[vtkusers] VTK graphical interface idea

[Toon Huysmans]

I think this has been done: SciRun

http://software.sci.utah.edu/scirun.html

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matt Valerio" <m-valerio at onu.edu>
To: "vtkusers" <vtkusers at vtk.org>
Sent: Friday, July 30, 2004 4:46 PM
Subject: [vtkusers] VTK graphical interface idea


> Hello VTK Users,
>
> I've just recently started learning VTK and am _very_ impressed with its
> capabilities.
>
> I see how the classes can be assembled into a graphical pipeline that go
> from sources to data to actors to mappers to renderers to renderwindows.
>
> So, I have an idea.  Take it for what it's worth, discuss it, ignore it,
> I don't care.  Just throwing it out on the table for general consumption.
>
> How about a "Visual VTK" graphical programming interface?  I've attached
> a picture of something I whipped up from the
> Examples/Tutorial/Step1/Cxx/Cone.cxx example (with a
> vtkRenderWindowInteractor tacked on.)
>
> The program could perform all type checking for the interconnecting
> arrows so that you don't do something silly like connect the output of
> the vtkConeSource directly to the vtkRenderWindowInteractor.
>
> Benefits of such a program:
> -Would make constructing the VTK pipeline a snap
> -Would reduce development time for simple applications
> -Would decrease the learning curve for VTK and increase the user base
> (similar to LabVIEW, which made instrumentation control programming
> easily more accessible to scientists and researchers without any coding
> experience)
>
> Possible feature ideas:
> -The program could load XML-based data about the member functions of
> each class.  This XML data could be generated directly from the
> documentation.
> -The classes could be grouped into menus.  To use a class just drag it
> onto the working area to create a block.  The block would show the type
> of class and let you give it a name.
> -To add a member function to a block, just right-click and select one
> from a context menu.
> -Program would perform all type checking between blocks.
> -Program would output a .cpp code snippet.  Then that code snipped would
> only need slight modifications to turn into a fully-functioning
application
> -Program could show a preview window to show the output.
> -Program would check to make sure all required member functions have
> been accessed correctly.  For example, the SetMapper() member function
> of a vtkActor would be added to the block as soon as it is dragged out
> of the menu.
>
> Again, this is just an idea.  I taught myself how to use VTK over the
> last 2 weeks in my spare time, and am only a novice (so far).  I don't
> know a whole lot about GUI programming (I'm trying to learn wxWindows
> too), otherwise I would start writing some code for such an application.
>    If someone wants to take the idea and run with it, more power to you!
>
>
> -Matt
>
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