--- /dev/null
+
+
+PADDER overview
+---------------
+
+PADDER is an algorithm that creates a set of particules called a "discrete mesh".
+The particules are characterized by a location in space and a weight that can be considered
+as the radius of a sphere whose center is the location of the particule.
+
+Discrete meshes are typically used to modelize civil components in rapid dynamic
+computation problems (seisms, chocs). These components consists in concrete parts
+embedding steal bares for reinforcement. These parts are input to the algorithm
+as standard finite elements meshes. The cells of theses meshes drive the location
+and sizing of particules.
+
+In the med representation, a discrete mesh is described as MED_BALL elements.
+A MED_BALL element is defined by a location and a radius.
+
+PADDER plugin
+-------------
+
+This directory provides SMESH with a SALOME plugin that can be used to define
+and then run a PADDER execution. The inputs are the FE meshes that describe
+the concrete parts and steal bares parts. The output is a discrete mesh
+containing MED_BALL elements.
+
+A graphical interface is used to drive the user for data input and computation
+supervision (the algorithm may last more than an hour long), and finally the publication
+of the resulting mesh (when succeed) in the SALOME study.
+
+Technically speaking, the PADDER plugin consists in:
+
+* a SALOME component MESHJOB that do the computation job (wrapper to the padder executable program)
+* a graphical interface composed of two dialog windows
+* a configuration mechanism (data file and read function), to define
+ the computation resource (a SALOME resource + the software configuration of the padder executable
+ program on this resource)
+* an integration file (salomeplugin.py)
