# Inconsistency in user input: Could not find force field 'martini3.ff' in current directory, install

**URL:** <https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/t/inconsistency-in-user-input-could-not-find-force-field-martini3-ff-in-current-directory-install/11617>\
**Category:** User discussions\
**Tags:** pdb2gmx\
**Created:** [February 24, 2025, 1:34pm UTC](https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/t/inconsistency-in-user-input-could-not-find-force-field-martini3-ff-in-current-directory-install/11617 "2025-02-24T13:34:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rube23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@rube23](https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/u/rube23)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 1:34pm UTC](https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/t/inconsistency-in-user-input-could-not-find-force-field-martini3-ff-in-current-directory-install/11617/1 "2025-02-24T13:34:18Z")

</div>

GROMACS version: 2024.5  
GROMACS modification: No

I have installed gromacs from source. System Debian 12. When I tried to use martini force field from the current working directory using `-ff martini3.ff` the pdb2gmx doesn’t read and throwing the following error:

Command line:  
gmx pdb2gmx -f dmpc\_bi.pdb -o dmpc\_bi.gro -p dmpc\_bi.top -ignh -ff martini3.ff

* * *

Program: gmx pdb2gmx, version 2024.5  
Source file: src/gromacs/gmxpreprocess/pdb2top.cpp (line 215)  
Function: std::filesystem::\_\_cxx11::path choose\_ff\_impl(const char\*, char\*, int, const gmx::MDLogger&)

Inconsistency in user input:  
Could not find force field ‘martini3.ff’ in current directory, install tree or  
GMXLIB path.

## For more information and tips for troubleshooting, please check the GROMACS website at [Common errors when using GROMACS - GROMACS 2025.4 documentation](https://manual.gromacs.org/current/user-guide/run-time-errors.html)

`martini3.ff` directory is present in the working directory and the contents are as follows:

> ~~\> ls -l martini3.ff 130  
> total 16M  
> -rw-r–r-- 1 russellb russellb 0 Feb 24 18:45 forcefield.doc  
> -rw-r–r-- 1 russellb russellb 0 Feb 24 18:45 forcefield.itp  
> -rw-r–r-- 1 russellb russellb 7.7K Feb 24 18:13 martini3\_ions.itp  
> -rw-r–r-- 1 russellb russellb 16M Feb 24 18:13 martini3.itp  
> -rw-r–r-- 1 russellb russellb 5.6K Feb 24 18:13 martini3\_lipids.itp  
> drwxr-xr-x 4 russellb russellb 4.0K Feb 24 18:13 martini3\_proteins/  
> -rw-r–r-- 1 russellb russellb 9.7K Feb 24 18:13 martini3\_small\_mols.itp  
> -rw-r----- 1 russellb russellb 15K Feb 24 18:13 martini3\_sol.itp  
> -rw-r–r-- 1 russellb russellb 909 Feb 24 18:13 martini3\_sug.itp  
> -rw-r----- 1 russellb russellb 15K Feb 24 18:41 martini.itp  
> -rw-r–r-- 1 russellb russellb 203K Feb 24 18:13 martini\_v3.0.0\_phospholipids\_v1.it

`forcefield.doc` and forcefield.itp` are the two directories that I created without any contents though. I am a newbie. Could someone shed some light on this issue?

I have tried setting GMXLIB path and exported it but in vein. Any help is much appreciated.