will be generated and saved in the project folder under CASE_FOLDER.
In addition to the spreadsheet containing the sampled parameter value information in the PARAMETER_FILE_FOLDER and the FDS input files in the CASE_FOLDER, FD-Gen also provides outputs to plot sampled fire source locations, HRR curves, and value distributions. These visual outputs give users a comprehensive view of the data and help ensure the reproducibility of the dataset. The output files are saved in the project folder under OUTPUT_FOLDER.
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downoad FD-Gen.exe and the example input file example_commercial.fds
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open command prompt
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Change the current working directory to your local repository
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Read the input file with FD-Gen
Figure 2. read the input file.
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check FD-Gen script and parameter sampling data. type Y or y to continue the following step.
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finish project folder example_commercial will be created under the current working directory.
CASE_FOLDER The CASE_FOLDER contains multiple FDS case files generated based on the sampled values designed in the input FD-Gen file configuration.
Figure 3. example of CASE_FOLDER.
OUTPUT_FOLDER The OUTPUT_FOLDER contains visualizations of the sampled data, including plots of fire source locations, HRR curves, and specific value distributions.
Figure 4. example of OUTPUT_FOLDER.
PARAMETER_FILE_FOLDER The PARAMETER_FILE_FOLDER contains a spreadsheet with the sampled parameter values for each case, along with a text file providing a summary of the parameter values.
Figure 5. example of PARAMETER_FILE_FOLDER.
SEEDS_FOLDER The SEEDS_FOLDER contains the seeds used for the project, ensuring reproducibility of the sampling process in the future.
Figure 6. example of SEEDS_FOLDER.
The documentation will be published as a NIST technical Note in the near future, providing detailed instructions and guidance on using FD-Gen.