[Paraview] animation: files, pgmable source

[Utkarsh Ayachit]

Randy,

Here's how I'd proceed.

1. Create a programmable source to read a file series as a temporal
dataset. (you have this already).
2. Let the users use ParaView to save animation or screenshots once
they are satisfied.
3. You can put the "Extract TimeSteps" filter after your reader
(before any of the other pipeline) and make it filter timesteps. It
allows filtering over a range of timesteps with an arbitrary interval.
So your users can change this to choose which subset they are
interested in. I'd also point to the "Time INspector" so user can see
what timesteps ParaView is taking into consideration.

Utkarsh



On Fri, Dec 8, 2017 at 3:29 PM, Heiland, Randy <heiland at iu.edu> wrote:
> Have a user read in a state file to experiment with a pipeline/filters on a single data file, e.g. they may have 1000 files and they want to initially  look at the last one. When they’re content with the vis on a single file, they’d like to view an animation in PV on all (or mod N) files. When they’re happy with that, they’d like to save .png’s - preferably batch/offscreen, but whatever.
>
> Randy
>
>
>> On Dec 8, 2017, at 3:07 PM, Utkarsh Ayachit <utkarsh.ayachit at kitware.com> wrote:
>>
>> Randy,
>>
>> Mind explaining to me what;s your ultimate goal? The way I see it,
>> there are two options:
>>
>> 1. Provide your users with a state file that they load in ParaView UI
>> and then use the UI to save animation or images. Use the UI to move
>> back and forth through the timesteps, etc.
>> 2. Provide your users with a Python script that they run using
>> pvpython to save out screenshots or animations based on command line
>> arguments.
>>
>> Which one are you aiming for? Or is it something else?
>>
>> Utkarsh
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Dec 8, 2017 at 11:22 AM, Heiland, Randy <heiland at iu.edu> wrote:
>>> No, no, I’m sure it’s *me* who’s confused.  I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying. Are you suggesting keeping the (full) range of timesteps in my script and then, somehow, only render the one of interest? If so, that would be great, except the way things are currently working for me, after loading the .pvsm initially, it renders the first requested tilmestep, but I cannot just enter a desired timestep value into the “Time” widget field. I can only single step through them via the up/down arrow widget.
>>>
>>> Not sure if it’s related, but after loading the state file, in the Output Messages, I get the following error/warning, even though it does render the first one properly:
>>>
>>> Traceback (most recent call last):
>>>  File "<string>", line 20, in <module>
>>>  File "<string>", line 34, in RequestInformation
>>> TypeError: arguments do not match any overloaded methods
>>> ------- time=  100.0
>>> fname= /Users/heiland/git/PhysiCell/run2_cancer_immune/output00000100_cells_physicell
>>> num_cells_possible = 38080
>>> num_cells = 38080
>>>
>>> I’ve attached my Programmable Source Script and Script(RequestInfo), fwiw. Line 34 of RequestInfo is the very last line in that script.
>>> output.GetInformation().Set(output.DATA_TIME_STEP(), req_time)
>>>
>>>
>>> thanks!
>>> Randy
>