[Paraview-developers] GUI not updating for OpenFOAM reader in v4.0.1

[Utkarsh Ayachit]

Hmm, that's actually a problem we run into frequently -- reader panels
wanting to change some available list when another option is changed.
Let me think about it some more to see what would be a long term
supportable solution. In the past, we have done exactly that, write a
custom panel (which would now translate to writing a custom widget),
but there are a few problems with this approach:

+ if we implement this such that the "CaseType" property will be
"pushed" immediately after the user changes it in the UI and then
update the "available patches" list, it goes against how the
properties panel is supposed to work, no property should be updated
until the user hits "Apply".
+ If we implement this such that the "available patches" are updated
after the "Apply" is hit, then the user-experience is bad, the user
typically expects to setup all properties before hitting apply. Now he
has to do this always in 2 steps.

Let me take a look at the reader. If the reader can produce all
avialable "patches" at the start, we can all filtering logic to the
domains to only show relevant patches based on the state of CaseType.
What do you think?

Utkarsh


On Fri, Jul 12, 2013 at 5:41 AM, Paul Edwards <paul.m.edwards at gmail.com> wrote:
> Utkarsh,
>
> I've looked into this a bit more.  The OpenFOAM reader has a
> vtkDataArraySelection that is used to store the patches.  This list is
> updated in RequestInformation and the list will changed depending on
> whether the "Case Type" is "Decomposed" or "Reconstructed" (combobox
> in the GUI).  Once decomposed is chosen and apply is clicked it will
> rerun the RequestInformation  and the vtkDataArraySelection will be
> updated.  The difference is that before this would also update the GUI
> but it is not happening now.
>
> Ideally it would be best to make a call to RequestInformation as soon
> as the "Case Type" is chosen and update the GUI - is there a way to do
> this from the XML?  Alternatively, is there a way to just get it to
> update after "Apply" is clicked in the XML (as it used to)?  The only
> other solution I can see is to create a custom object panel (where
> either of the above options wouldn't be too difficult to
> implement....)
>
> What do you think?
>
> Thanks,
> Paul
>
> On 11 July 2013 10:17, Paul Edwards <paul.m.edwards at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Utkarsh,
>>
>> Any decomposed OpenFOAM case where the mesh has been generated with
>> the hex mesher will be able to reproduce this.  I have sent you a link
>> to motorBike example from OpenFOAM which I have decomposed and meshed
>> in case you do not have any examples to hand.  Here are the steps to
>> reproduce:
>>
>> * Open the motorBike.foam in ParaView
>> * Set "Case Type" to "Decomposed Case"
>> [ Now you will be able to see 6 items in "Mesh Regions" but these are
>> not the surfaces on the motorBike ]
>> * Click "Apply"
>> [ Previously you would now see all the motorBike surfaces in addition
>> to the original ones in the "Mesh Regions" ]
>>
>> To make all the surfaces appear, go to the Python Shell and type:
>>
>>     s = GetActiveSource
>>     s.MeshRegions = []
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Paul
>>
>> On 10 July 2013 17:51, Utkarsh Ayachit <utkarsh.ayachit at kitware.com> wrote:
>>> Paul,
>>>
>>> How do I try to reproduce this? Do you have a sample dataset?
>>>
>>> Utkarsh
>>>
>>> On Wed, Jul 10, 2013 at 12:05 PM, Paul Edwards <paul.m.edwards at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Btw the patch list isn't empty - it just used to update once "Apply"
>>>> had been clicked and now it doesn't (for some reason it doesn't have
>>>> all the patches until RequestData has been called...).  Does anyone
>>>> have any hints where to look in order to fix this?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Paul
>>>>
>>>> On 9 July 2013 18:51, Paul Edwards <paul.m.edwards at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> In the latest version of ParaView I do not see all the patches for a
>>>>> decomposed OpenFOAM solution.  This used to work in previous versions
>>>>> although I am not sure why it used to get called - I can't see any
>>>>> obvious changes to the OpenFOAM reader.  Has anything changed with the
>>>>> way the ArraySelectionDomains work?:
>>>>>
>>>>>       <StringVectorProperty information_only="1"
>>>>>                             name="PatchArrayInfo">
>>>>>         <ArraySelectionInformationHelper attribute_name="Patch" />
>>>>>       </StringVectorProperty>
>>>>>       <StringVectorProperty animateable="0"
>>>>>                             command="SetPatchArrayStatus"
>>>>>                             element_types="2 0"
>>>>>                             information_property="PatchArrayInfo"
>>>>>                             name="MeshRegions"
>>>>>                             number_of_elements="0"
>>>>>                             number_of_elements_per_command="2"
>>>>>                             repeat_command="1">
>>>>>         <ArraySelectionDomain name="array_list">
>>>>>           <RequiredProperties>
>>>>>             <Property function="ArrayList"
>>>>>                       name="PatchArrayInfo" />
>>>>>           </RequiredProperties>
>>>>>         </ArraySelectionDomain>
>>>>>       </StringVectorProperty>
>>>>>
>>>>> A workaround for the moment is to use the python shell - I can see the
>>>>> properties by doing:
>>>>>
>>>>>     s = GetActiveSource()
>>>>>     s.GetProperty('PatchArrayInfo')
>>>>>
>>>>> And, I can even get the GUI to update with:
>>>>>
>>>>>     s.MeshRegions = []
>>>>>
>>>>> Any ideas how I can fix this?
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> Paul
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