[vtk-developers] VTK/Python in Parallel

[Prabhu Ramachandran]

>>>>> "AC" == Andy Cedilnik <andy.cedilnik at kitware.com> writes:

    AC> Hi All, We added "full" support for running VTK/Python scripts
    AC> in parallel. You have to use pvtkpython. Please look at
    AC> example in Examples/ParallelProcessing/MPI/Python.

    AC> Here is how you can run it for example on unix computer using
    AC> mpich with two processors:

    AC> mpirun -np 2 vtkbin/bin/pvtkpython
    AC> vtksrc/Examples/ParallelProcessing/MPI/Python/ParallelCone.py

    AC> This will display simple cone which is rendered on two nodes
    AC> and composited and displayed on first one.

Cool!  Many thanks.  However I have a few questions.  I'm not a
parallel guy so dont know much, pardon the ignorance.

  Does one _have_ to use pvtkpython?  Why not use vanilla python and
  simply import libvtkParallelPython?  Looking at the code it looks
  like the special thing in pvtkpython is that MPI init is called up
  front and that initializes MPI.

  I have a wee bit of experience with pypar
  http://datamining.anu.edu.au/~ole/pypar/ which does not require a
  special python interpreter and still allows one to run parallel
  Python scripts.  Whats the difference with pvtkpython and what does
  it give us?

  Do I need to update the README.txt to mention this?  Do I also need
  to update setup.py to handle the new code (vtkpython and
  pvtkpython).

thanks.

cheers,
prabhu