From pkwi at dtu.dk Fri Dec 12 13:12:57 2025 From: pkwi at dtu.dk (=?utf-8?B?UGV0ZXIgS2rDpnIgV2lsbGVuZHJ1cA==?=) Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:12:57 +0000 Subject: [mcxtrace-users] December 12th, 2025: McStas and McXtrace 3.6.1 released Message-ID: Dear all, The McStas and McXtrace release 3.6.1 is now available. McStas installation instructions are found on GitHub . McXtrace installation instructions are found on GitHub . What's Changed - Main Highlights: Overall release focus: * Code quality improvements: Suppression of warnings from c-compilers and our static code analysis tool cppcheck * Continuous integration improvement: Any change in instrument/component code is tested via GitHub CI features New tool features / capabilities: * mcrun/mxrun simulation launch tool: (@willend) * Scans can be parallelised at the "step number" level, use --scan_split. Contribution from @Lomholy. * If installed, cppcheck can be used to perform static code analysis on the generated code, use -C/--c-lint? * Improved string-handling in input parameters, e.g. in use with NCrystal config strings. Contribution from @tkittel. * mcplot/mxplot simulation plot tools: (@willend) * Better support for 'intermediate saves' done via kill -USR2 or Progress_bar, and plots should work on an unfinished simulation. * Plotting a completed simulation with 'intermediate saves' will give you latest plot version in the 2D case and multiple, overplotted curves in the 1D case * The mcplot-matlab/mxplot-matlab tool is back. You need to manually install either Matlab or Octave to make use of this * mcdisplay/mxdisplay instrument visualisation tools: (@willend) * On conda-based installations, the mcdisplay-cad/mxdisplay-cad tool includes the cadquery dependency. On completion of building the model, the OS is asked to handle the resulting CAD model. * The mcdisplay-matlab/mxdisplay-matlab tool is back. You need to manually install either Matlab or Octave to make use of this * For better integration with McStasScript, the mcdisplay-webgl-classic/mxdisplay-webgl-classic is used in such scenarios * The 'newer/fancy' mcdisplay-webgl/mxdisplay-webgl based on THREE.js, react and other javascript requires a slightly time-consuming installation process on 1st launch. The user now gets an info box about this. * The McStas-specific mcdisplay-mantid IDF generator tool received a bug fix for OFF geometry detectors. * mcdoc/mxdoc documentation tool: (@willend) * Higher quality / more complete comp/instr doc pages * mctest/mxtest test tool: (@willend) * Easier to use locally for component/instrument developers Components and instruments: McXtrace: * The Fluorescence components have a new flag to enhance statistics/signal from low concentration materials. Work by @farhi. McStas: * The Union subsystem now handles 'surface physics' with the introduction of a system of refraction/reflection processes on geometry surfaces. Work by @mads-bertelsen. * The Union subsystem now has a functional 3D-mesh system (Union_mesh) that supports CAD style geometries. (Ascii/binary STL files and OFF files are supported. - For now only those with triangular meshing.) Work by @Lomholy. * As part of the overall code-quality improvement process, various aspects of the Union subsystem have been tested / improved / revised. Contributions by @tkittel and @willend in close collaboration with @mads-bertelsen. * New ISIS-related instrument files, components and data: * ISIS_LET by Ross Stewart and Rob Bewley, serves as test-instrument for Commodus_I3 (ISIS source model - corresponds to ViewModISIS with a different parameter interface) * Updated / larger set of input files for the ISIS moderator components * Multilayer_sample from Rob Dalgliesh was updated with nrepeats which allows to repeat an SLD material stack. ISIS_CRISP was updated to include this feature. * TOF_PSDmonitor_toQ is a new component with built-in data reduction from Rob Dalgliesh. Uses ToF to calculate Q. Test_TOF_PSDmonitor_toQ is a basic instrument to showcase the component. * Several of the basic McStas sample components received a systematic validation against analytical methods, thanks to @Lomholy with help from KU/NBI students. * As part of the overall code-quality improvement process, the whole component / instrument base got a BIG overhaul as such (@willend) Platform support: * The Windows/conda platform which uses the MSVC compiler is now fully functional for all McStas code and a good part of the McXtrace code. As part of this process a new header-file mccode-complex-lib.h should be used by all code requiring complex numbers. (Implements functions for e.g. +-*/ operations across platforms - MSVC does not self implement these operations...) @willend For all release details, please refer to the github release page for version 3.6.1 Seasons greetings from all of McStas/McXtrace - and hope you will enjoy this new release! Peter Willendrup Peter Kj?r Willendrup Forskningsingeni?r, Specialkonsulent DTU Physics [image001.gif] Technical University of Denmark [image002.gif] Department of Physics Fysikvej Building 307 DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby Main office at ESS DMSC Building 305 DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby Direct +45 2125 4612 Mobil +45 2125 4612 Fax +45 4593 2399 pkwi at fysik.dtu.dk -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 58 bytes Desc: image001.gif URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1055 bytes Desc: image002.gif URL: