Comparison to VTK and BVTKNodes¶
MfxVTK is not the only way to use The Visualization Toolkit library in Blender. On this page, you can find comparison to a popular add-on for this purpose, BVTKNodes.
About VTK¶
The Visualization Toolkit is an open-source data processing and visualization C++ library used in the sciences, engineering and medicine. Together with related projects like Paraview and ITK, it provides algorithms to handle various types of data, scaling to huge datasets in High Performance Computing settings, running VR/CAVE sessions, or even interactive visualizations in the browser via vtk.js.
The Case for BVTKNodes¶
The BVTKNodes project provides a way to create VTK data processing pipelines inside Blender. This makes it possible to import scientific data into Blender and create photorealistic visualizations – a more rendering-oriented alternative to Paraview.
The add-on directly exposes VTK classes using a node editor, which is separate from rest of Blender. There is a special node to export geometry to Blender mesh for rendering.
In summary, BVTKNodes is specifically aimed at scientific and engineering use (eg. FEM, CFD).
The Case for MfxVTK¶
The MfxVTK library offers new mesh Modifiers through the Open Mesh Effect interface. It works seamlessly with the rest of Blender, just like native Modifiers. Some of the effects offer alternatives to stock Modifiers (eg. Decimate, Smooth), while others bring entirely new functions to the Modifier stack.
Though the Effects are leveraging VTK library behind the scenes, there is no 1:1 mapping to specific VTK classes. Instead, the Effects are organized with general 3D graphics work in mind (as opposed to data visualization/processing).
In summary, MfxVTK is aimed at artists and Blender users interested in non-destructive modelling, without any particular scientific bent.