Elements are MIXED up when Z_of_type not specified
When not specifying Z_of_type, whilst using ase.io.read for lammps-data file, the elements of the read system can have their places swapped. I have a 5-element system. Below is a snapshot of how some elements A and B should be distributed (Note how thin the yellow planes are):
When I read the file without specifying Z_of_type, and save it using ase.io.write, A and B are distributed as follows (note now, how the planes have become thicker):
Now, here is the interesting part: if I observe the distributions of some elements C and D, I get the following distribution:
which is precisely the distribution A and B should have.
When I specify the atomic numbers of the elements via Z_of_type, the elements are distributed as they should be, which is rather curious. This is extremely dangerous, as most people probably won't specify Z_of_type for quick edits of their LAMMPS data files.