Manual GUI check before a release

The tests check what the renderer draws (graphics data per item, low-resolution raytracer images, #2704). Nothing automatic checks that a person can use the render window and the dialogs: keys, mouse, tkinter windows, focus, fonts, window placement. That is this list.

• Once per release on each of Windows, Ubuntu and macOS; one person, about one hour.

• Do only what is written; if something looks wrong, note it and go on.

• Not checked here: what each setting draws (automatic). Checked here: that the key or the dialog reaches the renderer - one or two settings per path.

0. Preparation (5 min)

1. Install the release candidate wheel into a clean environment (pip install exudyn-<version>-...whl).

2. Run python -m exudyn info and paste the output into the report.

3. Back up ~/.exudyn/config.json if it exists, then delete it, so that you test the defaults. Some checks below write this file; restore your backup at the end.

4. Copy python/testing/guiManualCheckModel.py, python/Examples/nMassOscillatorEigenmodes.py and python/Examples/graphicsCurvedShapes.py into an empty working directory, and run everything from there in a terminal (not from an IDE): images and files are written relative to it.

5. python -m exudyn demo 2 - the renderer opens, the demo runs, the window closes (demo alone is demo 1, without graphics). If this fails, stop here and report it.

Which model: sections 1 to 4 and 6 use guiManualCheckModel.py, K13 graphicsCurvedShapes.py, section 5 nMassOscillatorEigenmodes.py, O3 mouseInteractionExample.py; each section says it again.

Model used: guiManualCheckModel.py - a mass point with spring-damper and force, and a 3D double pendulum of two rigid bodies with revolute joints; it has at least one node, body, connector, marker, load and sensor, and a sensor trace; the red mass is drawn as its node, the orange sphere on the second link with general.sphereTiling. It opens the renderer and waits; SPACE starts a real-time simulation of 120 s, Q stops it, then SolutionViewer and PlotSensor follow; the script ends when the plot windows are closed.

Report each check as OK / FAIL / n.a. with the ID; for a FAIL, one line on what happened.

1. Render window: mouse and view keys (15 min)

python guiManualCheckModel.py - the window opens, the model is not moving yet.

ID	action	expected
R1	look at the window after start	model fully visible (zoom all), help hint shown for ~5 s, window title and status text readable (display scaling!)
R2	left mouse: press, drag, release	model moves with the mouse in the screen plane
R3	right mouse: press, drag, release	model rotates about the screen axes; release stops it
R4	mouse wheel up/down; with CTRL	zoom in/out; CTRL gives small steps
R5	left click (no drag) on the red mass; then on empty space	status line Selected item: …; item highlighted for ~2 s; empty space: no item selected
R6	right click (no drag) on a pendulum link	read-only dialog properties of <…> opens with the item dictionary; ESCAPE closes it; render window still reacts afterwards
R7	keys A, . / , (and keypad + / - if present)	zoom all, zoom in, zoom out
R8	cursor keys; CTRL+cursor; SHIFT+cursor; ALT+LEFT/RIGHT	move; small move; rotate about screen x/y; rotate about screen z
R9	keypad 2/8, 4/6, 7/9 (if a keypad exists); same with CTRL	rotation about 1, 2, 3 axis; CTRL: small rotation
R10	CTRL+1 … CTRL+7, then SHIFT+CTRL+1	the standard views (1-2 plane, 1-3, 2-3, …, 3D view); SHIFT: the same plane from behind; a message names the view
R11	pan with left mouse so that the pendulum joint is at the window center, press O, then rotate with right mouse	message Set rotationCenterPoint …; the model now rotates about the new center
R12	R, wait 3 s, R again	automatic rotation of the view starts and stops
R13	F3, then left-click twice at two points (after CTRL+1)	mouse coordinates in the status line; second click shows lastPos and dist; F3 again switches off
R14	CTRL+F3 (macOS: n.a. if the system shortcut Move focus to the Dock is on; then V, store model view)	status line shows zoom / rotation / center; the console prints a SC.renderer.SetModelView(...) line

2. Render window: item keys, simulation keys, raytracer, views (10 min)

ID	action	expected
K1	N, B, C, M, L, S - each pressed twice; then B (bodies off) and M twice	nodes / bodies / connectors / markers / loads / sensors disappear and reappear; a message says show …: off/on; the markers sit inside the bodies and are seen with the bodies off
K2	CTRL+N, CTRL+B, CTRL+C, CTRL+M, CTRL+L, CTRL+S	the numbers of that item kind appear/disappear; text readable, not hidden behind the bodies
K3	T pressed repeatedly (6-7 times)	cycles through transparent faces / face edges only / faces with edges / … and back to the start; message states the mode
K4	SPACE	simulation starts in real time; the sensor trace of the pendulum tip is drawn
K5	SPACE again, wait, SPACE	simulation pauses and continues (message switch pause on/off)
K6	during simulation: 1, 5, 2	update interval 20 ms (smooth), 100 s (frozen), 100 ms (default) - message each time
K7	CTRL+R, rotate a little, CTRL+R	raytraced image (shadows, slower update) with the sensor trace, then back to OpenGL
K8	CTRL+V	a second window (view 1) opens and shows the running model; mouse and keys work in it independently; CTRL+R there only affects that window
K9	in the view 1 window: Q	only view 1 closes, the simulation continues in the main window
K10	F2, then N, then F2, then N	message ignore keys mode switched on, the first N ignored; after F2 again (… off) N works
K11	Q	simulation stops; console prints simulation finished …; the window stays and can still be rotated
K12	V: openGL.light0.shadow = 0.4, openGL.light0.useCameraFrame = True, view0.camera.modelCentricView = False; close the dialog, rotate and zoom with the mouse	the shadow of the pendulum stays where the light puts it and follows the view smoothly - it does not flicker or appear and vanish with the view (#2308); set the three back
K13	run graphicsCurvedShapes.py (its own window): look at the rows; V: openGL.advanced.curvedTriangleTilingAngle = 90, then 5, then back to 15; T until face edges show; CTRL+R and back; SPACE	the curved row (y=0) is smooth where the flat row (y=-3) shows facets, the red rims lie on the cylinder and the vase; at 90 the coarse elements show, at 5 a fine split - at once, without restarting; the face edges of the curved shapes are curved; the raytraced image shows the same shapes; the body at x=12 rotates with its rims and ring (#2709)

3. Dialogs from the render window (15 min)

Still in phase 3 of the model (after K11), or start the model again.

ID	action	expected
D1	H	help window with mouse and key table; text readable, scrollable, ESCAPE closes it
D2	X, type print(mbs), CTRL+RETURN	command window opens (may be behind the render window - note it); the console shows the system summary
D3	in the command window: x = 42, CTRL+RETURN; then print(x), CTRL+RETURN; ESCAPE	prints 42 (assignments survive); window closes
D4	X then 1/0, CTRL+RETURN	error printed in the console, the dialog and the renderer survive
V1	V	visualization settings dialog: tree with columns Name / Value / Type / Description, readable font, sensible column widths; render window blocked or updated while it is open (both are acceptable, note which)
V2	open nodes, click the value of show, choose False	nodes disappear in the render window immediately; the row is marked as changed
V3	double-click the same nodes.show value	toggles back to True; nodes reappear
V4	nodes.defaultSize: type 0.25, RETURN	the red mass (a node) grows in the render window
V5	nodes.tiling: type 2, RETURN; general.sphereTiling: type 2, RETURN	first the red mass, then the orange sphere and the joint spheres become visibly coarse; set both back with undo
V6	connectors.showJointAxes = True; bodies.showNumbers = True	joint axes drawn; body numbers shown
V6a	connectors.drawSimplified, markers.drawSimplified, loads.drawSimplified, sensors.drawSimplified = False (default True), then back	the spring windings become a tube; markers, loads and sensors drawn with their full symbols; back to lines and simple symbols
V7	enter an invalid value, e.g. abc into nodes.defaultSize; then -1 into general.circleTiling	value rejected with a message, old value kept, dialog survives
V8	enum: contour.outputVariable - pick Displacement from the list; contour.outputVariableComponent = 1	combo box shows short names (no OutputVariableType. prefix); bodies get a contour color and a color bar appears; set back to _None
V9	hover over a row and over a folder (wait 0.5 s)	tooltip with the description (folder: its class description); tooltip is in front of the dialog
V10	CTRL+F, type trace; RETURN; F3	hits drop-down enabled; RETURN jumps to the first hit, F3 to the next
V11	select a row, press copy line, paste into an editor	e.g. SC.visualizationSettings.nodes.defaultSize = 0.2
V12	diff to default, changes since start	each opens a window in front of the dialog, listing exactly the changes made so far as code lines
V13	undo (twice), revert, reset	undo steps back whole states; revert returns to the state when the dialog opened; reset to defaults - render window follows each
V14	change general.backgroundColor to [0.9,0.9,1,1], press store settings; in the window that lists what will be written, press store	the list shows the change; console says stored 1 setting(s) in …config.json
V15	move/resize the dialog, press store positions, then store in the list; close with ESCAPE; V again	the dialog reopens at the stored position and size
V16	CTRL+mouse wheel over the tree	font size changes, row height and columns follow
V17	close the dialog with close, then Q / ESCAPE to leave phase 3	render window closes; SolutionViewer (next section) starts

(After V14: the next start of any model uses the stored background color - confirmed at S1. Delete the file again at the end.)

4. SolutionViewer and PlotSensor (7 min)

The model continues with mbs.SolutionViewer() automatically.

ID	action	expected
S1	look at the renderer and the dialog	renderer reopens with the previous view and the background color stored in V14; dialog with sliders Solution steps, Increment, update period, run modes, record, Make mp4
S2	let it run; then Static; drag the Solution steps slider	animation plays; in static mode the model follows the slider
S3	Increment to 10; update period to max	animation faster (skips frames) / slower
S4	One cycle, Run	plays once and stops
S5	keys in the render window during the viewer (B, V)	still work; V opens the settings dialog (SPACE pauses a simulation, not the viewer: use Stop)
S6	Record frames, run one cycle, No recording	images frame00000.png, … appear in the subfolder images of the working directory, whose absolute path the first frame prints, and they show the scene (not black); a failed write is reported in the console and in the render window; (Make mp4 only if ffmpeg is installed - optional, see the section Generating animations of the GUI chapter)
S7	close the dialog (window close button, or q / ESCAPE in the dialog)	dialog and renderer close, script continues
P1	PlotSensor windows	two matplotlib figures: tip position x/y/z with legend and axis labels, and the spring force; windows can be zoomed, panned and closed; the script ends after closing them

5. AnimateModes (5 min)

python nMassOscillatorEigenmodes.py

ID	action	expected
A1	dialog and renderer open	dialog with Mode shape, Contour plot, Amplitude (+ positive/negative), update period, run modes, mesh/faces, recording; renderer shows the masses
A2	Run; move the Mode shape slider; move Amplitude; switch negative	mode animates; the mode changes; amplitude grows/shrinks; motion inverts
A3	Contour plot = Displacement; Static continuous	each mass in one color (it only translates), the colors differ between the masses, with a color bar; the deformed shape stands still
A4	close the dialog with q in the dialog	dialog and renderer close, script ends without error or hang

6. Quitting (3 min)

ID	action	expected
Q1	python guiManualCheckModel.py quitdialog, SPACE, wait > 10 s, ESCAPE	dialog WARNING - long running simulation! in front; No keeps running; ESCAPE again, Yes stops the solver and closes the window; the script continues (SolutionViewer) or ends without hanging
Q2	in the SolutionViewer of the same run: close the render window with the window close button	viewer stops, no hang, no crash of the Python process

7. Optional, if time is left

ID	action	expected
O1	python -m exudyn dialogs vis, ... sim, ... help	the dialogs without a model; closing vis prints the changed settings as code
O2	3D mouse / 6-axis joystick (3Dconnexion) connected before the renderer starts	message found 6-axis joystick …; the device moves and rotates the view (interactive.useJoystickInput, on by default)
O3	python/Examples/mouseInteractionExample.py	drag the chain with the mouse; F2 / key user function works
O4	python -m exudyn monitor --last while a model writes sensor files	results monitor opens and updates
O5	display scaling 150-200 % (Windows) / HiDPI (Ubuntu, macOS Retina)	texts in the render window and the dialogs readable and not blurred; adjust dialogs.fontScaling in V

8. Finish

1. Delete ~/.exudyn/config.json and restore your backup.

2. Send the report: python -m exudyn info output, platform (OS version, X11/Wayland on Ubuntu, Intel/ARM on macOS, display scaling), the list of IDs with OK / FAIL / n.a., and screenshots of anything that looked wrong.

Platform notes

• macOS always renders single-threaded: dialogs run inside the renderer’s idle loop, so the render window does not update while a dialog is open - that is expected. There is no keypad on most keyboards: R9 is n.a., use SHIFT+cursor (R8). CTRL means the control key, not CMD.

• Ubuntu: note whether the session is X11 or Wayland. tkinter dialogs may open behind the render window (D2, V1) - note it, it is known; a dialog that cannot be brought to front at all is a FAIL.

• Windows: check at least once with display scaling > 100 % (O5), because DPI awareness is set differently with and without the render window (#2634).