def METHOD_NAME(nodes_xyz: NDArray3float,
                             xyz_compare: NDArray3float,
                             neq_max: int, tol: float, msg: str=''):
    """
    Finds the closest nodes to an arbitrary set of xyz points
    Parameters
    ----------
    nodes_xyz : (Nnodes, 3) float ndarray
        the source points
    xyz_compare : (Ncompare, 3) float ndarray
        the xyz points to compare to
    neq_max : int
        the number of "close" points (default=4)
    tol : float
        the max spherical tolerance
    msg : str; default=''
        error message
    Returns
    -------
    slots : (Ncompare, ) int ndarray
        the indices of the close nodes corresponding to nodes_xyz
    """
    #nodes_xyz, model, nids, inew = _eq_nodes_setup(
        #bdf_filename, renumber_nodes=renumber_nodes,
        #xref=xref, node_set=node_set, debug=debug)
    ieq, slots = _not_equal_nodes_build_tree(nodes_xyz, xyz_compare, tol,
                                             neq_max=neq_max, msg=msg)[1:3]
    return ieq