[vtkusers] I think this is the problem......

[Jeff Lee]

Man, this is getting old.  How about 
vtkPuzzledWhyThisGuyRefusedToReadHisUsersGuide filter?  See, that's 
where we could use some additional documentation.  I never know when to 
use the vtkRidiculeAnObviouslyIntelligentPersonForNotDoingSomeHomework 
or the vtkLetMeGoLookItUpForYou filter.  The former is much more fun to 
use.  BTW there is no vtkPeopleSkillsFilter, but you get a similar 
result when you apply the following pipeline: 
vtkA**holeToActLikeSomeoneWhoCaresFilter->vtkLetMeGoLookItUpForYouFilter->vtkCleanSarcasmFilter.  
But you need make sure you call RemoveInsultsOn and PatronizationOff in 
vtkCleanSarcasmFilter.  All this can go into a vtkEnzyteMapper.  I can 
provide source code if necessary.  Hope this helps,
Regards,
-Jeff

Sean McInerney wrote:

> Amazingly, this reply actually answers the original question!
>
> I support the tangential ideas regarding a need for application level 
> VTK documentation, but this is beside my point. Rather than huffing 
> and puffing and lording one's experience over another's lack, 
> contributors to this list might apply vtkPeopleSkillsFilter to their 
> replies. Be sure to set ATFQ to "On" (answer the f***ing question). 
> Note that use of this option may result in empty output for some. In 
> other words, condescension and dismissal are never appropriate when 
> attempting to offer help. Even the best advice may go unheeded when 
> paired with abuse. Vent your personal frustrations elsewhere.
>
> Less need for replies like this will also result in less search engine 
> chaff.
>
> -Sean
>
>> Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 18:19:39 +0000
>> From: Goodwin Lawlor <goodwin.lawlor at ucd.ie>
>> Subject: Re: [vtkusers] I think this is the problem......
>> To: j.robinson at kepler-systems.com
>> Cc: vtkusers at vtk.org
>> Reply-To: goodwin.lawlor at ucd.ie
>> Organization: University College Dublin
>>
>> Hi Jim,
>>
>> I agree with Joey- it would be impracticle to have a step-by-step guide
>> to every possible pipeline (or pipeline type) in VTK. A wiki would be a
>> good way to have a stab at it though...
>>
>> If you're relying on the online documentation to learn VTK I'm not
>> surprised you're frustrated. Its really just a quick reference for class
>> methods and properties. The user guide only really talks you though
>> examples.
>>
>> To learn the theory/concept of VTK you have to get the VTK textbook.
>>
>> The best way to learn VTK is to look at and run the example tcl (or
>> python) scripts. Then start editing them and seeing the affects.
>>
>> One good thing about open source software is that the source code itself
>> is documentation... Do a string search for a class name in the source
>> tree to see how the developers used the class. There are also some
>> comments in the .cxx files that may be helpful.
>>
>> Also it may help to prototype your pipeline in tcl before you starting
>> coding in c++... Its much quicker to edit and run scripts.
>>
>> One area where I found a derth of information is managing VTK pipelines
>> inside an application and what the correct way to do this. You may know
>> MFC or tcl/tk and know VTK well but putting them together....
>>
>> Just on your mapper questions:
>>
>> One rule of thumb: vtkUnstructuedGrid/vtkStructuredGrid... Use 
>> vtkDataSetMapper
>> vtkPolyDataMapper... Use vtkPolyDataMapper
>>
>> If fact you can think of vtkDataSetMapper as a helper class that
>> contains a vtkPolyDataMapper and a vtkDataSetSurfaceFilter. Inside
>> vtkDataSetMapper, vtkDataSetSurfaceFilter extracts cells for the
>> internal instance of vtkPolyDataMapper. Why do this? vtkPolyDataMapper
>> is the interface to OpenGL... A vtkUnstructuredGrid contains (3d) cells
>> that OpenGL doesn't recognise so in order to render a hex, it must be
>> broken down into its constituent quads which OpenGL can render.
>>
>> So...
>>
>> vtkUnstructuredGrid->vtkDataSetMapper-> is the same as
>> vtkUnstructuredGrid->vtkDataSetSurfaceFilter->vtkPolyDataMapper->
>>
>> vtkDataSetSurfaceFilter is a quicker version of vtkGeometryFilter. As
>> far as I can remember, vtkDataSetMapper used to contain
>> vtkGeometryFilter instead.
>>
>> Hope this helps... If the birth of a good wiki is the product of you
>> frustrations then they wont have been in vain!
>>
>> Goodwin
>
>
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