[vtk-developers] Status of AddActor(), AddActor2D(), AddVolume() vs AddViewProp()

[David Gobbi]

I have a vague memory that either AddProp or RemoveProp was defined as
a macro in some windows header file, making the name unusable.  I
don't know if that is still the case with Visual Studio 2003 and later
compilers.

 David

On Thu, Aug 29, 2013 at 9:16 AM, Aashish Chaudhary
<aashish.chaudhary at kitware.com> wrote:
> +1 for AddViewProp all others in legacy. Would have been nice to have it
> called AddProp (why add View?) .  We have vtkProp and not vtkViewProp as the
> class name. May be we can add that as the new method? thoughts?
>
> - Aashish
>
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 29, 2013 at 11:08 AM, David E DeMarle <dave.demarle at kitware.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> I'm in Sean's camp. One class to rule them all is easier to get your head
>> around.
>>
>>
>> David E DeMarle
>> Kitware, Inc.
>> R&D Engineer
>> 21 Corporate Drive
>> Clifton Park, NY 12065-8662
>> Phone: 518-881-4909
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 7:25 PM, Bill Lorensen <bill.lorensen at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> I think from a user point of view, not being concerned about inheritance,
>>> the old names make sense.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 4:59 PM, Sean McBride <sean at rogue-research.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:37:05 -0400, Bill Lorensen said:
>>>>
>>>> >I think AddActor(), AddActor2D(), and AddVolume() are more descriptive
>>>> > than
>>>> >AddViewProp even though they are just wrappers.
>>>>
>>>> Be that as it may, I think it's pretty weird for someone starting with
>>>> VTK 6.
>>>>
>>>> Class hierarchy reminder:
>>>>
>>>> vtkObject -> vtkProp -> vtkProp3D -> vtkActor
>>>> vtkObject -> vtkProp -> vtkProp3D -> vtkVolume
>>>> vtkObject -> vtkProp -> vtkActor2D
>>>>
>>>> The newer AddViewProp() takes a vtkProp*, which makes sense, as it works
>>>> with all 3 types.
>>>>
>>>> The older methods AddActor(), AddActor2D(), and AddVolume() strangely
>>>> all also take a vtkProp*, that's pretty weird given their name.  ex: you'd
>>>> think AddVolume() would take a vtkVolume*, no?  Why should it accept any
>>>> vtkProp subclass?
>>>>
>>>> It's also weird that AddActor() and AddVolume() come from vtkRenderer,
>>>> while AddActor2D() comes from the superclass vtkViewPort.
>>>>
>>>> How to explain all this to someone new to VTK 6?
>>>>
>>>> It seems like cruft to me.  IMNSHO, using only AddViewProp() seems
>>>> preferable, which is why I'd like to do the cleanup and eventually wrap the
>>>> old three in VTK_LEGACY.
>>>>
>>>> Cheers,
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> ____________________________________________________________
>>>> Sean McBride, B. Eng                 sean at rogue-research.com
>>>> Rogue Research                        www.rogue-research.com
>>>> Mac Software Developer              Montréal, Québec, Canada