CFD Online Discussion Forums - [General] Grey screen in paraview

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Grey screen in paraview

While trying to visualize some results, I bumped into this error:

X Error: GLXBadContextTag ...

After some searching, e.g. http://www.openfoam.org/mantisbt/view.php?id=21
I realized it was a matter of my OpenGL drivers.
I followed this procedure to update them

http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:ATI_drivers

and ever since I can not see the results in the main screen of the remote server.
The main window of the 3D view remains grey unless I try to rotate the geometry or something. In this case, the screen returns momentarily to the normal state.

My card is ATI radeon 5450, I am running OpenSUSE 11.4 32-bit.
My paraview versions are 3.12.0 64-bit in the remote server and 3.10.1 32-bit in my computer.
Downloading the case files to visualize them in my computer is out of the question (281Gb).

Greetings anon_a,

Mmm... usually upgrading drivers can be a double edge sword: the update might actually break things, due to another bug in the newer package...
So sometimes, downgrading or checking one version at a time might prove a better solution.

Also, you can try this option:

Code:

export LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=y

Then run paraview or paraFoam from the command line.

I've tried to compile a list of other findings that people have made concerning ParaView and graphics card drivers and so on... here: Related issues to ParaView with OpenFOAM - Fixes and solutions

Best regards,
Bruno

Hey Bruno, thanks for your answer!

I checked the material you suggested and indeed I found many common elements with my case (ATI graphics card, pre-update segmentation faults when I tried to change the color map, etc).

First, I changed directly to Vesa (I thought that this one should be working, no matter what). Everything looked horrible and I got the following error in paraview (I was redirected to the OpenSUSE login screen after that - kind of like a crash):

Code:

X Error: BadRequest (invalid request code or no such operation) 1

  Extension:    136 (Uknown extension)

  Minor opcode: 19 (Unknown request)

  Resource id:  0x8c00221

libxcb: WARNING! Program tries to lock an already locked connection,

        which indicates a programming error.

        There will be no further warnings about this issue.

libxcb: WARNING! Program tries to unlock a connection without having acquired

        a lock first, which indicates a programming error.

        There will be no further warnings about this issue.

X Error: BadRequest (invalid request code or no such operation) 1

  Extension:    136 (Uknown extension)

  Minor opcode: 14 (Unknown request)

  Resource id:  0x8c00226

X Error: BadRequest (invalid request code or no such operation) 1

  Extension:    136 (Uknown extension)

  Minor opcode: 19 (Unknown request)

  Resource id:  0x8c00228

ERROR: In /gpfs01/common/home/pantaz01/OpenFOAM/ThirdParty-2.1.0/ParaView-3.12.0/VTK/Rendering/vtkXOpenGLRenderWindow.cxx, line 404

vtkXOpenGLRenderWindow (0x128bd90): Could not find a decent visual



ERROR: In /gpfs01/common/home/pantaz01/OpenFOAM/ThirdParty-2.1.0/ParaView-3.12.0/VTK/Rendering/vtkXOpenGLRenderWindow.cxx, line 404

vtkXOpenGLRenderWindow (0x128bd90): Could not find a decent visual



paraview: Fatal IO error: client killed

Then, I went back to the page I wrote above and tried drivers for other versions of SUSE. None of them worked (I didn't expect anything good coming from that). I also tried the manual build, without success. I don't really know where I can find old versions of the driver that might solve my problem.

In any case, I would be content if paraview works correctly in python script mode, so I can export some images. Do you think it would act in the same way? How can I try it? (never done this before)

Also, is it normal that it only happens for remote viewing of results?
paraview works PERFECTLY with my local version.
What about downgrading paraview in the remote server instead?

Hi anon_a,

Quote:

Originally Posted by anon_a (Post 366612)

Also, is it normal that it only happens for remote viewing of results?
paraview works PERFECTLY with my local version.
What about downgrading paraview in the remote server instead?

At ParaView's wiki you should find more instructions on options for the remote server: http://paraview.org/Wiki/Setting_up_a_ParaView_Server

You can also choose another GPU card, in case the server has more than one.

If you are able to build the ParaView server version with OSMesa support, it will then use the CPU for generating the images, through the off-screen rendering option.

Best regards,
Bruno

Thanks Bruno.
The odd thing is that I tried connecting through another computer with very similar hardware and software and everything worked just fine!
So it does not seem to be something on the side of the server (I guess).

I will check at some point the differences and post them.

i am not shure if this is somehow related but...

had the same issue under ubuntu 10.4 lts.

it proved out to be caused by a compiz issue: after disabling the graphic effects it disappeared.

sorry I'm on my windows machine right now. if neded i can provide step by step instructions on how to do it.