feat!(sim): Use g4Config.yaml instead of deprecated .C

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ it in future.
   - The `--SND_design` option in `macro/run_simScript.py` now accepts multiple values and an 'all' option to enable all available SND designs.
   - The geometry configuration and detector setup (`geometry/geometry_config.py`, `python/shipDet_conf.py`) have been updated to instantiate all requested SND detectors.
   - This enables running with multiple SND subdetectors simultaneously and is future-proof for additional SND designs.
+* Added YAML configuration files for Geant4 VMC setup (`g4Config.yaml`, `g4Config_basic.yaml`) to replace deprecated C macros
+  - Includes physics lists, Monte Carlo processes/cuts, and Geant4 macro commands
+  - Maintains full compatibility with original C configuration functionality
+* Add SHiP::VMCConfig class to setup VMC from the YAML configuration
 
 ### Fixed
 
@@ -122,6 +126,9 @@ it in future.
   - Add `SetTargetCoordinates()` method for robust geometry-based target configuration
   - Maintain backward compatibility with legacy TGeo navigation as fallback
 - The decorators from decorators.py now need to be applied explicitly using the new `apply_decorators` function.
+* Updated all simulation scripts to use YAML configuration (`g4Config.yaml`) instead of deprecated C macros (`g4Config.C`)
+  - Added explicit ShipStack instantiation in Python code to maintain custom stack functionality
+  - Updated 8 scripts including `run_simScript.py`, `inspectGeant4Geo.py`, and muonShieldOptimization scripts
 
 ### Removed
 
@@ -150,6 +157,8 @@ it in future.
 * Remove tankDesign variable, options
 * Remove target versions older than CDR
 * Remove hadron absorber in ShipTargetStation.cxx
+* Removed deprecated Geant4 VMC configuration files (`g4Config.C`, `g4Config_basic.C`, `g4config.in`, `g4config_basic.in`)
+* Remove GCUTS (replaced by CUTGAM in Geant4)
 
 ## 25.01
 

gconfig/g4Config.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+Geant4_UserGeometry:     "geomRoot"
+Geant4_PhysicsList:      "QGSP_BERT_HP_PEN"
+Geant4_SpecialProcess:   "stepLimiter+specialCuts+specialControls"
+Geant4_SpecialStacking:  false
+Geant4_Multithreaded:    false
+
+Geant4_MaxNStep:         10000    #default is 30000
+Geant4_Commands:
+ - /mcVerbose/all 0
+ - /mcTracking/loopVerbose 0
+ - /mcPhysics/g4NeutronHPVerbose 0
+ - /mcPhysics/g4HadronicProcessStoreVerbose 0
+ - /physics_lists/em/PositronToMuons true
+ - /physics_lists/em/GammaToMuons true
+ - /process/em/verbose 0
+ - /process/eLoss/verbose 0
+ - /mcDet/setIsLocalMagField true
+
+MonteCarlo_Process:
+    PAIR:         1        #pair production
+    COMP:         1        #Compton scattering
+    PHOT:         1        #photo electric effect
+    PFIS:         0        #photofission
+    DRAY:         1        #delta-ray
+    ANNI:         1        #annihilation
+    BREM:         1        #bremsstrahlung
+    HADR:         1        #hadronic process
+    MUNU:         1        #muon nuclear interaction
+    DCAY:         1        #decay
+    LOSS:         1        #energy loss
+    MULS:         1        #multiple scattering
+
+MonteCarlo_Cut:
+    CUTGAM:       1.0E-3   #gammas (GeV)
+    CUTELE:       1.0E-3   #electrons (GeV)
+    CUTNEU:       1.0E-3   #neutral hadrons (GeV)
+    CUTHAD:       1.0E-3   #charged hadrons (GeV)
+    CUTMUO:       1.0E-3   #muons (GeV)
+    BCUTE:        1.0E-3   #electron bremsstrahlung (GeV)
+    BCUTM:        1.0E-3   #muon and hadron bremsstrahlung (GeV)
+    DCUTE:        1.0E-3   #electron delta-rays (GeV)
+    DCUTM:        1.0E-3   #muon and hadron delta-rays (GeV)
+    PPCUTM:       1.0E-3   #direct pair production by muons (GeV)
+    TOFMAX:       1.E10    #time of flight cut (s)

gconfig/g4Config_basic.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+Geant4_UserGeometry:     "geomRoot"
+Geant4_PhysicsList:      "emStandard"
+Geant4_SpecialProcess:   ""
+Geant4_SpecialStacking:  false
+Geant4_Multithreaded:    false
+
+Geant4_MaxNStep:         10000    #default is 30000
+Geant4_Commands:
+ - /mcVerbose/all 0
+ - /mcTracking/loopVerbose 0
+ - /mcPhysics/g4NeutronHPVerbose 0
+ - /mcPhysics/g4HadronicProcessStoreVerbose 0
+ - /process/em/verbose 0
+ - /process/eLoss/verbose 0
+ - /mcDet/setIsLocalMagField true
+
+MonteCarlo_Process:
+    PAIR:         1        #pair production
+    COMP:         1        #Compton scattering
+    PHOT:         1        #photo electric effect
+    PFIS:         0        #photofission
+    DRAY:         1        #delta-ray
+    ANNI:         1        #annihilation
+    BREM:         1        #bremsstrahlung
+    HADR:         1        #hadronic process
+    MUNU:         1        #muon nuclear interaction
+    DCAY:         1        #decay
+    LOSS:         1        #energy loss
+    MULS:         1        #multiple scattering
+
+MonteCarlo_Cut:
+    CUTGAM:       1.0E-3   #gammas (GeV)
+    CUTELE:       1.0E-3   #electrons (GeV)
+    CUTNEU:       1.0E-3   #neutral hadrons (GeV)
+    CUTHAD:       1.0E-3   #charged hadrons (GeV)
+    CUTMUO:       1.0E-3   #muons (GeV)
+    BCUTE:        1.0E-3   #electron bremsstrahlung (GeV)
+    BCUTM:        1.0E-3   #muon and hadron bremsstrahlung (GeV)
+    DCUTE:        1.0E-3   #electron delta-rays (GeV)
+    DCUTM:        1.0E-3   #muon and hadron delta-rays (GeV)
+    PPCUTM:       1.0E-3   #direct pair production by muons (GeV)
+    TOFMAX:       1.E10    #time of flight cut (s)

macro/ShipAna.py

@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 run = ROOT.FairRunSim()
 run.SetName("TGeant4")  # Transport engine
 run.SetSink(ROOT.FairRootFileSink(ROOT.TMemFile('output', 'recreate')))  # Dummy output file
-run.SetUserConfig("g4Config_basic.C") # geant4 transport not used, only needed for the mag field
+ROOT.gInterpreter.ProcessLine('FairRunSim::Instance()->SetSimulationConfig(std::make_unique<SHiP::VMCConfig>("g4Config", "g4Config_basic.yaml"));') # geant4 transport not used, only needed for the mag field
 rtdb = run.GetRuntimeDb()
 # -----Create geometry----------------------------------------------
 modules = shipDet_conf.configure(run,ShipGeo)

macro/ShipReco.py

@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def mem_monitor():
 run = ROOT.FairRunSim()
 run.SetName("TGeant4")  # Transport engine
 run.SetSink(ROOT.FairRootFileSink(ROOT.TMemFile('output', 'recreate')))  # Dummy output file
-run.SetUserConfig("g4Config_basic.C") # geant4 transport not used, only needed for creating VMC field
+ROOT.gInterpreter.ProcessLine('FairRunSim::Instance()->SetSimulationConfig(std::make_unique<SHiP::VMCConfig>("g4Config", "g4Config_basic.yaml"));') # geant4 transport not used, only needed for creating VMC field
 rtdb = run.GetRuntimeDb()
 # -----Create geometry----------------------------------------------
 modules = shipDet_conf.configure(run,ShipGeo)

macro/create_field_perturbation.py

@@ -32,15 +32,16 @@ def create_csv_field_map(options):
 
     run = r.FairRunSim()
     run.SetName('TGeant4')  # Transport engine
-    run.SetSink(ROOT.FairRootFileSink("tmp_file"))  # Output file
-    # user configuration file default g4Config.C
-    run.SetUserConfig('g4Config.C')
+    run.SetSink(r.FairRootFileSink("tmp_file"))  # Output file
+    # Use SHiP::VMCConfig for YAML configuration
+    r.gInterpreter.ProcessLine('FairRunSim::Instance()->SetSimulationConfig(std::make_unique<SHiP::VMCConfig>("g4Config", "g4Config.yaml"));')
     modules = shipDet_conf.configure(run, ship_geo)
     primGen = r.FairPrimaryGenerator()
     primGen.SetTarget(ship_geo.target.z0+70.845*u.m, 0.)
     #
     run.SetGenerator(primGen)
     run.SetStoreTraj(r.kFALSE)
+    # ShipStack is now automatically created by SHiP::VMCConfig
     run.Init()
     fieldMaker = geomGeant4.addVMCFields(ship_geo, '', True)
 

macro/inspectGeant4Geo.py

@@ -11,15 +11,19 @@
 fgeo = ROOT.TFile(fname)
 sGeo = fgeo.Get("FAIRGeom")
 import shipDet_conf
+
 run = ROOT.FairRunSim()
 upkl = Unpickler(fgeo)
 ShipGeo = upkl.load('ShipGeo')
 modules = shipDet_conf.configure(run, ShipGeo)
-run.SetUserConfig('g4Config.C')
+# Use SHiP::VMCConfig for YAML configuration
+ROOT.gInterpreter.ProcessLine('FairRunSim::Instance()->SetSimulationConfig(std::make_unique<SHiP::VMCConfig>("g4Config", "g4Config.yaml"));')
 run.SetName('TGeant4')
 run.SetSink(ROOT.FairRootFileSink(ROOT.TMemFile('output', 'recreate')))
+# ShipStack is now automatically created by SHiP::VMCConfig
 run.Init()
 run.Run(0)
 import geomGeant4
+
 geomGeant4.printVMCFields()
 geomGeant4.printWeightsandFields()

macro/run_simScript.py

@@ -286,12 +286,14 @@
 run = ROOT.FairRunSim()
 run.SetName(mcEngine)  # Transport engine
 run.SetSink(ROOT.FairRootFileSink(outFile))  # Output file
-run.SetUserConfig("g4Config.C") # user configuration file default g4Config.C
+# Use SHiP::VMCConfig for YAML configuration via C++ interpreter
+ROOT.gInterpreter.ProcessLine('FairRunSim::Instance()->SetSimulationConfig(std::make_unique<SHiP::VMCConfig>("g4Config", "g4Config.yaml"));')
 rtdb = run.GetRuntimeDb()
 # -----Create geometry----------------------------------------------
 # import shipMuShield_only as shipDet_conf # special use case for an attempt to convert active shielding geometry for use with FLUKA
 # import shipTarget_only as shipDet_conf
 import shipDet_conf
+
 modules = shipDet_conf.configure(run,ship_geo)
 # -----Create PrimaryGenerator--------------------------------------
 primGen = ROOT.FairPrimaryGenerator()
@@ -515,6 +517,9 @@
 #--- Use it only to display but not for production!
 if options.eventDisplay: run.SetStoreTraj(ROOT.kTRUE)
 else:            run.SetStoreTraj(ROOT.kFALSE)
+
+# ShipStack is now automatically created by SHiP::VMCConfig
+
 # -----Initialize simulation run------------------------------------
 run.Init()
 if options.dryrun: # Early stop after setting up Pythia 8

muonShieldOptimization/run_fixedTarget.py

@@ -143,7 +143,8 @@ def get_work_dir(run_number,tag=None):
 run = ROOT.FairRunSim()
 run.SetName(mcEngine)  # Transport engine
 run.SetSink(ROOT.FairRootFileSink(outFile))  # Output file
-run.SetUserConfig("g4Config.C") # user configuration file default g4Config.C
+# Use SHiP::VMCConfig for YAML configuration
+run.SetSimulationConfig(ROOT.std.make_unique[ROOT.SHiP.VMCConfig]("g4Config", "g4Config.yaml"))
 rtdb = run.GetRuntimeDb()
 
 # -----Materials----------------------------------------------
@@ -214,6 +215,7 @@ def get_work_dir(run_number,tag=None):
 #
 run.SetGenerator(primGen)
 # -----Initialize simulation run------------------------------------
+# ShipStack is now automatically created by SHiP::VMCConfig
 run.Init()
 
 gMC = ROOT.TVirtualMC.GetMC()