Author Topic: Unable to open POSCAR or CONTCAR files in the builder  (Read 4212 times)

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Offline apearse

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Hey all,

Really enjoying your software so far, but I'm having what is probably a simple issue with the builder.

I would like to open some POSCARs and CONTCARs in order to use your NEB image building tool, but I can't seem to open the files. It just tells me "error importing <file>". The example POSCAR works fine. What can I do here?

I've attached some relevant files- neither works.

Offline Umberto Martinez

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Re: Unable to open POSCAR or CONTCAR files in the builder
« Reply #1 on: May 6, 2014, 23:00 »
You should also have the POTCAR file in the same directory as the POSCARs/CONTCARs in order to read the atomic species.
However, in case you do not have the POTCAR the error message would be:
"The POSCAR file must be in a directory also containing a (zipped) POTCAR or OUTCAR file."

are you using 13.8.0 or 13.8.1? or an older version?

Offline apearse

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Re: Unable to open POSCAR or CONTCAR files in the builder
« Reply #2 on: May 7, 2014, 00:17 »
You should also have the POTCAR file in the same directory as the POSCARs/CONTCARs in order to read the atomic species.
However, in case you do not have the POTCAR the error message would be:
"The POSCAR file must be in a directory also containing a (zipped) POTCAR or OUTCAR file."

are you using 13.8.0 or 13.8.1? or an older version?


This is version 13.8.1. It seems that putting the POTCAR in the same directory fixed the problem- I can open them now. However, that was definitely not the error message I recieved: "Error importing from file: <file>". The other message would have been much more helpful!

Thank you for the help.

Offline Umberto Martinez

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Re: Unable to open POSCAR or CONTCAR files in the builder
« Reply #3 on: May 7, 2014, 10:32 »
I agree, of course.
good feedback!


Offline Anders Blom

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Re: Unable to open POSCAR or CONTCAR files in the builder
« Reply #4 on: May 7, 2014, 15:34 »
Definitely agree. However, from ATK 2014 this file would open without the POTCAR, since the elements are listed in the POSCAR file itself.