For a ModelCIF file using the [`_ma_entry_associated_files`](https://mmcif.wwpdb.org/dictionaries/mmcif_ma.dic/Categories/ma_entry_associated_files.html) category, the validation tool tries to merge associated data into the ModelCIF file, if [`_ma_entry_associated_files.file_format`](https://mmcif.wwpdb.org/dictionaries/mmcif_ma.dic/Items/_ma_entry_associated_files.file_format.html) is `cif` and [`_ma_entry_associated_files.file_content`](https://mmcif.wwpdb.org/dictionaries/mmcif_ma.dic/Items/_ma_entry_associated_files.file_content.html) is `local pairwise QA scores`. That way the outsourced data is validated, too.
For a ModelCIF file using the [`_ma_entry_associated_files`](https://mmcif.wwpdb.org/dictionaries/mmcif_ma.dic/Categories/ma_entry_associated_files.html) category, the validation tool tries to merge associated data into the ModelCIF file, if [`_ma_entry_associated_files.file_format`](https://mmcif.wwpdb.org/dictionaries/mmcif_ma.dic/Items/_ma_entry_associated_files.file_format.html) is `cif` and [`_ma_entry_associated_files.file_content`](https://mmcif.wwpdb.org/dictionaries/mmcif_ma.dic/Items/_ma_entry_associated_files.file_content.html) is `local pairwise QA scores` or `QA metrics`. That way the outsourced data is validated, too.
Command line argument `--associates-dir` (`-a`) is used to declare the base directory associated files are stored in. Inside the directory, the path must follow what is defined in [`_ma_entry_associated_files.file_url`](https://mmcif.wwpdb.org/dictionaries/mmcif_ma.dic/Items/_ma_entry_associated_files.file_url.html). If the URL is just the file name, the file must be stored right in the associates directory. The following example works for `_ma_entry_associated_files.file_url model_pae.cif` (`grep` and `ls` are just used to illustrate the data situation)
