def METHOD_NAME(filename, output_folder=None, verbose=True):
    """
    Build an ObsPy model file from a "tvel" or "nd" file.
    The file is loaded into a :class:`~obspy.taup.tau_model.TauModel`
    instance and is then saved in ObsPy's own format, which can be loaded using
    :meth:`~obspy.taup.tau_model.TauModel.from_file`. The output file will have
    the same name as the input with ``'.npz'`` as file extension.
    :type filename: str or :class:`~pathlib.Path`
    :param filename: Absolute path of input file.
    :type output_folder: str or :class:`~pathlib.Path`
    :param output_folder: Directory in which the built
        :class:`~obspy.taup.tau_model.TauModel` will be stored. Defaults to
        the `taup/data` directory of the current obspy installation.
    """
    if output_folder is None:
        output_folder = __DATA_DIR
    if not isinstance(output_folder, Path):
        output_folder = Path(output_folder)
    if not isinstance(filename, Path):
        filename = Path(filename)
    output_filename = output_folder / filename.with_suffix(".npz").name
    if verbose:
        print("Building obspy.taup model for '%s' ..." % filename)
    mod_create = TauPCreate(input_filename=filename,
                            output_filename=output_filename,
                            verbose=verbose)
    mod_create.load_velocity_model()
    mod_create.run()