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3.8 Tasks and Tools

The following examples illustrate a number of techniques and tools that are helpful in using Data Explorer.

Adding Captions

The Caption tool allows you to control the placement, font, size, wording, and other aspects of a caption in the Image window.

  1. Open visual program .../Caption.net.
  2. Select Open All Control Panels in the Windows pull-down menu. A control panel appears.
  3. Select Execute on Change in the Execute pull-down menu. When the image appears, note that the caption at the bottom of the Image window is the same as the name of the realization technique shown in the control panel.
  4. Click on the option button in the control panel and select Streamlines. Both the image and the caption change accordingly.

Use the Caption configuration dialog box to change the placement and font size of the caption.

  1. Double click on the Caption icon to open the configuration dialog box and click on the position toggle button.
  2. Clear the position parameter field and type "0 1".
  3. Click on OK. The caption moves from its default position to the top left corner of the Image window.

    Note: [0 0] specifies the bottom left corner and [1 1] the top right.

  4. Reopen the Caption configuration dialog box and click on Expand to show the hidden parameters.
  5. Click on the height toggle button.
  6. Double click on the associated parameter field to highlight the value there.
  7. Type a larger value in its place (e.g., if the value was "15," type in "20").
  8. Click on OK. The caption type changes size. (See "Displaying and hiding parameters".)

To change the wording of a caption, you must use the Format tool:

  1. In the VPE window, disconnect the Caption input from the Selector interactor.
  2. Select Annotation and Format in the palettes.
  3. Position the Format icon between Selector and Caption and open the configuration dialog box.
  4. Drag the cursor over "(none)" in the template parameter field and then type "Visualization Method: %s" in its place (%s indicates that a string will be inserted).
  5. Click on OK.
  6. Connect the second output tab of Selector to the second (middle) input tab of Format.
  7. Connect the Format output to Caption and reexecute the visual program. The caption reads "Visualization Method: Streamlines."

    See Caption and Format in IBM Visualization Data Explorer User's Reference.

Adding Input Tabs to Tool Icons

Tools such as Compute, Options, and Switch, among others, can have a variable number of inputs. If you need more tabs than the number shown by a default icon, you can increase the number:

  1. Select the tool icon to which you want to add tabs.
  2. Select Input/Output Tabs in the Edit pull-down menu and select Add Input Tab in the cascade menu. An input tab is added to the icon.
  3. Repeat Step 2 as many times as necessary.

Note: You can also remove tabs from a tool icon by following the same procedure, but select Remove Input Tab in Step 2.

Connecting Scattered Data Points

Many Data Explorer modules cannot be used with scattered data points that have no connections (i.e., interpolation elements). However, Data Explorer does provide two methods for creating connections between scattered data values.

  1. The first method uses the Connect module.
  2. The second method uses the Regrid module.

    See Connect and Regrid in IBM Visualization Data Explorer User's Reference.

Controlling Execution with Switch

Switch allows you to decide which portions of a visual program are executed (e.g., whether a data set is visualized with Isosurface or MapToPlane).

  1. Open visual program .../Switch.net.
  2. Select Execute on Change in the Execute pull-down menu. The image that appears is a streamline representation of the data set.
  3. Select Open All Control Panels in the Windows pull-down menu. You can now use the selector interactor to switch from one visualization to the other.

You can modify the selector interactor and increase the number of choices.

  1. Double click on the interactor to open the Set Selector Attributes dialog box.
  2. Double click on the Value parameter field and type "3" in that space.
  3. Double click on the Label parameter field and type "MapToPlane." in that space.

    Note: The integer passed from Selector to the first input tab of Switch determines what input, if any, is passed on to another module. If the integer is "0" or greater than the number of objects being passed to the module, the output is NULL. Thus, "1" selects the first input (second input tab), "2" the second input (third input tab), and so on.

  4. Click on Add. A new third line should appear under the first two.
  5. Click on OK to close the dialog box. If you click on the option button in the selector, you will see that it now offers a third choice. Leave the control panel open.

The third choice shown in the Selector, however, is not yet operative (select MapToPlane in the control panel and reexecute the visual program). To implement this choice, you must incorporate a third visualization in the program, such as that represented by the program segment on the right side of the VPE canvas. This segment computes a MapToPlane of temperature data.

  1. Click on the Switch icon to highlight it.
  2. Select Add Input Tab in the Edit pull-down menu. A new input tab is added to Switch.
  3. Connect the first ("mapped") output tab of the AutoColor icon (below the MapToPlane icon) to the new input tab of Switch.
  4. Select MapToPlane in the control panel and reexecute the visual program. The MapToPlane visualization appears in the Image window.

Note: Switch selects among inputs. The corresponding module that selects among outputs is Route. Both are described in IBM Visualization Data Explorer User's Reference.

Controlling Inputs: Configuration Dialog Boxes

A configuration dialog box allows you to change the parameter values of a module. To open the dialog box, double click on the module's icon or single-click on the icon and select Configuration from the Edit pull-down menu. You can close the dialog box by clicking on OK.

Changing parameter values

A configuration dialog box displays the input parameters of a module.

You can change a parameter value by typing in a new value in the corresponding parameter field on the right side of the dialog box.

Note: If a tab is already connected to an arc, you must first disconnect the arc before typing in a new value.

Displaying and hiding parameters

Most configuration dialog boxes can be "expanded" to display "hidden" parameters for less commonly used functions. If a dialog box has hidden parameters, the Expand and Collapse buttons at the bottom of the box are enabled (i.e., their labels appear in solid type; otherwise, both labels are gray).

To display hidden parameters, click on the Expand button. To restore the dialog box to its previous state, click on Collapse.

Notes:

  1. Whether a parameter is hidden or visible is determined by the associated toggle button in the Hide column of the dialog box.
  2. The number of input tabs on an icon varies with the number of visible parameters in the dialog box.

Controlling Inputs: Interactors

Using a configuration dialog box to specify tool inputs can be awkward, especially if the inputs are changed frequently or if the number of inputs is large. A simpler means of controlling input values makes use of interactors, which appear only in Control Panels. They are represented on the VPE canvas by stand-ins, or icons, selected from the category and tool palettes just as tools are. The output of an interactor, like that of any tool, can be connected to one or more inputs.

For this part of Tutorial II, you will use a scalar interactor stand-in to control an isosurface value. A scalar interactor can control any parameter that accepts a scalar value as input. Other types of interactor (e.g., vector, integer, string) can control parameters that take the corresponding type of input.

Begin by opening visual program .../Isosurface3D.net.

Selecting interactors and placing stand-ins

The procedure here is essentially the same as that for selecting tools and placing icons (see "Selecting tools and placing icons").

  1. Select Interactor in the categories palette.
  2. Select Scalar in the tools palette and position the cursor (now an inverted "L") above Isosurface.
  3. Click again. The stand-in for the Scalar interactor appears.

Connecting the interactor

  1. Click and hold on the Scalar output tab and drag the cursor to the middle Isosurface input tab (which lights up when the cursor touches it).
  2. Release the mouse button to establish a connection (represented by a rectilinear black line) between the two.

Creating a control panel

Double click on the Scalar icon. A control panel appears containing a scalar interactor labeled Isosurface value. Stepper arrowheads can be used to change this value.

Setting the interactor attributes

To set interactor attributes, you must open a Set Attributes... dialog box by:

When the dialog box appears, you are ready to (re)set the attribute values:
  1. Click on the Maximum field. The value disappears.
  2. Type 1 and press Enter to set the new value.
  3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for Minimum, and change the value to .1.
  4. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for Global Increment and change the value to .01.
  5. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for Decimal Places and change the value to 2. (You can also reset this value with the stepper buttons.)
  6. Click on OK. The dialog box closes.

When the minimum and maximum values are set, Data Explorer will prevent values outside that range from being entered.

Note: As discussed in "Data-driven Tools", data-driven interactors derive their own minimum and maximum from the data itself.

Executing the program on change

  1. Select Execute On Change in the Execute pull-down menu of the VPE menu bar.
  2. Use the right-hand stepper arrowhead in the interactor to increase the isosurface value. As the value changes, so does the image in the Image window.

    Notes:

    1. You can also change the isosurface value by clicking on it, typing in a new value, and Pressing Enter.
    2. You can accelerate the value change by holding down the mouse button after selecting a stepper arrowhead.
    3. If you change values faster than Data Explorer can generate images, it will complete processing the current value and then "jump" to the one most recently specified, passing over any intermediate values.
  3. Click on the left-hand stepper arrow to decrease the value. Again, new images appear in the Image window.
  4. Select End Execution in the Execute pull-down menu.

Changing the interactor style

In this example, you will change the interactor style from "stepper" (as in the preceding example) to "slider." Click on Add. A new third line should appear under the first two.
  • Click on OK to close the dialog box. If you click on the option button in the selector, you will see that it now offers a third choice. Leave the control panel open.

    The third choice shown in the Selector, however, is not yet operative (select MapToPlane in the control panel and reexecute the visual program). To implement this choice, you must incorporate a third visualization in the program, such as that represented by the program segment on the right side of the VPE canvas. This segment computes a MapToPlane of temperature data.

    1. Click on the Switch icon to highlight it.
    2. Select Add Input Tab in the Edit pull-down menu. A new input tab is added to Switch.
    3. Connect the first ("mapped") output tab of the AutoColor icon (below the MapToPlane icon) to the new input tab of Switch.
    4. Select MapToPlane in the control panel and reexecute the visual program. The MapToPlane visualization appears in the Image window.

    Note: Switch selects among inputs. The corresponding module that selects among outputs is Route. Both are described in IBM Visualization Data Explorer User's Reference.

    Controlling Inputs: Configuration Dialog Boxes

    A configuration dialog box allows you to change the parameter values of a module. To open the dialog box, double click on the module's icon or single-click on the icon and select Configuration from the Edit pull-down menu. You can close the dialog box by clicking on OK.

    Changing parameter values

    A configuration dialog box displays the input parameters of a module.

    You can change a parameter value by typing in a new value in the corresponding parameter field on the right side of the dialog box.

    Note: If a tab is already connected to an arc, you must first disconnect the arc before typing in a new value.

    Displaying and hiding parameters

    Most configuration dialog boxes can be "expanded" to display "hidden" parameters for less commonly used functions. If a dialog box has hidden parameters, the Expand and Collapse buttons at the bottom of the box are enabled (i.e., their labels appear in solid type; otherwise, both labels are gray).

    To display hidden parameters, click on the Expand button. To restore the dialog box to its previous state, click on Collapse.

    Notes:

    1. Whether a parameter is hidden or visible is determined by the associated toggle button in the Hide column of the dialog box.
    2. The number of input tabs on an icon varies with the number of visible parameters in the dialog box.

    Controlling Inputs: Interactors

    Using a configuration dialog box to specify tool inputs can be awkward, especially if the inputs are changed frequently or if the number of inputs is large. A simpler means of controlling input values makes use of interactors, which appear only in Control Panels. They are represented on the VPE canvas by stand-ins, or icons, selected from the category and tool palettes just as tools are. The output of an interactor, like that of any tool, can be connected to one or more inputs.

    For this part of Tutorial II, you will use a scalar interactor stand-in to control an isosurface value. A scalar interactor can control any parameter that accepts a scalar value as input. Other types of interactor (e.g., vector, integer, string) can control parameters that take the corresponding type of input.

    Begin by opening visual program .../Isosurface3D.net.

    Selecting interactors and placing stand-ins

    The procedure here is essentially the same as that for selecting tools and placing icons (see "Selecting tools and placing icons").

    1. Select Interactor in the categories palette.
    2. Select Scalar in the tools palette and position the cursor (now an inverted "L") above Isosurface.
    3. Click again. The stand-in for the Scalar interactor appears.

    Connecting the interactor

    1. Click and hold on the Scalar output tab and drag the cursor to the middle Isosurface input tab (which lights up when the cursor touches it).
    2. Release the mouse button to establish a connection (represented by a rectilinear black line) between the two.

    Creating a control panel

    Double click on the Scalar icon. A control panel appears containing a scalar interactor labeled Isosurface value. Stepper arrowheads can be used to change this value.

    Setting the interactor attributes

    To set interactor attributes, you must open a Set Attributes... dialog box by:

    When the dialog box appears, you are ready to (re)set the attribute values:
    1. Click on the Maximum field. The value disappears.
    2. Type 1 and press Enter to set the new value.
    3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for Minimum, and change the value to .1.
    4. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for Global Increment and change the value to .01.
    5. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for Decimal Places and change the value to 2. (You can also reset this value with the stepper buttons.)
    6. Click on OK. The dialog box closes.

    When the minimum and maximum values are set, Data Explorer will prevent values outside that range from being entered.

    Note: As discussed in "Data-driven Tools", data-driven interactors derive their own minimum and maximum from the data itself.

    Executing the program on change

    1. Select Execute On Change in the Execute pull-down menu of the VPE menu bar.
    2. Use the right-hand stepper arrowhead in the interactor to increase the isosurface value. As the value changes, so does the image in the Image window.

      Notes:

      1. You can also change the isosurface value by clicking on it, typing in a new value, and Pressing Enter.
      2. You can accelerate the value change by holding down the mouse button after selecting a stepper arrowhead.
      3. If you change values faster than Data Explorer can generate images, it will complete processing the current value and then "jump" to the one most recently specified, passing over any intermediate values.
    3. Click on the left-hand stepper arrow to decrease the value. Again, new images appear in the Image window.
    4. Select End Execution in the Execute pull-down menu.

    Changing the interactor style

    In this example, you will change the interactor style from "stepper" (as in the preceding example) to "slider." Click on Add. A new third line should appear under the first two.
  • Click on OK to close the dialog box. If you click on the option button in the selector, you will see that it now offers a third choice. Leave the control panel open.

    The third choice shown in the Selector, however, is not yet operative (select MapToPlane in the control panel and reexecute the visual program). To implement this choice, you must incorporate a third visualization in the program, such as that represented by the program segment on the right side of the VPE canvas. This segment computes a MapToPlane of temperature data.

    1. Click on the Switch icon to highlight it.
    2. Select Add Input Tab in the Edit pull-down menu. A new input tab is added to Switch.
    3. Connect the first ("mapped") output tab of the AutoColor icon (below the MapToPlane icon) to the new input tab of Switch.
    4. Select MapToPlane in the control panel and reexecute the visual program. The MapToPlane visualization appears in the Image window.

    Note: Switch selects among inputs. The corresponding module that selects among outputs is Route. Both are described in IBM Visualization Data Explorer User's Reference.

    Controlling Inputs: Configuration Dialog Boxes

    A configuration dialog box allows you to change the parameter values of a module. To open the dialog box, double click on the module's icon or single-click on the icon and select Configuration from the Edit pull-down menu. You can close the dialog box by clicking on OK.

    Changing parameter values

    A configuration dialog box displays the input parameters of a module.

    You can change a parameter value by typing in a new value in the corresponding parameter field on the right side of the dialog box.

    Note: If a tab is already connected to an arc, you must first disconnect the arc before typing in a new value.

    Displaying and hiding parameters

    Most configuration dialog boxes can be "expanded" to display "hidden" parameters for less commonly used functions. If a dialog box has hidden parameters, the Expand and Collapse buttons at the bottom of the box are enabled (i.e., their labels appear in solid type; otherwise, both labels are gray).

    To display hidden parameters, click on the Expand button. To restore the dialog box to its previous state, click on Collapse.

    Notes:

    1. Whether a parameter is hidden or visible is determined by the associated toggle button in the Hide column of the dialog box.
    2. The number of input tabs on an icon varies with the number of visible parameters in the dialog box.

    Controlling Inputs: Interactors

    Using a configuration dialog box to specify tool inputs can be awkward, especially if the inputs are changed frequently or if the number of inputs is large. A simpler means of controlling input values makes use of interactors, which appear only in Control Panels. They are represented on the VPE canvas by stand-ins, or icons, selected from the category and tool palettes just as tools are. The output of an interactor, like that of any tool, can be connected to one or more inputs.

    For this part of Tutorial II, you will use a scalar interactor stand-in to control an isosurface value. A scalar interactor can control any parameter that accepts a scalar value as input. Other types of interactor (e.g., vector, integer, string) can control parameters that take the corresponding type of input.

    Begin by opening visual program .../Isosurface3D.net.

    Selecting interactors and placing stand-ins

    The procedure here is essentially the same as that for selecting tools and placing icons (see "Selecting tools and placing icons").

    1. Select Interactor in the categories palette.
    2. Select Scalar in the tools palette and position the cursor (now an inverted "L") above Isosurface.
    3. Click again. The stand-in for the Scalar interactor appears.

    Connecting the interactor

    1. Click and hold on the Scalar output tab and drag the cursor to the middle Isosurface input tab (which lights up when the cursor touches it).
    2. Release the mouse button to establish a connection (represented by a rectilinear black line) between the two.

    Creating a control panel

    Double click on the Scalar icon. A control panel appears containing a scalar interactor labeled Isosurface value. Stepper arrowheads can be used to change this value.

    Setting the interactor attributes

    To set interactor attributes, you must open a Set Attributes... dialog box by:

    When the dialog box appears, you are ready to (re)set the attribute values:
    1. Click on the Maximum field. The value disappears.
    2. Type 1 and press Enter to set the new value.
    3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for Minimum, and change the value to .1.
    4. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for Global Increment and change the value to .01.
    5. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for Decimal Places and change the value to 2. (You can also reset this value with the stepper buttons.)
    6. Click on OK. The dialog box closes.

    When the minimum and maximum values are set, Data Explorer will prevent values outside that range from being entered.

    Note: As discussed in "Data-driven Tools", data-driven interactors derive their own minimum and maximum from the data itself.

    Executing the program on change

    1. Select Execute On Change in the Execute pull-down menu of the VPE menu bar.
    2. Use the right-hand stepper arrowhead in the interactor to increase the isosurface value. As the value changes, so does the image in the Image window.

      Notes:

      1. You can also change the isosurface value by clicking on it, typing in a new value, and Pressing Enter.
      2. You can accelerate the value change by holding down the mouse button after selecting a stepper arrowhead.
      3. If you change values faster than Data Explorer can generate images, it will complete processing the current value and then "jump" to the one most recently specified, passing over any intermediate values.
    3. Click on the left-hand stepper arrow to decrease the value. Again, new images appear in the Image window.
    4. Select End Execution in the Execute pull-down menu.

    Changing the interactor style

    In this example, you will change the interactor style from "stepper" (as in the preceding example) to "slider." Click on Add. A new third line should appear under the first two.
  • Click on OK to close the dialog box. If you click on the option button in the selector, you will see that it now offers a third choice. Leave the control panel open.

    The third choice shown in the Selector, however, is not yet operative (select MapToPlane in the control panel and reexecute the visual program). To implement this choice, you must incorporate a third visualization in the program, such as that represented by the program segment on the right side of the VPE canvas. This segment computes a MapToPlane of temperature data.

    1. Click on the Switch icon to highlight it.
    2. Select Add Input Tab in the Edit pull-down menu. A new input tab is added to Switch.
    3. Connect the first ("mapped") output tab of the AutoColor icon (below the MapToPlane icon) to the new input tab of Switch.
    4. Select MapToPlane in the control panel and reexecute the visual program. The MapToPlane visualization appears in the Image window.

    Note: Switch selects among inputs. The corresponding module that selects among outputs is Route. Both are described in IBM Visualization Data Explorer User's Reference.

    Controlling Inputs: Configuration Dialog Boxes

    A configuration dialog box allows you to change the parameter values of a module. To open the dialog box, double click on the module's icon or single-click on the icon and select Configuration from the Edit pull-down menu. You can close the dialog box by clicking on OK.

    Changing parameter values

    A configuration dialog box displays the input parameters of a module.

    You can change a parameter value by typing in a new value in the corresponding parameter field on the right side of the dialog box.

    Note: If a tab is already connected to an arc, you must first disconnect the arc before typing in a new value.

    Displaying and hiding parameters

    Most configuration dialog boxes can be "expanded" to display "hidden" parameters for less commonly used functions. If a dialog box has hidden parameters, the Expand and Collapse buttons at the bottom of the box are enabled (i.e., their labels appear in solid type; otherwise, both labels are gray).

    To display hidden parameters, click on the Expand button. To restore the dialog box to its previous state, click on Collapse.

    Notes:

    1. Whether a parameter is hidden or visible is determined by the associated toggle button in the Hide column of the dialog box.
    2. The number of input tabs on an icon varies with the number of visible parameters in the dialog box.

    Controlling Inputs: Interactors

    Using a configuration dialog box to specify tool inputs can be awkward, especially if the inputs are changed frequently or if the number of inputs is large. A simpler means of controlling input values makes use of interactors, which appear only in Control Panels. They are represented on the VPE canvas by stand-ins, or icons, selected from the category and tool palettes just as tools are. The output of an interactor, like that of any tool, can be connected to one or more inputs.

    For this part of Tutorial II, you will use a scalar interactor stand-in to control an isosurface value. A scalar interactor can control any parameter that accepts a scalar value as input. Other types of interactor (e.g., vector, integer, string) can control parameters that take the corresponding type of input.

    Begin by opening visual program .../Isosurface3D.net.

    Selecting interactors and placing stand-ins

    The procedure here is essentially the same as that for selecting tools and placing icons (see "Selecting tools and placing icons").

    1. Select Interactor in the categories palette.
    2. Select Scalar in the tools palette and position the cursor (now an inverted "L") above Isosurface.
    3. Click again. The stand-in for the Scalar interactor appears.

    Connecting the interactor

    1. Click and hold on the Scalar output tab and drag the cursor to the middle Isosurface input tab (which lights up when the cursor touches it).
    2. Release the mouse button to establish a connection (represented by a rectilinear black line) between the two.

    Creating a control panel

    Double click on the Scalar icon. A control panel appears containing a scalar interactor labeled Isosurface value. Stepper arrowheads can be used to change this value.

    Setting the interactor attributes

    To set interactor attributes, you must open a Set Attributes... dialog box by:

    When the dialog box appears, you are ready to (re)set the attribute values:
    1. Click on the Maximum field. The value disappears.
    2. Type 1 and press Enter to set the new value.
    3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for Minimum, and change the value to .1.
    4. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for Global Increment and change the value to .01.
    5. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for Decimal Places and change the value to 2. (You can also reset this value with the stepper buttons.)
    6. Click on OK. The dialog box closes.

    When the minimum and maximum values are set, Data Explorer will prevent values outside that range from being entered.

    Note: As discussed in "Data-driven Tools", data-driven interactors derive their own minimum and maximum from the data itself.

    Executing the program on change

    1. Select Execute On Change in the Execute pull-down menu of the VPE menu bar.
    2. Use the right-hand stepper arrowhead in the interactor to increase the isosurface value. As the value changes, so does the image in the Image window.

      Notes:

      1. You can also change the isosurface value by clicking on it, typing in a new value, and Pressing Enter.
      2. You can accelerate the value change by holding down the mouse button after selecting a stepper arrowhead.
      3. If you change values faster than Data Explorer can generate images, it will complete processing the current value and then "jump" to the one most recently specified, passing over any intermediate values.
    3. Click on the left-hand stepper arrow to decrease the value. Again, new images appear in the Image window.
    4. Select End Execution in the Execute pull-down menu.

    Changing the interactor style

    In this example, you will change the interactor style from "stepper" (as in the preceding example) to "slider." Click on Add. A new third line should appear under the first two.
  • Click on OK to close the dialog box. If you click on the option button in the selector, you will see that it now offers a third choice. Leave the control panel open.

    The third choice shown in the Selector, however, is not yet operative (select MapToPlane in the control panel and reexecute the visual program). To implement this choice, you must incorporate a third visualization in the program, such as that represented by the program segment on the right side of the VPE canvas. This segment computes a MapToPlane of temperature data.

    1. Click on the Switch icon to highlight it.
    2. Select Add Input Tab in the Edit pull-down menu. A new input tab is added to Switch.
    3. Connect the first ("mapped") output tab of the AutoColor icon (below the MapToPlane icon) to the new input tab of Switch.
    4. Select MapToPlane in the control panel and reexecute the visual program. The MapToPlane visualization appears in the Image window.

    Note: Switch selects among inputs. The corresponding module that selects among outputs is Route. Both are desc