# Ruby vtk bindings **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [February 26, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-vtk-bindings/73902 "2006-02-26T20:06:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![guest](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@guest](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/guest)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-vtk-bindings/73902/1 "2006-02-26T20:06:05Z")
I’m wanting to use ruby with VTK ([http://public.kitware.com/VTK/](http://public.kitware.com/VTK/)). Currently I’m getting errors compiling the ruby bindings ([VTK-Ruby](http://www.gfd-dennou.org/arch/ruby/products/ruby-vtk/)): g++ -fPIC -Wall -g -O2 -fPIC -I. -I/usr/lib/ruby/1.8/i486-linux -I/usr/lib/ruby/1.8/i486-linux -I. -DHAVE\_VTKCONFIGURE\_H -I/usr/include/vtk -c vtkTk.cxx In file included from vtkTk.cxx:1399: /usr/include/vtk/vtkTk.h:26:16: error: tk.h: No such file or directory vtkTk.cxx:343: warning: â??swig\_type\_info\* SWIG\_TypeDynamicCast(swig\_type\_info\*, void\*\*)â?? defined but not used vtkTk.cxx:366: warning: â??const char\* SWIG\_TypePrettyName(const swig\_type\_info\*)â?? defined but not used vtkTk.cxx:492: warning: â??char\* SWIG\_PackVoidPtr(char\*, void\*, const char\*, size\_t)â?? defined but not used vtkTk.cxx:503: warning: â??const char\* SWIG\_UnpackVoidPtr(const char\*, void\*\*, const char\*)â?? defined but not used vtkTk.cxx:516: warning: â??char\* SWIG\_PackDataName(char\*, void\*, size\_t, const char\*, size\_t)â?? defined but not used vtkTk.cxx:531: warning: â??const char\* SWIG\_UnpackDataName(const char\*, void\*, size\_t, const char\*)â?? defined but not used vtkTk.cxx:595: warning: â??swig\_type\_info\* SWIG\_TypeQuery(const char\*)â?? defined but not used vtkTk.cxx:601: warning: â??void SWIG\_TypeClientData(swig\_type\_info\*, void\*)â?? defined but not used vtkTk.cxx:611: warning: â??void SWIG\_PropagateClientData(swig\_type\_info\*)â?? defined but not used vtkTk.cxx:693: warning: â??VALUE SWIG\_Ruby\_NewPointerObj(void\*, swig\_type\_info\*, int)â?? defined but not used vtkTk.cxx:719: warning: â??VALUE SWIG\_Ruby\_NewClassInstance(VALUE, swig\_type\_info\*)â?? defined but not used vtkTk.cxx:798: warning: â??VALUE SWIG\_Ruby\_NewPackedObj(void\*, int, swig\_type\_info\*)â?? defined but not used vtkTk.cxx:810: warning: â??void SWIG\_Ruby\_ConvertPacked(VALUE, void\*, int, swig\_type\_info\*, int)â?? defined but not used vtkTk.cxx:855: warning: â??void SWIG\_AsVal(VALUE, int\*)â?? defined but not used make: \*\*\* [vtkTk.o] Error 1 The big mess of warnings is also somewhat worrisome, but I’d just like it to compile first. I’m running Ubuntu (Breezy) with all the latest updates. I installed vtk and tk through apt. I also made sure tk.h was on my system: $ find /usr/include -name tk.h /usr/include/tcl8.4/tk-private/generic/tk.h /usr/include/tcl8.4/tk.h I don’t have much experience compiling my own libraries from scratch so I’m not quite sure what I’m doing wrong. Also it seems the ruby bindings are somewhat old and not much is happening with them. Is there a gem out there or better documentation? Thanks for the help! -----Jay A. ---
**Author:** ![guest](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@guest](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/guest)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-vtk-bindings/73902/2 "2006-02-27T03:09:24Z")
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: > I’m wanting to use ruby with VTK ([http://public.kitware.com/VTK/](http://public.kitware.com/VTK/)). > Also it seems the ruby bindings are somewhat old and not much is > happening with them. Is there a gem out there or better documentation? > > Thanks for the help! > > -----Jay A. The ruby-vtk works with VTK-4.4 but not VTK-5.0+ Simple ruby programs work, but those that require interactive use - similar to Python’s TkIntermodule were not working. They would require some ruby code to implement that module. Even with that ruby-vtk, it is an alpha quality. There is no .gem package yet. The tar.gz was as easy as reading the instructions in that package. To get a ruby interface for VTK-5.0 would require implementing a swig interface. That is quite a lot of work to get that implemented. best regards, Gerald ---
**Author:** ![guest](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@guest](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/guest)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 4:15am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-vtk-bindings/73902/3 "2006-02-27T04:15:52Z")
Hmm… vtk-4.4 seems to be the default for ubuntu. Following the install instructions again for ruby-vtk I still get the compile error. Any ideas on why I might be having trouble compiling? Thanks! -----Jay ---
**Author:** ![guest](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@guest](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/guest)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 6:11am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-vtk-bindings/73902/4 "2006-02-27T06:11:21Z")
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: > Hmm… vtk-4.4 seems to be the default for ubuntu. Following the > install instructions again for ruby-vtk I still get the compile error. > Any ideas on why I might be having trouble compiling? Thanks! > > -----Jay I used the tcl8.4.11 and tk8.4.11 src, which put all the headers in /usr/include/ tcl.h tclDecls.h tclPlatDecls.h tk.h tkDecls.h tkPlatDecls.h You need to put those headers where the Makefile finds them. Perhaps link the headers to /usr/include or use/local/include OR alter the Makefile generated to include the directories in which the headers are located. regards, Gerald ---
**Author:** ![guest](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@guest](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/guest)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 5:47am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-vtk-bindings/73902/5 "2006-02-27T05:47:03Z")
From: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid Subject: ruby vtk bindings Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 04:06:23 +0900 Message-ID: [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) > Also it seems the ruby bindings are somewhat old and not much is > happening with them. Is there a gem out there or better documentation? ## Although I know this is NOT an answer which you want, Ruby/Tk can control VTK with its Tcl-wrapper. 🙂 For example, if you want to use a VTK-Tcl-script, require ‘tk’ VTK\_TCLLIB = ‘/usr/local/lib/vtk/tcl’ VTK\_EXAMPLE = ‘/usr/local/src/VTK/VTK/Examples/GUI/Tcl’ VTK\_DATA = ‘/usr/local/src/VTK/VTKData’ Tk::AUTO\_PATH.lappend(VTK\_TCLLIB) TkPackage.require(‘vtk’) TkPackage.require(‘vtkinteraction’) Tk.tk\_call(‘set’, ‘::VTK\_DATA\_ROOT’, VTK\_DATA) Tk.load\_tclscript(File.join(VTK\_EXAMPLE, ‘ImagePlaneWidget.tcl’)) Tk.mainloop