[Paraview] Paraview 5.0.1: Export Scene to pdf -- appears in white

[Utkarsh Ayachit]

Ramiro,

A few things to note:

+ Not sure what's the deal with 4.0.1, but it's too old at this point
so let's ignore that.
+ When you downloaded ParaView 5.0.1 from paraview.org, starting with
5.0.1, we are using a new implementation of the rendering backend for
our binaries [1]. This rendering backend, let's call OpenGL2, doesn't
support exporting to PDF, at least, not in 5.0.1. It's been fixed in
git "master".
+ I suspect ParaView 5.0.1 from Ubuntu is using the old rendering
backend by default. The title bar should say something like "ParaView
5.0.1 (Legacy Rendering Backend)". This backend still support the old
export to PDF code and hence should have that option.
+ When you compiled 5.0.1 from source, I suspect you are getting the
old rendering backend too (unless you changed the CMake variable
VTK_RENDERING_BACKEND to OpenGL2). Not entirely sure why export would
fail in that case. There isn't any special flag to enable PDF export.

However, the best option to try out Export to PDF would be build the
latest "master" from source with VTK_RENDERING_BACKEND set to OpenGL2.

(Dave, do correct me if I am misspoke).

Utkarsh

[1] https://blog.kitware.com/kitware-unleashes-brand-new-rendering-backend-in-paraview-5-0/

On Thu, May 19, 2016 at 6:08 PM, Ramiro James Rebolledo Cormack
<ramrebol at gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks Utkarsh. In my ubuntu 16.04 laptop I have installed ParaView 5.0.1
> (from ubuntu repositories) and it has the option Export Scene to pdf, and
> works perfect.
> On the other hand, older paraview versions had the option, and worked.
>
> I think that, maybe, I can get it using some spetial compilling option when
> I use ccmake.