VTK

The Visualization ToolKit (VTK) is an open source, freely available software system for 3D computer graphics, image processing, and visualization used by thousands of researchers and developers around the world. VTK consists of a C++ class library, and several interpreted interface layers including Tcl/Tk, Java, and Python. Professional support and products for VTK are provided by Kitware, Inc. (www.kitware.com) VTK supports a wide variety of visualization algorithms including scalar, vector, tensor, texture, and volumetric methods; and advanced modeling techniques such as implicit modelling, polygon reduction, mesh smoothing, cutting, contouring, and Delaunay triangulation. In addition, dozens of imaging algorithms have been directly integrated to allow the user to mix 2D imaging / 3D graphics algorithms and data.

Learning VTK

If you want to learn how to use or develop VTK, please see Learning VTK

Building VTK

• Where can I download VTK?

• Where can I download a tarball of the nightly HTML documentation?

• How do I build the Doxygen documentation?

• Using Git for VTK development

• Using Git and MSBuild to build VTK

• Build parameters

• Making Development Environment without compiling source distribution

Extending VTK

• Where can I get VTK Datasets?

• User-Contributed Classes

• VTK Coding Standards

• VTK cvs commit Guidelines

• VTK Patch Procedure -- merge requests for the current release branch

• Extending VTK with Scripts

Projects/ Tools that use VTK

• VTK-Based Tools and Applications

• What are some projects using VTK?

Future VTK development

• VTK 5.4 Release Planning

• Proposed Changes to VTK

Troubleshooting

• Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

• Common OpenGL troubles

Miscellaneous

• VTK Related Job Opportunities

• VTK 3rd Party Library Patrol

• Meeting Minutes

Summary of Changes

VTK 5.0

• New Pipeline
• VTK Widget Redesign

VTK 5.2

• VTK Java Wrapping
• Composite Data Redesign
• Shaders in VTK
• VTK with Matlab
• VTK Time support
• VTK Graph Layout
• VTK Depth Peeling
• Using VTK with JRuby
• Painters

VTK 5.4

• Cray XT3 Compilation
• Geospatial and vision visualization support

VTK 5.6

• VTK Multi-Pass Rendering
• Multicore and Streaming
• Statistics
• Array Refactoring
• 3DConnexion Devices Support
• New Charts API
• New Cell Picker and Volume Picking (start Nov 2010, finish Feb 2010)

VTK 5.8

• Polyhedron cells and MVC Interpolation
• Reeb Graphs
• Clipping of closed surfaces (start Mar 26, 2010, finish Apr 22, 2010)
• New wrappers (start Apr 28, 2010)
• Improved image stencil support (start Nov 3, 2010)
• MNI file formats
• List of New Classes

VTK 5.10 (imminent)

• Change unicode readers/writers to register as codecs (finished Oct 29 2010)
• New image rendering classes (start Dec 15 2010, finish Mar 15 2011)
• Image interpolators (start Jun 20 2011, finish Aug 31 2011)
• Projects from Google Summer of Code 2011
• List of new classes in 5.10

VTK 6.0 (pending)

• VTK 6 Migration Guide
• Remove VTK 4 compatibility layer from pipeline
• Modularization
• Remove BTX/ETX markers from VTK code

News

Development Process

The VTK Community is upgrading its development process. We are doing this in response to the continuing and rapid growth of the toolkit. A VTK Architecture Review Board VTK ARB is being put in place to provide strategic guidance to the community, and individuals are being identified as leaders in various VTK subsystems.

Have a question or topic for the ARB to discuss about the future of VTK? First, please bring the topic to the VTK developers mailing list. If the issue is not resolved there or needs further planning or direction, you may enter a suggested topic for discussion.

VTK NextGen

We have started collecting works in progress as well as future ideas at NextGen. Please add anything you are working on, would like to collaborate on, or would like to see in the future of VTK!

Wrapping

• Java
  • Java code samples
• Python
  • Python wrapper enhancements

Developers Corner

Developers Corner

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