Multi-block Support in ParaView

One of the major targets for ParaView 3.4 is to support composite datasets natively. As a starting point, Kitware has restructured the composite dataset hierarchy to make it more use-case driven and easy to understand than before. Composite datasets now support a full tree data structure, instead of the table-of-tables approach used earlier. Composite data iterators are now more powerful in that they can be used to not only access datasets in a composite dataset, but also initialize/set them. This makes is possible for filters to work with iterators directly without having to downcast to a concrete subclass as was the case earlier.

The ParaView GUI is also undergoing major overhaul to support the users’ need to explore the composite data tree. Filters dealing with composite data sets such as ExtractBlock, ExtractLevel, ExtractDataSet now show the entire composite dataset tree on the client making it possible for users to choose the nodes that they are interested in directly using the GUI. Similarly, the information tab also shows the entire composite tree allowing the user to see the data information about individual nodes as well.

Currently Kitware is working on other ParaView components such as selection and spreadsheet view so that they also work seamlessly with composite datasets.

 ParaView Extract Block showing composite tree selection