Module: DataProbe ()

Description:

The three data probing modules PointProbe, LineProbe, SplineProbe are used to inspect scalar or vector data fields. They have many features in common so they are described in one section. The probes are taken at a point (PointProbe) or along a line (LineProbe, SplineProbe) which may be arbitrarily placed. The controlpoints of the data probing modules determine the locations where the samples are to be taken. Point Probe has one controlpoint which is the samplepoint, Line Probe has two controlpoints which are the endpoints of a line which is subdivided into a number of segments given by the Samples port or by the Distance port, and Spline Probe has at least three controlpoints that define a spline that goes through the endpoints and approximates the points in between. The spline curve is subdivided into a number of segments given by the Samples port or by the Distance port by which the sample points are obtained.

To place the controlpoints within the bounding box of the given geometry you can either type in the coordinates in the port Points (see below) or you can shift the points interactively with the mouse. The latter can be done by turning the 3D viewer into interactive mode (ESC key) and picking and moving the crosshair dragger of the current point (see Points port options to show/hide the dragger). You can also pick a location with the middle mouse button on a pickable object in the scene, e.g., an Ortho Slice or a surface, to set the current point to that location.

The plot immediately changes if the immediate mode toggle is set. Usually the sampled values are plotted against the length of the probe line or as a bar in case of Point Probe in an extra plot window. If you use more than one data probing module of the same type all plotted curves will be shown in one plot window.

Point Probe displays the value at the sample point and the material if material values are set. Line Probe and Spline Probe display the length of the line and of the spline respectively.

A module of type Extract Line Set can be connected to a Line Probe or a Spline Probe module in order to save the probe line and the sampled values.

Connections:

Data [required]
Can be connected to arbitrary 3D fields. The Line Probe module can also be attached to 3D input objects other than fields such as surfaces or Open Inventor geometry. In this case, the Line Probe doesn't sample any data but simply measures distances.

Ports:

Orientation

This port which is used in Line Probe and Spline Probe provides three buttons to specify the probe line orientation: perpendicular to the x-y-plane, to the x-z-plane, or to the y-z-plane. If one of these buttons is pressed, the start and end coordinates of the probe line are set to the minima and the maxima respectively of the corresponding axis and to the center of the two axes perpendicular to the probe line.

Options

The immediate option determines whether the samples are taken while the controlpoints are being moved or when the motion is finished. If the interpolate option is on, interpolation is used to evaluate the value of the Point Probe. This port is shown only for module Point Probe.

If the orthogonal option is on, all points are moved in sync, when the coordinates of one point are changed with the dragger. This port is not shown for module Point Probe.

The customize sampling option is only available for Spline Probe. If it is off, the sample points will be equal to those of the tessellated displayed spline. Otherwise, Control port will be used to compute the sample points.

The follow slice option is only available for regular scalar fields. If it is on, the line probe's 3D point positions are set at the scalar field's ortho slice positions. A slice number port appears and lets you control the position for the probe. When setting the slice number, all the points of the probe are set at the defined slice position. The orientation of the slice controling the probe points is chosen with the orientation buttons. The orientation is x-y-plane by default.

Evaluate

If the probe is connected to a vector field, these radio buttons are shown. If the Magnitude button is set the magnitude of the vectors is shown in the plot window. With the normal+tangent Comp. button set you get the normal and tangential components as two curves. Setting the all button shows all components of the vector field as separate curves.

Points

Here you can see and/or type in the coordinates of all controlpoints the data probing module makes use of. The options menu lets you toggle whether a dragger or a sphere is shown for the controlpoints. You can also append, insert or remove controlpoints if this module is a Spline Probe module. Furthemore in case of a Spline Probe or a Line Probe, you have the possibility to see where the line is being drawn by using the "Interactive Feedback" option.

Control

With these radio buttons you can choose which of the following two ports are used to compute the sample points. This port is not shown for module Point Probe. If you have chosen the adaptive button, the module tries to keep the number of samples which can be seen in the plot window as close as possible to the number given with the appropriate slider. i.e., the more you zoom into the plot window the more exact are the curves in the plot window.

Samples

This slider allows you to choose the numbers of samples along the probe line. This port is not shown for module Point Probe.

Distance

This slider allows you to choose the distance between two consecutive sample points along the probeline.

Options

The average option averages the probe values by taking samples on a disk perpendicular to the sampling points and smoothes the sampled values along the sampling line(s) for a Line Probe or Spline Probe module and averages the probe values by taking samples on a sphere centered on the point probe for a Point Probe module.

Average options

If averaging using the port Options is enabled this port selects the type of sampling. By default, the average value is reported but the user might also select the maximum or minimum value.

Radius

The radius of the sampling disk or sphere. This slider is only shown if the above average option is chosen.

Longitudinal Width

The width determines how many sampling values are used for smoothing. This slider is only shown if the above average option is chosen.

Plot

If the Show button is pressed a plot window appears where the sampled values are plotted against the length of the probe line. Note: There will be only one plot window regardless of how many Line Probe modules there are in your setup. Every line probe is represented in that plot window by a curve bearing the name of the corresponding module.

Offset

This port is used in Line Probe and Spline Probe. It allows you to add an offset (i.e., translation) to the plot window X-Axis coordinates.

Commands:

getInterpol
Returns the currently used interpolation method.

setInterpol {none|linear|spline}
Sets the interpolation method. none means no interpolation at all and the sample values are taken at the controlpoints only.

getOrder
Returns the order of the spline probe.

setOrder <value>
Sets the order of the spline probe.

getPoint [<index>]
Returns the coordinate of the requested controlpoint. Index defaults to 0.

setPoint [<index>] <x> <y> <z>
Sets the coordinates of controlpoint index. Index defaults to 0.

getSamplePoints
Returns the coordinates of all points where samples are taken.

currentValue
Returns all sampled values.

getSampledValues
Returns all sampled values.

setImmediate {0|1}
Switches the immediate mode on or off, i.e., data is shown while the probe line or point is being moved.

setOrtho {0|1}
Switches the orthogonal mode on or off, i.e., all controlpoints of a probe line are moved in sync or not.

getNumPoints
Returns the number of control points of a probe line. In case of a point probe 1 is returned.

getLength
Returns the length of the probe line. 0 in case of a point probe.

appendPoint <x> <y> <z>
Appends a controlpoint with the given coordinates.

insertPoint <index> <x> <y> <z>
Inserts a controlpoint with the given coordinates as the index point.

removePoint <index>
Removes the given controlpoint.