another improvement for the filter search, is enhanced error messages! this would be awsome.
I made a feature request a while ago: smarter messages 'error/warning' errors when searching a filter
a lot of times, in paraview, we have issues as users, where we are working with new data and a specific filter that we commonly use it is grey out and we can not apply it to the data.
at least in my case, most of the time it is an issue of multi-block data.
Today, paraview checks if the data type is correct, if it is , then it allows to use the filter if not it tells you, you need this kind of data, what i would suggest are two possible solutions:
- that paraview checks the input data, and tell you in the message for example, ‘hey this is vtkMultiBlockDataSet, you need to use a vtkDataSet, for this one can use extract block filter’. this will point the user in the right direction on where to go.
- that when using a filter, there would be two options (or like right now select the filter->use it directly + warrning message). where it will auto apply extract block, and then apply the corresponding filter. and prompt a message ‘the input data was modified by X filter to enable the use of X2 filter’ and one could add a ok/cancel (and do not show this kind of message anymore checkbox). this would basically do what 1. suggest directly to the user.
I have came across this situation where the filters are grey out quite often, I also should note that generally the solution is quite easy to find, or even i do it automatically as i was not checking the datatype, but this is something that could be polished and nice. (even the second option could be implemented not only from search filter but when selecting a ‘grey out filter’ that now could be instead colored in orange or something like that?)
do it for absolutely the hole family of filters would be a lot of work but at least the most classic filters used.