Major update to the existing documentation

.gitignore

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ __pycache__/*
 
 # Build specific files
 build*/
+_build*/
 install/
 vs-build/
 

.readthedocs.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# .readthedocs.yml
+# Read the Docs configuration file
+# See https://docs.readthedocs.io/en/stable/config-file/v2.html for details
+
+# Required
+version: 2
+
+sphinx:
+  configuration: docs/conf.py
+
+formats:
+  - htmlzip
+  - pdf
+  # - epub
+
+python:
+  version: 3.7
+  install:
+    - requirements: docs/requirements.txt
+  system_packages: true
+
+# select the docker image to use: stable | latest
+build:
+  image: stable
+
+sphinx:
+  builder: html
+  configuration: docs/conf.py
+  fail_on_warning: true

.travis.yml

@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ addons:
     update: true
 
 before_install:
-      # linux configuration
+    # linux configuration
     - if [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "linux" ]]; then sudo apt-get install gfortran libblas-dev liblapack-dev; fi
     - if [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "linux" && "$CPP_API" == "ON" ]]; then sudo apt-get install libopenmpi-dev libyaml-cpp-dev libhdf5-dev libxml2-dev; fi
     - if [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "linux" ]]; then pyenv shell 3.7.1; fi

README.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+OpenFAST
+========
+
+|travisci| |nbsp| |rtfd|
+
+.. |travisci| image:: https://travis-ci.org/OpenFAST/openfast.svg?branch=dev
+   :target: https://travis-ci.org/OpenFAST/openfast
+   :alt: Build Status
+.. |rtfd| image:: https://readthedocs.org/projects/openfast/badge/?version=dev
+   :target: https://openfast.readthedocs.io/en/dev
+   :alt: Documentation Status
+.. |nbsp| unicode:: 0xA0
+   :trim:
+
+OpenFAST is a wind turbine simulation tool which builds on FAST v8. It was
+created with the goal of being a community model developed and used by research
+laboratories, academia, and industry. It is managed by a dedicated team at the
+National Renewable Energy Lab. Our objective is to ensure that OpenFAST is
+sustainable software that is well tested and well documented. If you'd like
+to contribute, see the `Developer Documentation <https://openfast.readthedocs.io/en/dev/source/dev/index.html>`_
+and any open GitHub issues with the
+`Help Wanted <https://github.com/OpenFAST/openfast/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A"Help+wanted">`_
+tag.
+
+**OpenFAST is under active development**.
+
+FAST v8 - OpenFAST v0.1.0
+-------------------------
+The transition from FAST v8 to OpenFAST v0.1.0 represents the effort to better
+support an open-source developer community around FAST-based aero-hydro-servo-
+elastic engineering models of wind-turbines and wind-plants. OpenFAST is the
+next generation of FAST analysis tools. More inforation is available in the
+`transition notes <http://openfast.readthedocs.io/en/latest/source/user/fast_to_openfast.html>`_.
+
+FAST v8 is a computer-aided engineering tool for simulating the coupled dynamic
+response of wind turbines. FAST joins aerodynamics models, hydrodynamics models
+for offshore structures, control and electrical system (servo) dynamics models,
+and structural (elastic) dynamics models to enable coupled nonlinear aero-
+hydro-servo-elastic simulation in the time domain. The FAST tool enables the
+analysis of a range of wind turbine configurations, including two- or
+three-blade horizontal-axis rotor, pitch or stall regulation, rigid or
+teetering hub, upwind or downwind rotor, and lattice or tubular tower. The wind
+turbine can be modeled on land or offshore on fixed-bottom or floating
+substructures. FAST is based on advanced engineering models derived from
+fundamental laws, but with appropriate simplifications and assumptions, and
+supplemented where applicable with computational solutions and test data.
+
+The aerodynamic models use wind-inflow data and solve for the rotor-wake
+effects and blade-element aerodynamic loads, including dynamic stall. The
+hydrodynamics models simulate the regular or irregular incident waves and
+currents and solve for the hydrostatic, radiation, diffraction, and viscous
+loads on the offshore substructure. The control and electrical system models
+simulate the controller logic, sensors, and actuators of the blade-pitch,
+generator-torque, nacelle-yaw, and other control devices, as well as the
+generator and power-converter components of the electrical drive. The
+structural-dynamics models apply the control and electrical system
+reactions, apply the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic loads, adds gravitational
+loads, and simulate the elasticity of the rotor, drivetrain, and support
+structure. Coupling between all models is achieved through a modular
+interface and coupler.
+
+Documentation
+-------------
+The full documentation is available at http://openfast.readthedocs.io/.
+
+This documentation is stored and maintained alongside the source code.
+It is compiled into HTML with Sphinx and is tied to a particular version
+of OpenFAST. `Readthedocs <http://openfast.readthedocs.io>`_ hosts the following
+versions of the documentation:
+
+* ``latest`` - The latest commit on the ``master`` branch
+* ``stable`` - Corresponds to the last tagged release
+* ``dev`` - The latest commit on the ``dev`` branch
+
+These can be toggled with the ``v: latest`` button in the lower left corner of
+the docs site.
+
+Obtaining OpenFAST
+------------------
+OpenFAST is hosted entirely on GitHub so you are in the `right place <https://github.com/OpenFAST/OpenFAST>`_!
+The repository is structured with two branches following the
+"git-flow" convention:
+
+* ``master``
+* ``dev``
+
+The ``master`` branch is stable, well tested, and represents the most up to
+date released version of OpenFAST. The latest commit on ``master`` contains
+a tag with version info and brief release notes. The tag history can be
+obtained with the ``git tag`` command and viewed in more detail on
+`GitHub Releases <https://github.com/OpenFAST/openfast/releases>`_. For general
+use, the ``master`` branch is highly recommended.
+
+The ``dev`` branch is generally stable and tested, but not static. It contains
+new features, bug fixes, and documentation updates that have not been compiled
+into a production release. Before proceeding with new development, it is
+recommended to explore the ``dev`` branch. This branch is updated regularly
+through pull requests, so be sure to ``git fetch`` often and check
+`outstanding pull requests <https://github.com/OpenFAST/openfast/pulls>`_.
+
+For those not familiar with git and GitHub, there are many resources:
+
+* https://guides.github.com
+* https://try.github.io
+* https://help.github.com/categories/bootcamp/
+* https://desktop.github.com/
+* http://nvie.com/posts/a-successful-git-branching-model/
+
+Compilation, Usage, and Development
+-----------------------------------
+Details for compiling
+`compiling <http://openfast.readthedocs.io/en/latest/source/install/index.html>`_,
+`using <http://openfast.readthedocs.io/en/latest/source/user/index.html>`_, and
+`developing <http://openfast.readthedocs.io/en/latest/source/dev/index.html>`_
+OpenFAST on Unux-based and Windows machines are available at `readthedocs <http://openfast.readthedocs.io>`_.
+
+Nightly Testing
+---------------
+The ``dev`` branch is automatically compiled and run through the test suite
+nightly. The results are publicly available through the
+`CDash Dashboard <http://my.cdash.org/index.php?project=OpenFAST&date=>`_.
+
+Help
+----
+Please use `github issues <https://github.com/OpenFAST/OpenFAST/issues>`_ to:
+
+* ask usage questions
+* report bugs
+* request code enhancements
+
+For other questions regarding OpenFAST, please contact
+`Mike Sprague <mailto:michael.a.sprague@nrel.gov>`_.
+
+Users and developers may also be interested in the NREL National Wind
+Technology Center (NWTC) `phpBB Forum <https://wind.nrel.gov/forum/wind/>`_.
+
+Acknowledgments
+---------------
+
+OpenFAST is maintained and developed by researchers and software engineers at
+the `National Renewable Energy Laboratory <http://www.nrel.gov/>`_ (NREL), with
+support from the US Department of Energy's Wind Energy Technology Office.  NREL
+gratefully acknowledges development contributions from the following
+organizations:
+
+* Envision Energy USA, Ltd
+* Brigham Young University
+* `Intel® Parallel Computing Center (IPCC) <https://software.intel.com/en-us/ipcc>`_