Visualization with VisIT

For newer versions that support scribed I/O outputs

Shortly after v5.9.0, we have successfully implemented a new mode of efficient I/O using dedicated 'scribes'. At runtime, the user needs to specify number of scribe cores (equal to # of 3D outputs variables (vectors counted as 2) plus 2), and the code, compiled without USE_OLDIO, will output combined netcdf outputs for each 3D variable and also all 2D variables in out2d*.nc. Sample 3D outputs are: salinity_*.nc, horizontalVelX_*.nc etc - note that vectors variable names end with 'X,Y'.

You can download newer versions of VisIT plugins c/o Dr. Jon Shu, DWR by following these steps:

On Windows 7 or 10:

1. First download VisIT from LLNL site and install. Use default dir (and record it), e.g. C:\Users\yjzhang\AppData\Local\Programs\LLNL\VisIt*
2. Make sure MS visualc++ 2012 x64 is installed. If not, google it and install and restart (this is required for using multi-core VisIT)
3. Download pre-built plug-in, developed at California Dept of Water Resource
   • v2.13.3
   • v3.1.4
   You need to put dlls on C:\Users\your_account_name\Documents\VisIt\databases. Alternatively, please email Jon Shu at Qiang.shu@water.ca.gov and let him know the version of visit you are using.
4. After these steps, you'd be able to read in SCHISM outputs in ViSIT; look for 'SCHISM', 'gr3' format from the dropdown list. Note that the plugins also work with the old I/O (combined schout*.nc). To load in vectors, select only the 'X' file.

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On Linux systems:

Newer versions can be found at the master branch of github.

For older versions that output uncombined netcdf files (schout*.nc)

On Windows 7 or 10:

1. First download VisIT from LLNL site and install. Use default dir (and record it), e.g. C:\Users\yjzhang\AppData\Local\Programs\LLNL\VisIt*
2. Download pre-built plug-in, developed at California Dept of Water Resource here and put the files in: C:\Users\yjzhang\AppData\Roaming\LLNL\VisIt\databases (create new dirs if necessary). This dlls location works for VisIt 2.13.2 or below. From VisIt 2.13.3, you need to put dlls on C:\Users\your_account_name\Documents\VisIt\databases. Alternatively, please email Jon Shu at Qiang.shu@water.ca.gov and let him know the version of visit you are using. Below are newer builds:
   • plugin build for 2.13.3
   • latest plugin build for visit 3.1.2
3. If the 3.1.2 plugin doesn't work on your pc, for example "SCHISM" option doesn't show up on VisIt file type menu, there are two possible causes. One cause is that your VisIt don't have netcdf_c++.dll. You can copy this file from VisIt 2.13.x to VisIt 3.1.2. Another cause is that your pc don't have MS VC++ 2017 or MS VC++ 2013 redistributable. You can download it from MS webpage.
4. If you use SCHISM v5.6.1 (netcdf I/O), note that VisIT has issues with stack overflow with nc4, so you need to do the following work-around until LLNL fixes the issue:
   • Go to UCAR and get their installer for the latest C library, e.g. 4.5.0;
   • Complete the installation and record the install dir. Then copy all files in bin/ of the install dir to the VisIT dir in (1) to overwrite.
5. After these steps, you'd be able to read in SCHISM outputs in ViSIT; look for 'SCHISM', 'gr3' format from the dropdown list.

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On Linux systems:

Use svn or directly download the source code here.

After compilation this can be used with VisIT version 2.12.2 to 2.13.3.

Newer versions can be found at github.