EVOLVER-NOX-LD(1)

📦
version 2.70 · 4 versions
, in ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💖 EVOLVER-NOX-LD(1) — the Surface Evolver, but make it no X and long double 💖

okay bestie, sit down, hydrate, because we're talking about evolver-nox-ld — that's the section-1 manual page for the Surface Evolver program with no X support and long double extended precision floating point format. yes the whole name is a mouthful. no we're not shortening it. it's iconic like that. 👑

✨ NAME ✨

evolver-nox-ld — The Surface Evolver program with no X support and long double extended precision floating point format.

like. she does surfaces. she does them precisely. and she does NOT want to talk to your X server, periodt. 💅

🌈 SYNOPSIS 🌈

evolver-nox-ld [-a][-d][-e][-i][-m][-q][-w][-x][-y][-h][-V] [-f FILE]
[-pN] [DATAFILE]

look at all those little flags. a whole alphabet of options. we love a flexible queen. 🎀

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

The Surface Evolver is an interactive program for the modelling of liquid surfaces shaped by various forces and constraints. Basically the Surface Evolver minimizes the energy of triangulated surfaces according to designated energies and constraints.

okay so real talk: you give her a triangulated surface, you tell her what energies and what constraints are in play, and she just… minimizes. energy go down. surface go swole. that's the whole vibe. 🔥

This man page mainly documents command line options and environment variables.

(translation: this page is the starter pack, not the whole manual. the whole manual is elsewhere, and yes, we will tell you where. iykyk.)

💅 OPTIONS 💅

  • -a — Autoconvert to named quantities when needed (default is on); use -a- to deactivate autoconversion.

so she's already doing this for you by default, bestie. if you wanna turn it off, you write -a- and she minds her business. 🙈

  • -d — Begin with parser debugging on (equivalent to debug runtime command); beware of copious output.
⚠️ warning: beware of copious output. like. COPIOUS copious. your terminal is gonna be talking.
  • -e — Echo stdin to stdout; meant for testing piped input.

she's just repeating what you said back at you. it's for testing piped input. it's giving mirror. 🪞

  • -f FILE — After loading DATAFILE, read commands from file, then command line prompt.

so: load the datafile, then run the commands from file, then hand the mic back to you at the command line prompt. main character energy: yours. 👑

  • -i — Preserve DATAFILE numbers for element id's, rather than renumbering.

she keeps your original element id's exactly as written. no renumbering, no surprises. 💖

  • -m — Begin with memory debugging on (equivalent to memdebug runtime command); beware of copious output.
⚠️ again: beware of copious output. same energy as -d, different department.
  • -pN — Run with N concurrent processes.

N processes. she's multithreaded, she's booked, she's busy. ✨

  • -q — Convert to named quantities at start (equivalent to convert_to_quantities runtime command).

does it right at the start instead of waiting around. punctual queen. 🎀

  • -w — Exit immediately after any warning or error message; meant for batch runs.
she does not play. any warning OR error and she is GONE. meant for batch runs, so nobody's watching the door.
  • -x — Exit immediately after any error message; meant for batch runs.

slightly more chill than -w (she only bails on errors, warnings are whatever) but still: meant for batch runs. 💀

  • -y — Break to user prompt after any warning message.

warning happens → she stops and asks you. very "hey bestie, thoughts?" of her. 🫶

  • -h — Display this help, then exit.

free help, then she dips. 🌸

  • -V — Display the version and the banner, then exit.

version + banner reveal, then exit, stage left. ⭐

🌸 AVAILABILITY 🌸

The latest version of the Surface Evolver, up-to-date documentation, and more are available on-line from:

http://www.susqu.edu/brakke/evolver

put that in your bookmarks, babe. 📌

Surface Evolver Version 2.70a (Debian 2.70+ds-10), August 27, 2013, 64-bit. Compiled for 16-byte long double, 18 digits precision. Built with Geomview support.

the girlies that get it, get it. 2.70a. sixteen bytes of long double. eighteen digits of precision. built with Geomview support. no cap. 🔥

💜 ENVIRONMENT 💜

  • EVOLVERPATH — Colon-separated list of paths automatically searched for datafiles, included files, or on-line help documentation. By default, the paths /usr/share/doc/evolver/html and /usr/share/doc/evolver/examples are appended (in that order); this default behaviour can be cancelled by appending at least three consecutive colons (":::") at its end.

so she goes looking for your datafiles, your included files, and your on-line help docs — everywhere in that colon-separated list. and by default she also checks /usr/share/doc/evolver/html and then /usr/share/doc/evolver/examples, in that exact order.

wanna kill that default behaviour? slap at least three consecutive colons (":::") at the end. that's the whole spell. 🧚

🍓 FILES 🍓

  • ~/.evolver_history — Per user command history file.

your command history. per user. she remembers. 🫶

  • /usr/share/doc/evolver/manual.pdf — The (complete) Surface Evolver Manual in PDF format.

the COMPLETE manual. capital C complete. 📖

  • /usr/share/doc/evolver/EvolverDoc.html — The HTML version of the Surface Evolver Manual that contains what the PDF manual has, modulo some advanced material.

same manual, HTML flavour, minus a little advanced material. still slay. 🌐

  • /usr/share/doc/evolver/examples/ — This folder contains sample material, mainly datafiles and command-files, for the Surface Evolver.

the sample folder!! datafiles! command-files! go poke around, it's free real estate. 🎁

👑 AUTHOR 👑

Ken Brakke <brakke@susqu.edu> has written and currently maintained the core part of the Surface Evolver. This man page was written for Debian by Jerome Benoit <calculus@rezozer.net>.

two absolute legends. we stan. 🫡

😭 REPORTING BUGS 😭

Report bugs to Ken Brakke <brakke@susqu.edu>

please be nice and be specific. bug reports are love letters with steps to reproduce. 💌

Copyright © 1989-2016 Ken Brakke <brakke@susqu.edu>

⭐ SEE ALSO ⭐

The complete manual for the Surface Evolver is available in PDF format in the documentation folder as /usr/share/doc/evolver/manual.pdf.

geomview(1), polymerge(1), anytooff(1), oogl(5), readline(3)

the friend group. go read them too. 💖

okay that's the whole page, bestie — this one's the Debian build of the Surface Evolver, version August 2025, so go minimize some energy and remember: no X support, long double precision, no problems. ✨💅

📦 where this page comes from