[Paraview] On more filter optional parameters setup

[David E DeMarle]

You can of course modify the paraview source and recompile.
Specifically what you would do is edit the XML element that defines
the proxy for that filter in Servers/ServerManager/filter.xml in order
to add additional property definitions to let paraview expose those
missing filter methods.

An alternative way to do it is to write a plugin, consisting of a
small CMakeLists.txt file and a small XML file and recompile only
that. The XML file makes an alternative proxy for the same filter.

The benefit of the second option is quicker compile time and better
isolation of the modifications you are making to ParaView.

cheers,
Dave DeMarle

On Fri, Nov 7, 2008 at 2:31 AM, Jia Fucang <jiafucang at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi, everyone,
>
> I often use Paraview for visualization of medical object geometry models
> and do some filtering. But I noticed that Paraview does not offer many
> parameters setup by user, like VTK filters. For example,
> SmoothPolyDataFilter,
> it can be used like
>     vtkSmoothPolyDataFilter *smoother = vtkSmoothPolyDataFilter::New();
>     smoother->SetInput(surface->GetOutput());
>
>     smoother->SetRelaxationFactor(0.1);
>     smoother->SetFeatureAngle(60);
>     smoother->FeatureEdgeSmoothingOff();
>     smoother->BoundarySmoothingOff();
>
>     smoother->SetNumberOfIterations(50);
>     smoother->SetConvergence(0);
>
> Paraview 3.4.0 only display "Number of Iterations" and "Convergence" for
> user to setup. This often does not provide good effect like the C++ one.
>
> Another example is
> vtkDecimatePro *decimate = vtkDecimatePro::New();
>     decimate->SetInput(smoother->GetOutput());
>
>     decimate->SplittingOff();
>     decimate->SetErrorIsAbsolute(5);
>     decimate->SetDegree(10);
>     decimate->SetMaximumError(0.005);
>
>     decimate->SetTargetReduction(0.8);
>     decimate->PreserveTopologyOn();
>     decimate->SetFeatureAngle(30);
>     decimate->BoundaryVertexDeletionOff();
>
>
> Corresponding filter in Paraview 3.4.0 only have following options to setup:
>    Target Reduction, Preserve Topology, Feature Angle and BoundVertex
> Deletion.
>
> I know that too much options may confuse user. I wonder if there are some
> setup to
> use more options. Or should I revise ParaView source code to recompile a
> binary one.
>
> Thank you very much!
>
> Best,
> Fucang
>
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>



-- 
David E DeMarle
Kitware, Inc.
R&D Engineer
28 Corporate Drive
Clifton Park, NY 12065-8662
Phone: 518-371-3971 x109