[vtkusers] Re: vtk, python20, TkRenderWidget, Win2000

[David Gobbi]

Hi Jim,

In case you didn't catch my reply to Prabhu, the problem lies with
the fact that graphics/vtkTkRenderWidget.cxx (and the other widgets)
require header files that don't come with the binary distribution of
tcl/tk.

Because Python-2.0 was built against tcl83.lib and tk83.lib, you
must specify (in pcmaker) that VTK is to be built against these libs.

Unfortunately pcmaker uses a fancy (and undocumented) set of rules for
searching for the tcl/tk header files.  If you tell it that the tcl/tk
libraries are

"C:\Program Files\Tcl\lib\tcl83.lib" 
"C:\Program Files\Tcl\lib\tk83.lib"

then it adds the following include directories to the build (I was
told this recently by Sebastien, but pcmaker has been doing this
for years)

"C:\Program Files\Tcl\include"
"C:\Program Files\Tcl\xlib"
"C:\Program Files\Tcl\win"
"C:\Program Files\Tcl\generic"

but the 'xlib', 'win', and 'generic' directories are only present
in the source distribution of tcl/tk.  (Note that you only require
these directories from the tk source, not the tcl source).  So,
what I do is copy these directories to my binary Tcl distribution.

So what should be done to make things easier?  First, someone should
take a good hard look at vtkTkRenderWidget.cxx to determine if it is
at all possible to remove its dependence on these 'internal' tk header
files (someone already did this fix for UNIX a while back).  Also,

1) a big, fat README.TXT should be added to the pcmaker directory that
   tells people in gory detail how to build against a specific
   tcl/tk distribution

2) the tcl/tk libs included with VTK should be updated to 8.3, so that
   VTK can be built against Python-2.0 with no hassle (at least until
   Python switches to a different Tcl/Tk version...).

 - David

--
  David Gobbi, MSc                    dgobbi at irus.rri.on.ca
  Advanced Imaging Research Group
  Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario

On Wed, 7 Mar 2001, Miller, James V (CRD) wrote:

> David and John,
> 
> I saw that you werew changing the build process for vtk's python bindings on the pc, so I'll direct
> my question towards you.
> 
> I am trying to build the python bindings for vtk on a pc with Windows2000 (shouldn't matter, but I
> have hit upon some other Win2000 library problems).  The normal python bindings work fine, but when I
> use TkRenderWidget my program crashes.  The build process seems to build the TkRenderWidget dll fine.
> 
> Since this is the TkRenderWidget, my first assumption is that vtk and python are building with
> different versions of tcl/tk.  (Any time TkRenderWidget doesn't work in tcl the cause is usually that
> vtk is built against one version and is executing against a different version.) By default, vtk is
> building with tcl 8.2 and it looks like python 2.0 ships with tcl 8.3.
> 
> Are you building off the vtk repository with python 2.0? Do I need to go grab the source for tcl 8.3
> so I can build vtk with the same version of tcl that python ships with?
> 
> Jim Miller
> _____________________________________
> Computer Graphics & Systems Program
> GE Corporate Research & Development
> Bldg. KW, Room C218B
> P.O. Box 8, Schenectady NY 12301
> 
> millerjv at crd.ge.com <mailto:millerjv at crd.ge.com> 
> (518) 387-4005, Dial Comm: 8*833-4005, 
> Cell: (518) 505-7065, Fax: (518) 387-6981
> 
>  <<James Miller (E-mail).vcf>> 
> 
> begin 600 James Miller (E-mail).vcf
> M0D5'24XZ5D-!4D0-"E9%4E-)3TXZ,BXQ#0I..DUI;&QE<CM*86UE<PT*1DXZ
> M2F%M97, at 36EL;&5R("A%+6UA:6PI#0I/4D<Z1T4 at 0V]R<&]R871E(%(F1#M%
> M4TP-"E1%3#M73U)+.U9/24-%.B at U,3 at I(#,X-RTT,#`U#0I414P[5T]22SM6
> M3TE#13HJ.#,S+30P,#4-"E1%3#M73U)+.T9!6#HH-3$X*2`S.#<M-CDX,0T*
> M0412.U=/4DL[14Y#3T1)3D<]455/5$5$+5!224Y404),13H[0V]M<'5T97(@
> M1W)A<&AI8W,@)B!3>7-T96US(%!R;V=R86T[0DQ$1R!+5RP at 4DT@0S(Q.$(]
> M,$0],$%03R!";W@@.#M38VAE;F5C/0T*=&%D>3M.63LQ,C,P,3M5;FET960@
> M4W1A=&5S(&]F($%M97)I8V$-"DQ!0D5,.U=/4DL[14Y#3T1)3D<]455/5$5$
> M+5!224Y404),13I#;VUP=71E<B!'<F%P:&EC<R`F(%-Y<W1E;7, at 4')O9W)A
> M;3TP1#TP04),1$<@2U<L(%)-($,R,3A"/3!$/3!!4$\@0F]X(#@],$0]#0H]
> M,$%38VAE;F5C=&%D>2P at 3ED@,3(S,#$],$0],$%5;FET960 at 4W1A=&5S(&]F
> M($%M97)I8V$-"D5-04E,.U!2148[24Y415).150Z;6EL;&5R:G9`8W)D+F=E
> G+F-O;0T*4D56.C(P,#`P,3(X5#$V,C8U-EH-"D5.1#I60T%21`T*
> `
> end
>