VTKHDF: create data-only files with shared mesh information
We are developing Trixi.jl, an adaptive high-order simulation framework for conservation laws written in Julia. Currently, we store our solution and restart files in a custom HDF5 file, and then need to convert it to a ParaView file using our custom converter Trixi2Vtk.jl in a postprocessing step.
Since this is rather inconvenient, we are looking at the new VTKHDF file format as a potential solution to streamline the postprocessing pipeline. One (potentially blocking) issue I still see is that for many simulations we use a static mesh. However, since mesh and data is stored in a single VTKHDF file, that means we have to incur the overhead of generating and storing the mesh information (i.e., cell types, connectivity, points etc.) redundantly in each file.
Is there a mechanism (existing or planned) for VTKHDF to support linking to, e.g., a different file for the connectivity/mesh information, such that a single file need only store the solution data?
cc @mwestphal