---
name: DIALS core meeting 2026-01-29
tags: core meeting
---

# DIALS core meeting 2026-01-29

## Previous Actions

- [ ] **ND** Investigate getting `psana` tests running on the DIALS xfel-regression testing
- [ ] **ND**: Move dials.diamond.ac.uk to a redirect to dials.github.io

## Agenda

### Broken CI/builds
- Several issues - dataset download issues on github CI, recently discovered numpy array-not-writeable (https://github.com/dials/dials/issues/3086).
- PR to turn off --regression tests in CI: https://github.com/dials/dials/pull/3091
- Also required pandas pin to try to resolve https://github.com/dials/dials/issues/3086
- Fixes failures, however now 31/36 xfel-regression tests failing with errors like "/bin/sh: 1: cctbx.xfel.time_varying_refinement: not found". So some build issue there? Help please?

### dials.github.io
- Mac installer link broken
- ND to look into, currently macos tests failing causing the development build not to be deployed
- https://github.com/cctbx/cctbx_project/issues/1119

### Metrics

- 2025-09-25 - dxtbx-side merged in, nothing yet in DIALS side to push it into the mtz history https://github.com/cctbx/dxtbx/pull/816
- Needs to be work to put in on DIALS side
- Work to do:
- Need to package history into MTZ, but MTZ history not the right place. Decided MTZ-appendix is the right place to put this in, but work not started yet
- Aaron has offered Yang's skills as his work should cover this area
- [ Write integrate and scale history to MTZ #2924 ](https://github.com/dials/dials/pull/2924)
- David to dig relevant information out
- MTZ Appendix: Some controversy
- Phenix/DIALS not included in discussions
- Fundamental technological issues
- Mixing MTZ/CIF
- Gemmi supports
- AB met with BP/DGW/Oleg/Dorothy and talking about MTZ appendix issue
- Conclusion: Nobody completely happy, AB to approach Clemens and get conversation going
- Dan Paley found issue with profiling and MTZ appendix https://github.com/cctbx/dxtbx/pull/867
- Agreed looks reasonable
- Requested David to have a look

### AOAOB

- Probably table for new year
- It is now new year
- Hamburg: imageset, sequences, laziness so it works on 100,000 image HDF5 files
- Did some work in a branch to get stills_process to use imagesequences
- Nick did some work to eliminate need for check_format
- All of this is in branches that have not been revisited
- Discussion about still goniometer dogma

### ImageSequence vs ImageSet
- Marko is working on an NXmx-like format class for SerialED, where the beam position changes each image
- It seems not possible to use `ImageSequence` for this, as it does not allow different models per image. Is this correct?
- `ImageSet` works, but import and viewing images is much slower
- Is there a long term plan to converge to just one of these classes, with all performance and feature issues fixed?
- Suggestion to look at DMcD properties table
- Discussion about serialization/deserialization overhead, brief discussion of using another form e.g. hdf5 or sqlite (for Experiment Lists).
- Discussion of existing uses of mixin inheritance

### APS Workshop

- GW had conversation about expanding workshop scope. Was half-day, thought maybe a full day - scope expanded to e.g. serial processing
- May 4th-8th 2026 two half-days of DIALS workshop probably
- Some travel funding available, potentially from outside US
- Proposal submitted, no reply yet, probably not before Christmas
- AB says RAPID data also approached us about DIALS workshops there

### Other

- Webinars: GW did one yesterday for NSLSII, requests for a couple more...
- ED, xia2.ssx and stills_process requests
- JBE happy to approach
- Chat to DGW about ED
- Dan nominated by AB to prepare for stills_process
- GW to email, coordinate
- GW patch to resolve dectris metadata change

- ND to investigate effort required for installer build issue resolution
- Investigated basic, infrastructure still fails to identify macOS arm, still need to proceed with conda-based installer plan

- xfel regression testing of https://github.com/dials/dials/pull/3062 (cosym performance changes) JBE asking for help please. Also somewhat unrelated, regular failing of CI jobs due to http download errors?
- We should turn off regression tests
- Maybe explore gitlab LFS as it works well for xfel-regression

### Requiring Explicit Joint Indexing

- https://github.com/dials/dials/pull/3051
- Objections?
- None! Merged!

## AOB

- IUCR: AB putting schedule together for DIALS workshop, wondering who is going to be attending, for scheduling speakers. 8am-Noon
- Need answers by Feb 15th

### Next meeting

Thursday, February 12th, 4pm (GMT), 8am (PST), 10am (CST)