FairRoot

The FairRoot framework

A simulation, reconstruction and analysis framework that is based on the ROOT system. The user can create simulated data and/or perform analysis with the same framework. Geant3 and Geant4 transport engines are supported, however the user code that creates simulated data do not depend on a particular monte carlo engine. The framework delivers base classes which enable the users to construct their detectors and /or analysis tasks in a simple way, it also delivers some general functionality like track visualization. Moreover an interface for reading magnetic field maps is also implemented.

License

FairRoot is distributed under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public Licence version 3 (LGPLv3).

Release information

Please see : https://github.com/FairRootGroup/FairRoot/releases

Getting started

Please see : http://fairroot.gsi.de/getting_started for details.

Using the Project template

FairRoot deliver meanwhile a project template that can be used as a starting point for anybody who would like to build simulation and reconstruction on FairRoot. The project Template is in the FairRoot/template/project_template directory

The template demonstrate and implement the following:

1. General structure of the software (cake config files, VMC/Geant configurations, etc ..)
2. Example detector with sensitive and passive volumes (NewDetector) and data class
3. Particle Stack for Geant3/4 with filtering infrastructure
4. Event generators (Pathia6,8) more are available directly from FairRoot
5. Passive component implementation (Magnet Yoke, Beam Pipe)
6. Track visualisation tool (Event display)
7. A rename script which replace all the generic names to user defined ones

Optional change of output tree name

By default, the name of the tree in output ROOT file is "cbmsim". In case you want to change it for your Project, you need to create "config" folder inside of top source directory of the Project and place there "rootmanager.dat" text file with following single line: "treename=name_you_chose".

cd PROJECT_TOP_DIR
mkdir config
echo 'treename=name_you_chose' > config/rootmanager.dat

Step by Step installation

1. Install FairSoft

   we use here "fair_install" as a directory name, you can use what you want!

   mkdir ~/fair_install
   cd ~/fair_install
   #git clone https://github.com/FairRootGroup/FairSoft.git
   git clone -b dev https://github.com/FairRootGroup/FairSoft.git
   cd FairSoft
   ./configure.sh
   # 1) gcc (on Linux) 5) Clang (on OSX)
   # 1) No Debug Info
   # 2) Internet (install G4 files from internet)
   # path: ~/fair_install/FairSoftInst

2. Install FairRoot

   # Set the shell variable SIMPATH to the installation directory
   export SIMPATH=~/fair_install/FairSoftInst
   [setenv SIMPATH ~/fair_install/FairSoftInst]
   
   cd ~/fair_install
   git clone -b dev https://github.com/FairRootGroup/FairRoot.git
   cd FairRoot
   mkdir build
   cd build
   cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="~/fair_install/FairRootInst" ..
   make
   make install

   To run the tests do:

   # To run test: make new shell, do not define SIMPATH
   cd ~/fair_install/FairRoot/build
   make test

3. Install the template:

   you need to copy the project template to you own directory

   # Set the shell variable FAIRROOTPATH to the FairRoot installation directory
   export FAIRROOTPATH=~/fair_install/FairRootInst
   [setenv FAIRROOTPATH ~/fair_install/FairRootInst]
   
   cd ~/fair_install
   cp  -rf  FairRoot/templates/project_template   MyTest
   cd MyTest
   ./rename.sh  MyExperiment  PREFIX  MyDetector
   
   # Please call the script with three parameters. The first one is the
   # name of the project. The second one is the prefix in front of
   # the class names. and some directories. So this second parameter
   # shouldn't be to long. The third parameter is the name of the
   # detector you want to implement.
   # As an example the if you want to create a project for the Panda
   # experiment and you want to implement a Straw Tube Tracker (stt)
   # you would call the script in the following way.
   # ./rename.sh Panda Pnd stt
   
   cd ..
   mkdir build
   cd build
   cmake ../MyExperiment
     make
   . config.sh    [or source config.csh]

   Now you can for example simulate some events and run the event display:

   root -q ../MyExperiment/macro/run_sim.C
   root ../MyExperiment/macro/eventDisplay.C
   // Click on "FairEventManager" (in the top-left pane)
   // Click on the "Info" tab (on top of the bottom-left pane)
   // Increase the "Current Event" to >0 to see the events
   root [1] .q

Build with data base module (-DWITH_DBASE)

The data base interface is now in a separate repository, to use it you have to download it first:

 cd FairRoot
 mkdir dbase
 cd dbase
 git clone https://github.com/denisbertini/dbase .

The interface to data bases can be switched on by setting the the cmake flage -DWITH_DBASE=ON

Warning: This option will change the inheritance tree of the parameter objects.

Modular (custom) installation of FairRoot:

(inrtoduced by Ivana Hrivnacova)

Added option FAIRROOT_MODULAR_BUILD (default is off)

• if the option is activated the environment variables SIMPATH and FAIRROOTPATH need not to be set;

The external packages are searched in these paths:

• on the system path (if their cmake configuration is available)
• in PackageXYZ_DIR
• in AlFa_DIR (cmake replacement for SIMPATH, introduced to be sure that we do not mix build via env and via CMake together)

The PackageXYZ_DIR has precedence to AlFa_DIR, however one should be careful with this use and prefer not to have the same package installation also in AlFa_DIR

Building with FAIRROOT_MODULAR_BUILD

• should be preceded by sourcing thisroot.sh, geant4.sh
• requires new versions of VMC packages built with CMake and installed either in AlFa_DIR or available on path

  cmake \
  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="Installation_directory_for_fairroot" \
  -DFAIRROOT_MODULAR_BUILD=ON \
  -DBOOST_ROOT="Path_to_boost_installation" \
  -DAlFa_DIR="Path_to_fairsoft_or_alfa_installation" \
  ../FairRoot

Generating Doxygen documentation

If the flage -DBUILD_DOXYGEN=ON is set when calling cmake, the doxygen documentation will be generated when calling make. The generated html files can then be found in "build/doxygen/doc/html"

Doxygen documantation is also available online here