[osg-submissions] G4OSG driver and examples ... could this be part of osg?

[Robert Osfield]

Hi Charlse,

I'm not familiar with Geant4.   This close to a stable release I won't
be merging any more big chunks of code, so if we were to merge it,
it'd be after 2.6 has been branched.   I'm basically in release mode
right now, so almost everything except what contributes to getting the
release out will be something I shift sideways/defer.

Might I suggest you introduce your work to the community via the
osg-users mailing list.  If it's seen to be a useful addition then the
community will certainly give you good feedback.

Robert.

On Tue, Jul 15, 2008 at 9:34 PM, Charles Cossé <ccosse at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Robert & All,
>
> I have developed an OSG  "driver" for the Geant4 library and am
> wondering if it would be appropriate to add to OSG?  It allows users
> of Geant4 to render their graphics via OSG.  Geant4 is an
> industry-standard  particle physics library/toolkit (
> http://www.geant4.org/geant4/ ).   It comes with source to compile
> "drivers" (in the Geant4 usage of the word, meaning graphics adapters)
> for OpenGL, OpenInventor, something called "DAWN" and straight-old
> Xlib stuff.  Therefore, this code should naturally be included with
> Geant4, and indeed I have discussed it with the graphics guys there,
> and they plan to include it when it is more mature.  However, the code
> is 99% OSG and osgViewer stuff...complete with 3 examples of using the
> pkg with wxOSG, XmOSG and osgViewer to the root window, as well.  So,
> for those reasons, it could also fit with OSG to the extent that wxOSG
> examples are included with OSG.
>
> A few more notes:
>
> 1. A user would have to have Geant4 installed to make use of the
> proposed addition (call it G4OSG for now).
>
> 2. Part of the work has been to reconcile the build systems.  It now
> builds with either CMake of GNUMake (Geant4's natural make system).
>
> 3. The code works with the latest released of both OSG and Geant4
>
> 4. The G4OSG::SceneHandler class has most basic functionality, but
> still needs work handling/converting all arbitrary primitives.
>
> 5. I use it every day, and simply the ability to manipulate models
> through osgViewer is enough that there's no going back ... ie Geant4
> users could be expected to come to love osg someday in the near future
> (if they don't already)
>
>
> And, as a final aside, I have used Geant4 and the G4OSG driver to
> shoot G4OpticalPhotons (a class) at complex refracting geometry,
> located in an OSG scene, and let the G4 engine take care of all
> physics (reflecting, refracting, intersections) to perform some
> powerful raytracing.  I know J-S and Adrian from this list are
> interested in such things, for example.
>
> Finally, I think having it part of OSG, Geant4, or both, will help me
> finish the development details remaining.  Anyway, I could submit
> tonight if there's interest.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Charlie Cosse
>
>
> --
> AsymptopiaSoftware | Software at theLimit
>  www.asymptopia.org
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