Remote visualisation. Any advantages of Paraview-based server as it is compared to VTK-based server in multi-user mode?

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1

Dear All,

I have been playing with launching remote visualisation in multi-user mode and I am trying to understand the possibilities/limitations that I have to deal with depending on the solutions that I chose.

In the final configuration, I have to design a VTK.js based client with a custom UI that should work in multi-user mode with a Paraview-based or VTK-based python server. As I have to extend a VTK-based server with custom VTK classes, ideally I would prefer a VTK-based server (also do not want to bring a lot of stuff that I do not use for a small project that I have). However, I am not sure that I do understand all limitations of this choice, in particular in a multi-user case.

The discussion here gave me the first impression that multi-user configuration is supported only by ParaView-based server and for doing something similar with VTK I have to reimplement a lot of stuff myself.
However, I was able to reproduce the multi-user set up for VTK-server much similar to how it is done for ParaViewWeb apparently without any limitations. Everything seems to be handled by apache acting like a proxy and launcher program, which is a part of wslink. The latest discussion here also confirms that VTK-based multi-user server is not something that should not be considered

So, sorry for raising this issue again as I may have misunderstood the previous discussion on the subject and I am also quite new to ParaView, but can you provide more details/explanation on the question that currently confuses me:
At the current stage of the project, what the ParaViewWeb server can provide in terms of multi-user configuration or visualisation efficiency that the VTK-based server can not provide or requires a lot of very sophisticated programming. Are there any limitations in VTK-based multi-user configuration that I am not aware of (I am quite new to this area)?

Thank you very much in advance,
Best regards,
Evgeniya

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Multi-user only require you to use a launcher and has no effect between paraview or vtk.
I’m not sure which part of the previous post made you think ParaView will have an edge on VTK for it.

Maybe the ground of that was because we already have docker images that bundle apache/launcher/pv and we don’t have something equivalent for vtk. But that just so you can run a command line with docker and you have your multi-user setup done. For VTK, you are left configuring and installing all those pieces on your own. But nothing wrong in doing so.

The key difference with VTK and PV on the server is the fact that you will rely on Proxy/ServerManager with PV. This tends to do a lot for you automatically and in a simpler manner (less python code) than in pure VTK. But technically, underneath, it is the same. If you are comfortable with VTK you should not fear doing a vtkWeb application like you just did. Especially since PV is much bigger than VTK.

HTH

Seb

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Thank you very much,
it makes the entire picture very clear.

Best regards,
Evgeniya