[vtkusers] Render window refreshing problem - Windows XP?

[Peter J Barrance]

Hi,

I've been developing some code for about the last six months, using VTK
3.2 under MS VC++ 6.0. Some of my applications use a simple interaction in
which input is scanned from the keyboard through the console window
(stdin). The key presses alter modeling variables, the modeling is
recomputed, and windows are re-rendered.

The above interactions have worked fine on the old system, and several
others I have tried:

'Working' systems: OS - Win 98, ME, NT 4.0. MS VC ++ 6.0, vtk
3.2. Various motherboards, various graphics cards.

--

***Problem****- I've recently moved the code to a new Dell 1.8 GHz system
(specs  below). Now, I'm losing the graphics rendering windows in a
seemingly
unpredictable fashion when I try to do interaction loops as above. The
windows 'white out', and the program begins to run very quickly (it's no
longer drawing anything.) Programs with no keyboard scanning - just
'stdout' output are fine. It seems that the transfer of input focus to the
console window disrupts the system's refresh process of the graphics
windows.

Problematic system: Dell 1.8 GHz Dimension 8200. *** Windows XP Pro *** .
Nvidia GeForce 3 Ti200 graphics card. vtk 3.2, MS VC++ 6.0.

My suspicion is it may be an OS issue. Or maybe the video card/driver?

I've tried rebuilding the vtk libraries under this OS- same result
exactly.


I would like to hear from anyone who has either had the same experience
and is also seeking a fix, anyone who knows a 'cure', as well as anyone
who can suggest a good workaround- maybe a different way to get the
keyboard input without switching the input focus.

Thank you very much for your attention and any insights,

_____________________________________________________________________
Peter Barrance
Graduate Research Assistant
Biomechanics Laboratory, 009 Spencer Lab
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716, U.S.A.
(302) 831 6704, e-mail: peteb at udel.edu
_____________________________________________________________________