# LineOnMesh

VTKExamples/Python/DataManipulation/LineOnMesh

### Description

Create a terrain with regularly spaced points and smooth the terrain (see SmoothMeshgrid. Then, a vtkCellLocator is used to find the intersection between vertical lines and the surface (using the IntersectWithLine method). Each intersection is saved as x, y, z coordinates and used to plot a spline on the surface.

- Contributed by Michka Popoff

### Code

LineOnMesh.py

    #!/usr/bin/env python

    import vtk
    import random
    import numpy

    # Make a 32 x 32 grid
    size = 32

    # Define z values for the topography
    topography = numpy.zeros([size, size])
    for i in range(size):
        for j in range(size):
            topography[i][j] = random.randrange(0, 5)

    # Define points, triangles and colors
    colors = vtk.vtkUnsignedCharArray()
    colors.SetNumberOfComponents(3)
    points = vtk.vtkPoints()
    triangles = vtk.vtkCellArray()

    # Build the meshgrid manually
    count = 0
    for i in range(size-1):
        for j in range(size-1):

            z1 = topography[i][j]
            z2 = topography[i][j+1]
            z3 = topography[i+1][j]

            # Triangle 1
            points.InsertNextPoint(i, j, z1)
            points.InsertNextPoint(i, (j+1), z2)
            points.InsertNextPoint((i+1), j, z3)

            triangle = vtk.vtkTriangle()
            triangle.GetPointIds().SetId(0, count)
            triangle.GetPointIds().SetId(1, count + 1)
            triangle.GetPointIds().SetId(2, count + 2)

            triangles.InsertNextCell(triangle)

            z1 = topography[i][j+1]
            z2 = topography[i+1][j+1]
            z3 = topography[i+1][j]

            # Triangle 2
            points.InsertNextPoint(i, (j+1), z1)
            points.InsertNextPoint((i+1), (j+1), z2)
            points.InsertNextPoint((i+1), j, z3)

            triangle = vtk.vtkTriangle()
            triangle.GetPointIds().SetId(0, count + 3)
            triangle.GetPointIds().SetId(1, count + 4)
            triangle.GetPointIds().SetId(2, count + 5)

            count += 6

            triangles.InsertNextCell(triangle)

            # Add some color
            r = [int(i/float(size)*255),int(j/float(size)*255),0]
            colors.InsertNextTypedTuple(r)
            colors.InsertNextTypedTuple(r)
            colors.InsertNextTypedTuple(r)
            colors.InsertNextTypedTuple(r)
            colors.InsertNextTypedTuple(r)
            colors.InsertNextTypedTuple(r)

    # Create a polydata object
    trianglePolyData = vtk.vtkPolyData()

    # Add the geometry and topology to the polydata
    trianglePolyData.SetPoints(points)
    trianglePolyData.GetPointData().SetScalars(colors)
    trianglePolyData.SetPolys(triangles)

    # Clean the polydata so that the edges are shared !
    cleanPolyData = vtk.vtkCleanPolyData()
    cleanPolyData.SetInputData(trianglePolyData)

    # Use a filter to smooth the data (will add triangles and smooth)
    smooth_loop = vtk.vtkLoopSubdivisionFilter()
    smooth_loop.SetNumberOfSubdivisions(3)
    smooth_loop.SetInputConnection(cleanPolyData.GetOutputPort())

    # Create a mapper and actor for smoothed dataset
    mapper = vtk.vtkPolyDataMapper()
    mapper.SetInputConnection(smooth_loop.GetOutputPort())
    actor_loop = vtk.vtkActor()
    actor_loop.SetMapper(mapper)
    actor_loop.GetProperty().SetInterpolationToFlat()

    # Update the pipeline so that vtkCellLocator finds cells !
    smooth_loop.Update()

    # Define a cellLocator to be able to compute intersections between lines
    # and the surface
    locator = vtk.vtkCellLocator()
    locator.SetDataSet(smooth_loop.GetOutput())
    locator.BuildLocator()

    maxloop = 1000
    dist = 20.0/maxloop
    tolerance = 0.001

    # Make a list of points. Each point is the intersection of a vertical line
    # defined by p1 and p2 and the surface.
    points = vtk.vtkPoints()
    for i in range(maxloop):

        p1 = [2+i*dist, 16, -1]
        p2 = [2+i*dist, 16, 6]

        # Outputs (we need only pos which is the x, y, z position
        # of the intersection)
        t = vtk.mutable(0)
        pos = [0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
        pcoords = [0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
        subId = vtk.mutable(0)
        locator.IntersectWithLine(p1, p2, tolerance, t, pos, pcoords, subId)

        # Add a slight offset in z
        pos[2] += 0.01
        # Add the x, y, z position of the intersection
        points.InsertNextPoint(pos)

    # Create a spline and add the points
    spline = vtk.vtkParametricSpline()
    spline.SetPoints(points)
    functionSource = vtk.vtkParametricFunctionSource()
    functionSource.SetUResolution(maxloop)
    functionSource.SetParametricFunction(spline)

    # Map the spline
    mapper = vtk.vtkPolyDataMapper()
    mapper.SetInputConnection(functionSource.GetOutputPort())

    # Define the line actor
    actor = vtk.vtkActor()
    actor.SetMapper(mapper)
    actor.GetProperty().SetColor([1.0, 0.0, 0.0])
    actor.GetProperty().SetLineWidth(3)

    # Visualize
    renderer = vtk.vtkRenderer()
    renderWindow = vtk.vtkRenderWindow()
    renderWindow.AddRenderer(renderer)
    renderWindowInteractor = vtk.vtkRenderWindowInteractor()
    renderWindowInteractor.SetRenderWindow(renderWindow)

    # Add actors and render
    renderer.AddActor(actor)
    renderer.AddActor(actor_loop)

    renderer.SetBackground(1, 1, 1)  # Background color white
    renderWindow.SetSize(800, 800)
    renderWindow.Render()
    renderWindowInteractor.Start()