[vtkusers] Re: Reading Structured Points using ImageReader

[Ken Martin]

At 02:19 PM 10/26/2000 +0200, Sathya Krishnamurthy (CSCS) wrote:
>Hello Everybody
>
>I am trying to read a structured points data file using ImageReader. The
>data file is organized as follows:
>
><.. FileHeader...> 44bytes containing Dimensions x,y,z
>4 bytes space
><X - Scalar Data ...> <which is x*y*z sizeof float
>4 bytes space
><Y - Scalar Data ...> <which is x*y*z sizeof float
>4 bytes space
><Z - Scalar Data ...> <which is x*y*z sizeof float
>
>I have constructed the Reader sub-classing from vtkImageReader. In the
>ExecuteInformation I have read the header and put all the information in
>
>DataVOI, DataExtent , FileDimensionality, NumberOfScalarComponents and
>the HeaderSize

You also must specify the ScalarType to be float.  Once all that 
information is specified you should be able to rely on vtkImageReader's 
methods to actually read in the data and support streaming etc. The only 
problem I see is your mentioning "4 bytes space". If you mean that each row 
must be a multiple of 4 bytes that is no problem since you are using float. 
If you mean that between each row there are always 4 empty bytes, and then 
between each slice an additional 4 empty bytes, then you must write your 
own method to read in the data since ImageReader doesn't support such an 
arrangement. You can look at vtkBMPReader which does something very similar 
to what you are looking for.

- Ken