Installation

Python Version

Python >= 3.8

Install with Pip

pip install picaso

With a pip install you will need to download the Reference Folder from Github (explained below). This can simply be done by downloading a zip of the PICASO code from Github (which does not require git setup if that is not available to you).

Download PICASO Reference Data

Note

PICASO 3.0 will not work with PICASO 2.3 reference folder. Please download the new reference folder if you are using PICASO 3.0

  1. Download the Reference Folder from Github. You should already this if you did a Git clone. Make sure that your reference folder matches the version number of ``PICASO``. Check the version number in the file reference/version.md.

  2. Download a Resampled Opacity File from Zenodo. Note that there are a few different versions. Any is acceptable depending on your resolution and wavelength needs. Put this db file in the Opacities reference Folder you downloaded from Github. You may need to rename it opacities.db and place into `reference/opacities` folder. The file placed into reference/opacities will serve as your default file. You can point to other opacity files using justdoit.opannection.

Create Environment Variable

There are several ways to create environment variables. Below are the three most popular methods. You only need to choose one that works best for you.

Method 1: bash_profile or zshrc file

As you might guess ~/.bash_profile is used for the Bash command line shell. ~/.zshrc is used for the Zsh command line shell. The steps below are identical.

vi ~/.bash_profile

Add add this line:

export picaso_refdata="/path/to/picaso/reference/"

Once you edit a bash profile file, you must source it. Alternatively you can open up a new terminal.

source ~/.bash_profile

Now you can check that your variable has been defined properly:

echo $picaso_refdata
/Users/nbatalh1/Documents/codes/PICASO/picaso/reference
cd $picaso_refdata
ls
base_cases chemistry config.json evolution opacities version.md

Your opacities folder shown above should include the file opacities.db file downloaded from zenodo. This is mostly a matter of preference, as PICASO allows you to point to an opacity directory. Personally, I like to store something with the reference data so that I don’t have to constantly specify a folder path when running the code.

Method 2: Add directly to python code

Sometimes it is too troublesome to go through bash settings and you may prefer to set it directly in your python code.

import os
os.environ['picaso_refdata'] = 'your_path' #THIS MUST GO BEFORE YOUR IMPORT STATEMENT
os.environ['PYSYN_CDBS'] = 'your_path' #this is for the stellar data discussed below.
import picaso.justdoit as jdi

Method 3: Add it to your conda enviornment

This is my method of choice! It involves creating conda environment specific variables. If you are interested in learning more about environment variables, you can read more about them here

If you already an evironment setup, you can do the following – which mimics the bash_profile/method 1 example.

conda activate your_env_name
cd $CONDA_PREFIX
mkdir -p ./etc/conda/activate.d
mkdir -p ./etc/conda/deactivate.d
touch ./etc/conda/activate.d/env_vars.sh
touch ./etc/conda/deactivate.d/env_vars.sh

The env_vars.sh file is similar to your bash_profile file. Therefore you can directly add your export statement there.

vi ./etc/conda/activate.d/env_vars.sh

Now add the line:

export picaso_refdata="/path/to/picaso/reference/"

Finally, you want to make sure that your environment variable is unset when you deactivate your environment.

vi ./etc/conda/deactivate.d/env_vars.sh

unset picaso_refdata

Notice here that I do not have a tilda (~) in front of ./etc. The full path of the env_vars.sh should look something like this:

conda activate your_environment
cd $CONDA_PREFIX
cd ./etc/conda/activate.d/
pwd
/Users/nbatalh1/.conda/envs/picaso/etc/conda/activate.d