QuickVtk

User Guide

01 - Getting started with QuickVtk

This article covers how to set up an external text editor for proper code formatting and how to compile and run QML code using QuickVtk

1. Using an external editor

The built-in code editor still needs a lot of work and is currently deactivated. It is recommended to use external software like Atom or any other editor you feel comfortable working with. Most editors should provide a way to enable QML syntax highlighting. In case you're using Atom, install the language-qml package

Create a new file in the editor of your choice, paste the following Hello, World snippet and save the file as .qml on your system

import QtQuick 2.3

Text {
    anchors.centerIn: parent

    font.bold: true
    font.pointSize: 40
    
    text: "Hello, QuickVtk"
    color: "#fff"
}

2. Compile and run QML code in QuickVtk

Open QuickVtk and load the newly created file via File → Load... from the menu. Internally, the selected file will be observed. Any time a modification is registered (by saving the file externally), QuickVtk will be notified. An indicator on the lower-left of the application window informs about the state of the currently observed file. With autorun enabled, QuickVtk will automatically compile and run the code from the opened file. The generated output will be embedded in the 'preview' area on the right.

In this screenshot, Atom and QuickVtk are opened side by side and both applications are operating on the same file. Saving the file in Atom will trigger QuickVtk to reload, compile and run the code immediately since autorun is enabled

3. Loading examples

There are also some examples available to demonstrate how to access different types from the VTK framework. You can load example .qml files from the menu via Help → Examples