[vtkusers] vtk 4.2 and 4.4 install problems on Mac OS X Tiger; event handling problems

[Jason Yerardi]

Hello,

I have a Mac OS X 10.4 system and have been desperately trying to get  
VTK installed on my machine as I need it for a visualization class I  
am currently taking. Here is a description of multiple issues I am  
facing:

1. Installing 4.4 from the CD that came with the textbook was  
impossible. No matter how I configured with CMake or how I modified  
the source code, I had lots of multiply defined symbols and link  
errors and couldn't get a successful compile.

2. I then tried installing from 4.2-6 source. The only set of options  
I was able to get to compile with was support for Cocoa only, not  
carbon or X11. Even that required modifying some source code to  
remove compiler errors.

Additionally, I couldn't get Tcl wrapping to work with this install.  
I received library link errors with undefined symbols, even though  
the includes and lib paths were properly defined. Since I need both  
Cxx and Tcl support for my class projects, this install won't work.

3. I then tried the simplest thing, installing from 4.2.5-3 source  
via the fink ports manager [I also tried installing with opendarwin  
ports, but it failed]. Amazingly, this install worked and I now have  
Cxx and Tcl support (although it's not the latest version and it  
supports only X11, not Carbon or Cocoa). I have the following current  
run-time issues:

When running Tcl scripts with vtk, I can not use the mouse to zoom,  
rotate, or do any other interactive actions. Nor can I use the  
keyboard to reset the view or do other keyboard actions. When I build  
the same example from the Cxx code, I *am* able to use the mouse as  
usual, but I still can't use the keyboard. When I type, the  
characters show up in the terminal. This same keyboard problem exists  
even if I embed the executable into a .app package.

I'm aware that there are some event-handling problems on OS X, but  
embedding the executable into a .app package is purported to fix  
these problems. Why do I still lack keyboard support when  
running .app packages? Does anyone know how to fix this problem so I  
can use the keyboard correctly in these built applications?

Also, since Tcl scripts are interpreted and not compiled, they can't  
be placed into .app packages as the executable -- what solution is  
available for getting mouse and keyboard interactivity in Tcl windows?

Any help would be very much appreciated. I really need to have a  
complete and working distribution for my visualization class (my  
first assignment is due tomorrow morning!).

Please post or email me at jyerardi _at_ cs dot ohiou dot edu

Thanks!