[vtkusers] Some VTK 5 information - perspective from FE developer

[John Platt]

Hi Users,

I started using vtk in about May 2003 for visualizing Finite Element
(FE) data using almost exclusively unstructured grids and nonlinear
cells. Progress was slow and eventually other work took priority. I have
now restarted with a renewed determination and was very heartened to
read in the recent mail from Ken Lists that more support for FE was to
be included.

I realize that this is not Santa come early, but the following would be
some items on my Christmas list for general FE use with vtkMesh.

1. A NULL cell would be useful which could be assigned to points which
are not connected to any finite elements.

2. A Quadratic wedge is essential.

3. Ability to set point data for each cell. The gradients of the point
data are not usually continuous across cell edges. FE packages go to a
lot of trouble (and complexity) to compute accurate gradients (it may be
possible to do this already).

4. A filter to display edges connected to 1 cell only. This is important
to detect unwanted cracks in the FE mesh. Once a 3-D cell has been
decomposed to faces, this information is lost.

5. Avoid showing the internal triangulation of nonlinear cells in edge
displays of the mesh surface.

I am not convinced that you need support for higher than quadratic
elements, even with adaptive FE codes, but I may be reading this out of
context.

Many thanks for the invitation to give feed back on your plans.

Regards,

Dr J Platt