To save download time for NEON sites, we've set a file constructed to just contain the range of lat/lons for NEON sites that we use. This has been set in the NEON user-mods and has always been done. The problem with this is that it then bypasses some of the other logic that determines if the lightning file is even needed. For example for SP cases, or if you are running FATES without fire on, or when lightning ignitions aren't taken into account.
Since, NEON has proven to be a critically important capability of the system it would be good to embed the setting of the lightning file into the build-namelist logic alongside the other logic that controls whether it's needed or not. I think this will make the code paths a bit easier to follow.
There are also some downsides of user-mods where they preserve previous code versions when you clone cases in a newer version, this removes that issue.
To save download time for NEON sites, we've set a file constructed to just contain the range of lat/lons for NEON sites that we use. This has been set in the NEON user-mods and has always been done. The problem with this is that it then bypasses some of the other logic that determines if the lightning file is even needed. For example for SP cases, or if you are running FATES without fire on, or when lightning ignitions aren't taken into account.
Since, NEON has proven to be a critically important capability of the system it would be good to embed the setting of the lightning file into the build-namelist logic alongside the other logic that controls whether it's needed or not. I think this will make the code paths a bit easier to follow.
There are also some downsides of user-mods where they preserve previous code versions when you clone cases in a newer version, this removes that issue.