VTK for DIVERSE

Michael Shore (mshore@vt.edu)

Summary:

The goal of my work is to allow visualizations programmed using the Visualization Toolkit (VTK) to be rendered using the DIVERSE graphics interface for OpenGL (DGL). Much of my initial work comes with the help of Matt Hall from the UIUC, whose work on the vtk2CAVE project is the basis for my own work. My work was then aided greatly by Robert Belleman of Universiteit van Amsterdam. Their updates to vtk2CAVE became the new base for vtk4CAVE. Also, and perhaps more importantly, their preliminary work on a VTK interface for the new multi-threaded CAVElibs pointed me in a new direction for vtk4DGL.

Status:

• vtk4CAVE - Currently, all work on vtk4CAVE has stopped. I will be posting those files soon, for those who are interested.
• vtk4DGL - I have successfully gotten VTK to interface with DGL. Most features dealing with actors, including transparency and textures, seem to work. I have also gotten importers to work. Volumes currently do not work, but I am working to resolve that problem. Due to the nature of DIVERSE, camera, lighting, and interaction support are not included, but I hope to add some or all of these features in later versions. Navigation is supported through native DIVERSE DSOs.

Requirements:

• VTK version 4 or higher. While earlier version may work, they have not been tested.
• vtk4CAVE requires the CAVE libraries. These are available (commercially) from VRCO.
• vtk4DGL requires DIVERSE:
  • DTK (the DIVERSE toolkit) version 2.1.1 or higher
  • DGL (DIVERSE graphics interface for OpenGL) version 0.0.10 or higher
• FLTK (required by DTK)

Downloads:

Other Resources:

• DIVERSE Project at Virginia Tech, the sponsers of my work
• CAVE programming info
• vtk2CAVE, the basis of my work
• vtkActorToPF, an alternative to my project, for displaying VTK in a Performer environment