Earlier it was possible to use a metadata file as a image stack for input. After updating xmipp, this is no longer possible:
xmipp_image_convert -i Runs/006078_XmippProtReconstructFourier/extra/input_particles.xmd -o stack.mrcs
terminate called after throwing an instance of 'XmippError'
what(): XMIPP_ERROR 23: It is not a file
Invalid Spider file: Runs/006078_XmippProtReconstructFourier/extra/input_particles.xmd
File: core/rwSPIDER.cpp line: 164
Aborted (core dumped)
Earlier it was possible to use a metadata file as a image stack for input. After updating xmipp, this is no longer possible: