`BoundaryData` class doesn't read `points` file properly

[rthedin]

When reading boundary data, the points file isn't always read correctly and thus it stops at an assertion. The function that reads the points file has this comment:

windtools/windtools/SOWFA6/constant/boundaryData.py

Lines 147 to 149 in f18bbc1

	"""Detects y and z (1-D arrays) from a list of points on a
	structured grid. Makes no assumptions about the point
	ordering

but it does make assumptions on the ordering. In this function, the user can specify the number of points in the two directions and the code assumes certain order by doing

windtools/windtools/SOWFA6/constant/boundaryData.py

Line 158 in f18bbc1

y = ylist.reshape((NY,NZ))[:,0]

If the user doesn't pass the number of points-- or rather, the points are in fact scrambled and the reshape above is not desirable-- it assumes one of the dimensions is varying faster in an ordered manner:

windtools/windtools/SOWFA6/constant/boundaryData.py

Lines 159 to 161 in f18bbc1

	elif zlist[1]==zlist[0]:
	# y changes faster, F-ordering
	NY = np.nonzero(zlist > zlist[0])[0][0]

or,

windtools/windtools/SOWFA6/constant/boundaryData.py

Lines 166 to 168 in f18bbc1

	elif ylist[1]==ylist[0]:
	# z changes faster, C-ordering
	NZ = np.nonzero(ylist > ylist[0])[0][0]

The issue is that it assumes that the slow-varying dimension is ordered. The number of points in the slow-varying dimension, obtained with, for example, NY = np.nonzero(zlist > zlist[0])[0][0] only gives the correct number of points in that dimension when zlist is equal to np.sort(zlist). The re-ordering index obtained by reading points need to be carried forward and used when reading the actual files U, T,`k', etc.

[ewquon]

@rthedin, I'm guessing this issue has never been fixed — did you ever come up with a fix/workaround? Desiree has been using some of this code, I think, so this may be relevant again.

[rthedin]

I don't think I ever came up with a fix. I'm not sure what my workaround was at the time of the original posting. I don't think this used to happen very frequently.