Module: Grouping ()

Description:

This module allows you to define arbitrary groups or surface triangles and/or elements of tetrahedral or hexahedral grids. The groups can be used to easily display parts of more complex objects. The grouping module can be connected to one or more ordinary display modules like Surface View, Tetra Grid View, or Hexa Grid View (in fact any module derived from View Base will work). In order to define a group first select the parts of the object you are interested in using the selection mechanisms provided by the input modules. For example, in case of a Surface View module different parts can be selected via the materials menu, via the selection box (buffer show/hide), via 2D lasso selection (buffer draw), or by selecting or deselecting individual triangles with the mouse. Once the parts of the object you want to be in a group are visible, select the New group button. Later, this particular display state can be restored by choosing the group from the Groups combo box again.

Internally groups are defined in a bitfield (one bit for each selectable element). The bitfields are stored in the parameter section of the corresponding data objects. If the objects are saved in the or HxSurface file format after the groups have been defined the group definitions are saved too. In addition, the group definitions will also be included in project files. Note that group definitions may become invalid if the data objects are modified, e.g., if the number of triangles of a surface is reduced using the simplification editor.

Connections:

Data [required]
Connection to a display module like Surface View, Tetra Grid View, or Hexa Grid View.

Module2 [optional]
Connection to an additional display module connected to some other data object than the first one. If multiple inputs are connected to the grouping module elements of all input objects can be grouped together.

Ports:

Groups

This combo box lists all groups currently being defined. Selecting a group from the box causes the elements contained in that group to be shown, to be added to the view, or to be removed from the view, depending on the value of the Action port (see below).

Action

This radio box defines what happens when a new group is chosen in the Groups menu. If show is selected, the elements of the new group become visible and all other elements become invisible. If add is selected the elements of the new group are added to the view. If remove is selected the elements of the new group are removed from the view. If nop is selected nothing happens. This last option allows you to change the Groups port without changing the view.

Rename

This text port allows you to rename the current group. By default, new groups are called Group1, Group2, etc.

Edit

This port provides three button for creating a new group containing all elements currently being visible (selected, not highlighted), for deleting the current group without changing the selection, and for replacing the contents of a group by the elements currently being visible.