first_steps.markdown

+
+# First steps #
+
+LMGC90 software main API is a Python module. It come with a pre-processor written in Python.
+There are several examples in the *examples* directory of the user version. Follow the next
+steps to run one of them.
+
+First choose an example and open a terminal in the directory of the example.
+
+### Generation ###
+
+To have more information on the pre-processor open in a web navigator the file *docs/pre_lmgc/index.html*.
+
+To run an example, if there is no DATBOX directory or it is empty, run the Python generation script which
+is most time called *gen_sample.py* with the command:
+```shell
+$> python gen_sample.py
+```
+
+You should now have a *DATBOX* directory containing all needed *.DAT* and *.INI* files.
+
+### Computation ###
+
+Now run the command script usually called (with much surprise) *command.py*:
+```shell
+$> python command.py
+```
+
+To get more information on the structure on command scripts read the documentation opening the file
+*docs/chipy/index.html* in a web navigator.
+
+Once the computation is done, you should have the directory *OUTBOX* containing ASCII output files, and a
+*DISPLAY* directory with output file readable by paraview.
+
+### Postprocessing and Visualization ###
+
+The ASCII files in *POSTPRO* directory result from the commands in the *DATBOX/POSTPRO.DAT* file. To have
+more information on how to use this features read the documents *manuals/LMGC90_Postpro.pdf*.
+
+The files inside the *DISPLAY* directory can be visualize with paraview. It is advised to read the *.pvd* files
+which ensure time consistency. The different output files are:
+
+ * tacts: rigid contactors
+ * rigids: rigids center of mass
+ * inter: interactions
+ * mecafe: mechanical mesh
+ * therfe: thermal mesh
+ * porofe: porous mechanical mesh
+ * multife: multi-phasic fluid in porous media mesh
+