ParaView/UsersGuide/Filter Parameters: Difference between revisions

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== Filter Parameters ==
== Filter Parameters ==


Each time a data set is opened from a file, a source is selected, a filter is applied, or an existing reader, source, or filter (hereafter simply referred to as filter) is selected in the '''Pipeline Browser''', ParaView updates the '''Object Inspector''' for the corresponding output data set. The '''Object Inspector''' has three tabs. In this chapter we are primarily concerned with the '''Properties''' tab, which you use to specify the parameters of the given filter. The [[ParaView/Displaying Data|'''Display''']] tab gives you control over the visual characteristics of the data produced by the filter as displayed in the active view and the [[ParaView/Users Guide/Information Panel|'''Information''']] tab presents meta-information about the data produced by the filter.
Each time a data set is opened from a file, a source is selected, a filter is applied, or an existing reader, source, or filter (hereafter simply referred to as filter) is selected in the '''Pipeline Browser''', ParaView updates the '''Object Inspector''' for the corresponding output data set. The '''Object Inspector''' has three tabs. In this chapter we are primarily concerned with the '''Properties''' tab. The [[ParaView/Displaying Data|'''Display''']] tab gives you control over the visual characteristics of the data produced by the filter as displayed in the active view and the [[ParaView/Users Guide/Information Panel|'''Information''']] tab presents meta-information about the data produced by the filter.


== Properties ==
== Properties ==


From the Properties tab, you can modify the parameters of the reader, source, or filter being used to load or create a new data set. A filter that extracts an isocontour will have a control with which to set the isovalue to extract at for example. The controls and information provided on the tab are dependent upon the reader, source, or filter selected in the Pipeline Browser<nowiki>; these features are located below the row of buttons labeled </nowiki>Apply, Reset, Delete and '''?''' (Help).
From the ''Properties''' tab you modify the parameters of the filter, fine tuning what it produces from its input (if any).
A filter that extracts an isocontour will have a control with which to set the isovalue (or isovalues) to extract at for example. The specific controls and information provided on the tab then are specific to the particular vtkAlgorithm you are working with, but all filters have at least the '''Apply''', '''Reset''', '''Delete''' and '''?''' (help) controls.  


<center>[[File:ParaView_UsersGuide_PropertiesTabExample.png||link=]]</center>
<center>[[File:ParaView_UsersGuide_PropertiesTabExample.png||link=]]</center>


<center>'''Figure 1. Sample Properties tab for a Cone source'''</center>
<center>'''Figure 1. Sample Properties tab for a Cone source'''</center>


When a reader, source, or filter is first selected, the associated data set is not immediately created. By default (unless you turn on Auto-Accept in ParaView’s options) it will not happen until the Apply button is pressed. Pressing the Apply button passes the values on the Properties tab to the data processing engine. When the values of the user interface controls located below the row of Apply, Reset, and Delete buttons do not match the values of the underlying data set, the Apply button will be highlighted (in blue or green depending on your operating system). This is the case when a reader, source, or filter is first added to the visualization pipeline or when the value of at least one of the user interface controls on the Parameters tab has been modified. This delayed acceptance behavior is essential when working with large data sets, for which any given operation may not complete until after a significant delay.
The help button brings opens up the documentation for the filter in ParaView's help system in which the input restrictions to the filter, output type generated by the filter, and descriptions of each parameter are listed. The same information is repeated in the Appendices [[ParaView/Users Guide/List of readers#Readers|1]],[[ParaView/Users Guide/List of filters|2]] of this book.
 
 
Beside the Apply button is the Reset button. It sets the GUI controls for this data set to the state they were in the last time Apply was pressed. If Apply has not been pressed yet, the controls are set to their initial values for this data set. Apply and Reset allow you to review changes you make to filter settings before they become active. If you make a mistake and Apply a change that you do not like, you can use the Undo button on the Undo/Redo toolbar to reverse the action. You can in fact undo all the way to the beginning of your ParaView session and redo back up to your most recent Apply.
 
 
Pressing the Delete button (beside the Reset button) when it is enabled removes the current filter (that selected in the Pipeline Browser) from the visualization pipeline. If the output of that filter is being used as the input to another filter, the Delete button will be disabled. To delete a data set that is in such a state, all filters that are using it as input must be deleted first. If you wish to delete all of the data sets currently loaded in ParaView instead of just the current data set, select Delete All from the Edit menu.
 
 
The specific parameter control widgets vary from filter to filter and sometimes vary depending on the exact input to the filter. In all cases the widgets give you control over exactly what the filter does. If you are unsure of what a filter does or what the controls do, hit the ? button to the right of the Delete button to open up the documentation for that filter.  


The '''Delete''' button removes this filter from the pipeline. The delete button is only enabled when there are no filters further down the pipeline that depend on this filter's output. You have to either use the Pipeline Browser and Object inspector in conjunction to delete the dependent parts of the pipeline or use '''Delete All''' from the '''Edit''' menu.


Note that ParaView attempts to provide reasonable default settings for the parameter settings and to some extent guards against invalid entries. A numeric entry box will not let you type in non-numerical values for example. Sliders and spin boxes also typically have minimum and maximum settings beyond which they cannot be moved. Note that in most cases, when there is a numeric entry beside the widget, you can exceed those ranges if you need by typing in any value manually.
When a reader, source, or filter is first selected, the associated data set is not immediately created. By default (unless you turn on '''Auto-Accept''' in ParaView's settings) the filter will not run until you hit the '''Apply''' button. When you do press Apply, ParaView sends the values shown on the '''Properties''' tab to the data processing engine and then the pipeline is executed. This delayed commit behavior is important when working with large data, for which any given action might take a long time to finish.  


Until you press '''Apply''' and any other time that the values shown on the GUI do not agree with what was last sent to the server, the the Apply button will be highlighted (in blue or green depending on your operating system). In this state the '''Reset''' button is also enabled. Pressing that returns the GUI to the last committed state, which gives you an easy way to cancel mistakes you've made before they happen.


Some filters have additional controls that you work with directly in the View windows. Take the Slice filter for example. Slice extracts slices from the data that lie on a set of parallel planes in oriented in space. You can use textual widgets on the Display Tab to manually specify the exact location and orientation of the slice planes but you often do not need such exact control and it is faster then to orient the slice planes visually. You can do that very easily by clicking on and dragging a 3D Plane widget in the 3D scene.  
The specific parameter control widgets vary from filter to filter and sometimes vary depending on the exact input to the filter. Some filters have no parameters at all and others have many. Many readers present the list and type of arrays in the file, an allow you to pick some or all of them as you need. In all cases the widgets shown on the '''Properties''' tab give you control over exactly what the filter does. If you are unsure of what they do, remember to hit the '''?''' button to see the documentation for that filter.  


Note that ParaView attempts to provide reasonable default settings for the parameter settings and to some extent guards against invalid entries. A numeric entry box will not let you type in non-numerical values for example. Sliders and spin boxes typically have minimum and maximum limits built in. In some cases though you may want to ignore these default limits. Whenever there is a numeric entry beside the widget, you are able to manually type in any number you need to.


<nowiki>In the same way that sliders and numeric entry boxes in the Properties tab always stay in synch, the orientation of the drawn plane and the widgets in the Properties tab are always kept in synch too. Again, changes you make with 3D widgets do not take effect until you hit accept and can be undone via the Reset and Undo buttons. For more information about the various widgets, refer to Chapter <????></nowiki>
Some filter parameters are best manipulated directly in the 3D View window with the mouse. Take the Slice filter for example. Slice extracts slices from the data that lie on a set of parallel planes oriented in space. This type of world space interactive control is  what [[Users Guide Widgets|3D Widgets]] are for. The textual controls in the Properties Tab and the displayed state of the 3D widgets are always linked so that changing either updates the other. You can of course use the '''Reset''' button to revert changes you make from either place.

Revision as of 23:19, 27 January 2011

Filter Parameters

Each time a data set is opened from a file, a source is selected, a filter is applied, or an existing reader, source, or filter (hereafter simply referred to as filter) is selected in the Pipeline Browser, ParaView updates the Object Inspector for the corresponding output data set. The Object Inspector has three tabs. In this chapter we are primarily concerned with the Properties tab. The Display tab gives you control over the visual characteristics of the data produced by the filter as displayed in the active view and the Information tab presents meta-information about the data produced by the filter.

Properties

From the Properties' tab you modify the parameters of the filter, fine tuning what it produces from its input (if any). A filter that extracts an isocontour will have a control with which to set the isovalue (or isovalues) to extract at for example. The specific controls and information provided on the tab then are specific to the particular vtkAlgorithm you are working with, but all filters have at least the Apply, Reset, Delete and ? (help) controls.

ParaView UsersGuide PropertiesTabExample.png
Figure 1. Sample Properties tab for a Cone source

The help button brings opens up the documentation for the filter in ParaView's help system in which the input restrictions to the filter, output type generated by the filter, and descriptions of each parameter are listed. The same information is repeated in the Appendices 1,2 of this book.

The Delete button removes this filter from the pipeline. The delete button is only enabled when there are no filters further down the pipeline that depend on this filter's output. You have to either use the Pipeline Browser and Object inspector in conjunction to delete the dependent parts of the pipeline or use Delete All from the Edit menu.

When a reader, source, or filter is first selected, the associated data set is not immediately created. By default (unless you turn on Auto-Accept in ParaView's settings) the filter will not run until you hit the Apply button. When you do press Apply, ParaView sends the values shown on the Properties tab to the data processing engine and then the pipeline is executed. This delayed commit behavior is important when working with large data, for which any given action might take a long time to finish.

Until you press Apply and any other time that the values shown on the GUI do not agree with what was last sent to the server, the the Apply button will be highlighted (in blue or green depending on your operating system). In this state the Reset button is also enabled. Pressing that returns the GUI to the last committed state, which gives you an easy way to cancel mistakes you've made before they happen.

The specific parameter control widgets vary from filter to filter and sometimes vary depending on the exact input to the filter. Some filters have no parameters at all and others have many. Many readers present the list and type of arrays in the file, an allow you to pick some or all of them as you need. In all cases the widgets shown on the Properties tab give you control over exactly what the filter does. If you are unsure of what they do, remember to hit the ? button to see the documentation for that filter.

Note that ParaView attempts to provide reasonable default settings for the parameter settings and to some extent guards against invalid entries. A numeric entry box will not let you type in non-numerical values for example. Sliders and spin boxes typically have minimum and maximum limits built in. In some cases though you may want to ignore these default limits. Whenever there is a numeric entry beside the widget, you are able to manually type in any number you need to.

Some filter parameters are best manipulated directly in the 3D View window with the mouse. Take the Slice filter for example. Slice extracts slices from the data that lie on a set of parallel planes oriented in space. This type of world space interactive control is what 3D Widgets are for. The textual controls in the Properties Tab and the displayed state of the 3D widgets are always linked so that changing either updates the other. You can of course use the Reset button to revert changes you make from either place.