TITLE: Some polytopes in $\mathbb R^n$ whose vertices have coordinates 1, -1 or 0
QUESTION [6 upvotes]: Let $n$ and $k$ be positive integers with $k\leq n$. 
Let $P(n,k)$ be the convex hull in $\mathbb R^n$ of the $2^k {n \choose k}$ vectors whose exactly $k$ coordinates belong to $\{\pm 1\}$ all the others being equal to $0$.
Examples: $P(n,n)$ is the $n$-hypercube; $P(n,1)$ is the $n$-cross-polytope.
Viewed the two classical examples above, I expect that the $P(n,k)$'s have been studied already. Some references would be welcome. 
I'm interested in the $f$-vector and more specifically to the facets (1-codimensional faces) of $P(n,k)$: how many and what kind of polytopes they are?

Added: thinking to this question, it comes to my mind that $2n$ of the facets of 
$P(n,k)$'s are $P(n-1,k-1)$ (assuming that $k>1$) and that all the other ones are $(n,k)$-hypersimplexes (assuming that $k<n$).

REPLY [6 votes]: View the two examples, I think $P(n,k)$ is the $(n-k)$-rectified $n$-hypercube or the $(k-1)$-rectified $n$-cross-polytope (same thing).  I believe the notion of rectification will be very helpful for answering your other questions.
Properties of such polytpopes when $n$ and $k$ are small can be found on wikipedia.  For example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectified_10-cubes