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## Format: XSF

Name: X-window Crystalline and Structure Densities (XCrySDen) Structure Format

Extension: xsf

Specification: XCrySDen documentation

Visualization programs: VESTA, VMD, XCrySDen

#### Restrictions

Atomsk can read both periodic and molecular structures written in XSF format (see specification). For molecular XSF, since it contains no cell parameter Atomsk will try to automatically create a bounding box (this is identical to the option `-rebox`). Alternatively one can use the option `-properties` to set up the supercell parameters. If forces are present in the file, Atomsk will also read them.

When writing to XSF format Atomsk assumes periodic structure. If auxiliary properties exist, then only the forces (`fx, fy, fz`) are written.

If the file is an animated XSF file (which contains several snapshots) then only the first snapshot will be read and converted. To convert all the snapshots one can use the mode one-in-all. To create an animated XSF file one can use the mode all-in-one.

#### Examples

- `atomsk system.xsf POSCAR`

  This will read the XSF file `system.xsf`, and convert it to the file `POSCAR`.

- `atomsk initial.cfg final.xsf`

  This will read the file `initial.cfg`, and convert it to the file `final.xsf`.

- `atomsk --all-in-one myfiles.lst animation.xsf`

  This will read all the files specified in the list `myfiles.lst`, and output all snapshots in the animated XSF file `animation.xsf`.

- `atomsk --one-in-all animation.xsf cfg`

  This will read the animated XSF file `animation.xsf`, and output each snapshot in a separate file with the CFG format: `animation_1.cfg`, `animation_2.cfg`, etc.

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