Oh nice idea,
here I go!
I use paraview for 3 quite different applications:
CFD, simulations using OpenFOAM:
In this case, I just use some of the buttons for some filters, like slice, clip and threshold, the other ones i dont use, and it would be great to be able to remove them, and furthemore be able to add some others. in case of CFD, the workflow is quite repetitive and ‘more or less’ the same each time (at least for my cases), so the number of filters used is limited to 10 or 15 max, outside of them my workflow never goes out of that. I actually, finished making a ‘base python script’ that i instead of doing this steps each time, i have a command that makes a copy of this base script and from there i change small things, comment some uncomment other… and then run this to make the complete workflow.
Mesh analyze:
I work on my own code for mesh generation, and i troubleshoot a lot with paraview. to check specific parts of a mesh, identify elements etc.
Image processing :
In this case, i work with tomograph imagery, trying to analyse and extract information from it.
What I am missing / What annoys me:
-
due to use most of the time the base script, a hot key/shortcut for ‘run script’ button and also ‘run custom script’ (so linked directly to specific script) on the interface or have access from the ctr+space would be awesome. this is related directly with the feature request i made here
-
there are some annoyances from paraview that i counter with python functions, for example, in OpenFOAM, we describe a box element, by min and max points, so, one describes the XYZ min and XYZ max, and OF will create a axis aligned box connecting this two points, where paraview instead requires a center and a delta XYZ, which is suuuuuuper annoying (specially when you have a bunch), so i created my functions that takes as input ‘pMin, pMax’ does some calculations to find the center, delta XYZ, and then it creates the specific box filter, with the requirements of paraview. This is a super simple function, but i have a bunch of them which are more interesting and which god that economize time, another dumb example, create cylinders by two points and a radius, so in this case, it will create a cylinder and then transform it to give the correct direction. currently i have more than 50+ functions for this small annoyances that i encounter around, obviously some quite specific, some general. This is the reasoning behind my feature request for being able to create custom filters with python scripts contained where one would have different filters into one with some calculations, and a bunch of filters and condensate them into a custom filter. for example, ‘customCylinder’ filter, which will take the pMin,pMax,r and then do everything inside, and to be able to define it with a small python script. similar to a macro but have it condensate into a single custom filter.
-
be able to define a variable on the pipeline, maybe this is already feisable? the only way i see i can currently do it is defining a calculator, with a field name, and set it to a constant value, i might be wrong but this looks wrong. but would like to be able to use variable → viscosity=3 and then be able to use it in another calculation or even in a input in another filter, such as a coordinate of a clip filter. so define z=3, and after in the pipeline have clip over [0,0,z] and if i change the value of z the clip will change positions.
-
would love that the OpenFOAM reader, ‘realize’ by itself, if the case is decomposed or not and in function of that change automatically to the desired option. a simple logic, if there is the processor* folders then by default i read it as decomposed if there is not, then i read it as non decomposed simulation.
-
I would like a way to create a presset of coloring that will have a single color for a single value, similar to the vtkCompositIndex or how the “… Step” pressets works, where you have a single color for a single value or range. I miss a way to create this easily for a field that has ints. so i can for example color by a custom index or things like that. again, i finished doing this by creating a custom python function. but having the possibility to do it directly from the interface would be great, and I dont think I am the only one to have this kind of requirement, for example make 5 contours, and give 5 different colors, (when one has more than the number of the “… step” pressets, they do not work anymore. having a ‘generate step presset for current data’ button would be great.
-
I already discussed about this in other threads, but sometimes we can not use a specific filter on a source due to incompatibility of type, such as with vtkMultiblock, where the filter when we want to use it with the ctr+space, will say ‘requires vtkSingleblock’ would love that as it is grey out and it mentions this, in funciton of the type input, it would suggest us how to convert it to the desired type. such as, ‘requires vtkSingleBlock, input is vtkMultiBlock, please use merge blocks before to use this filter’ or even be able to use it and that it will automatically apply in the pipeline in the middle the required filters to transform the data correctly.
Other general things to paraview UI usage that i REALLY dont like:
-
i would make the ‘delete downstream pipeline’ the default behavior of the ‘suppr’ keyboard, we all welcomed this addition on the recent features added to paraview, for the number of times we misstype suppr button i would prefer to take the risk and be able to remove all at same time as i want instead of doing right click-> search ‘delete downstream pipeline’ and click it.
-
by default, switching from 3D to 2D camera view, it changes the controls of the view from pan to rotate, this is super annoying (i know i can change the defaults, but do not ask me why, this keeps resetting all the time…)
-
be able to set the default of the clipping/slicing to hide the plane, i can not count the number of times that i click to move the camera and move the plane of the slice by error. this is one of the most frustrating things that happens to me in paraview.