ENH: support patch group selection

- vtkWrite, foamToVTK, surfaceMeshExtract

applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/checkFieldAvailability.H

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     \\  /    A nd           | www.openfoam.com
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    Copyright (C) 2021-2023 OpenCFD Ltd.
+    Copyright (C) 2021-2025 OpenCFD Ltd.
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
     This file is part of OpenFOAM, distributed under GPL-3.0-or-later.
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ forAll(meshes, regioni)
             IOobjectOption::NO_REGISTER
         );
 
-        if (fieldSelector && !fieldSelector().empty())
+        if (fieldSelector)
         {
-            objects.filterObjects(fieldSelector());
+            objects.filterObjects(fieldSelector);
-            faObjects.filterObjects(fieldSelector());
+            faObjects.filterObjects(fieldSelector);
         }
 
         // Remove "*_0" restart fields

applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/foamToEnsight.C

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Copyright (C) 2011-2016 OpenFOAM Foundation
-    Copyright (C) 2016-2022 OpenCFD Ltd.
+    Copyright (C) 2016-2025 OpenCFD Ltd.
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
     This file is part of OpenFOAM.
@@ -406,34 +406,27 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     // Field selection/deselection
     wordRes includedFields, excludedFields;
-    autoPtr<wordRes::filter> fieldSelector(nullptr);
     const bool doConvertFields = !args.found("no-fields");
     if (doConvertFields)
     {
-        bool resetFilter = false;
         if (args.readListIfPresent<wordRe>("fields", includedFields))
         {
-            resetFilter = true;
             Info<< "Including fields "
                 << flatOutput(includedFields) << nl << endl;
         }
         if (args.readListIfPresent<wordRe>("exclude-fields", excludedFields))
         {
-            resetFilter = true;
             Info<< "Excluding fields "
                 << flatOutput(excludedFields) << nl << endl;
         }
-        if (resetFilter)
-        {
-            fieldSelector =
-                autoPtr<wordRes::filter>::New(includedFields, excludedFields);
     }
-    }
+    else
-    else if (doConvertFields)
     {
         Info<< "Field conversion disabled with the '-no-fields' option" << nl;
     }
 
+    const wordRes::filter fieldSelector(includedFields, excludedFields);
+
     // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     #include "createTime.H"

applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToVTK/convertVolumeFields.H

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     \\  /    A nd           | www.openfoam.com
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    Copyright (C) 2018-2023 OpenCFD Ltd.
+    Copyright (C) 2018-2025 OpenCFD Ltd.
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
     This file is part of OpenFOAM, distributed under GPL-3.0-or-later.
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ Description
     labelList patchIds;
     if (doBoundary)
     {
-        patchIds = getSelectedPatches(patches, patchSelector);
+        patchIds = patchSelector.indices(patches);
     }
 
     if (oneBoundary && patchIds.size())

applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToVTK/foamToVTK.C

@@ -166,56 +166,54 @@ Note
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
-labelList getSelectedPatches
+namespace Foam
-(
-    const polyBoundaryMesh& patches,
-    const autoPtr<wordRes::filter>& patchSelector
-)
 {
-    labelList indices;
 
-    if (patchSelector && !patchSelector().empty())
+// Simple wrapper for polyBoundaryMesh::indices() with some additional logic
+struct polyBoundaryPatchSelector
+{
+    wordRes allow_;
+    wordRes deny_;
+
+    void clear()
     {
-        // Name-based selection
+        allow_.clear();
-        indices =
+        deny_.clear();
-        (
-            stringListOps::findMatching
-            (
-                patches,
-                patchSelector(),
-                nameOp<polyPatch>()
-            )
-        );
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        indices = identity(patches.size());
     }
 
-    // Remove undesirable patches
+    //- Forward to polyBoundaryMesh::indices() with additional handling.
+    //  Prune emptyPolyPatch (always) and processorPolyPatch (in parallel)
+    labelList indices(const polyBoundaryMesh& pbm) const
+    {
+        labelList ids = pbm.indices(allow_, deny_);
 
+        const bool excludeProcPatches = UPstream::parRun();
+
+        // Prune undesirable patches
         label count = 0;
-    for (const label patchi : indices)
+        for (const label patchi : ids)
         {
-        const polyPatch& pp = patches[patchi];
+            const auto& pp = pbm[patchi];
 
             if (isType<emptyPolyPatch>(pp))
             {
                 continue;
             }
-        else if (UPstream::parRun() && bool(isA<processorPolyPatch>(pp)))
+            else if (excludeProcPatches && bool(isA<processorPolyPatch>(pp)))
             {
                 break;  // No processor patches for parallel output
             }
 
-        indices[count] = patchi;
+            ids[count] = patchi;
             ++count;
         }
 
-    indices.resize(count);
+        ids.resize(count);
+        return ids;
+    }
+};
 
-    return indices;
+} // End namespace Foam
-}
 
 
 //
@@ -552,45 +550,38 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
 
     // Patch selection/deselection
-    wordRes includedPatches, excludedPatches;
+    polyBoundaryPatchSelector patchSelector;
-    autoPtr<wordRes::filter> patchSelector(nullptr);
+
     if (doBoundary)
     {
-        bool resetFilter = false;
+        if
-        if (args.readListIfPresent<wordRe>("patches", includedPatches))
+        (
+            auto& slot = patchSelector.allow_;
+            args.readListIfPresent<wordRe>("patches", slot)
+        )
         {
-            resetFilter = true;
+            Info<< "Including patches " << flatOutput(slot) << nl << endl;
-            Info<< "Including patches "
-                << flatOutput(includedPatches) << nl << endl;
         }
-        if (args.readListIfPresent<wordRe>("exclude-patches", excludedPatches))
+        if
+        (
+            auto& slot = patchSelector.deny_;
+            args.readListIfPresent<wordRe>("exclude-patches", slot)
+        )
         {
-            resetFilter = true;
+            Info<< "Excluding patches " << flatOutput(slot) << nl << endl;
-            Info<< "Excluding patches "
-                << flatOutput(excludedPatches) << nl << endl;
-        }
-
-        if (resetFilter)
-        {
-            patchSelector =
-                autoPtr<wordRes::filter>::New(includedPatches, excludedPatches);
         }
     }
 
     // Field selection/deselection
     wordRes includedFields, excludedFields;
-    autoPtr<wordRes::filter> fieldSelector(nullptr);
     bool doConvertFields = !args.found("no-fields");
     if (doConvertFields)
     {
-        bool resetFilter = false;
         if (args.readListIfPresent<wordRe>("fields", includedFields))
         {
             Info<< "Including fields "
                 << flatOutput(includedFields) << nl << endl;
 
-            resetFilter = !includedFields.empty();
-
             if (includedFields.empty())
             {
                 // Compat: Can be specified as empty (ie, no fields)
@@ -603,22 +594,22 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         }
         if (args.readListIfPresent<wordRe>("exclude-fields", excludedFields))
         {
-            resetFilter = true;
             Info<< "Excluding fields "
                 << flatOutput(excludedFields) << nl << endl;
         }
 
-        if (resetFilter && doConvertFields)
+        if (!doConvertFields)
         {
-            fieldSelector =
+            includedFields.clear();
-                autoPtr<wordRes::filter>::New(includedFields, excludedFields);
+            excludedFields.clear();
         }
     }
-    else if (doConvertFields)
+    else
     {
         Info<< "Field conversion disabled with the '-no-fields' option" << nl;
     }
 
+    const wordRes::filter fieldSelector(includedFields, excludedFields);
 
     // Non-mandatory
     const wordRes selectedFaceZones(args.getList<wordRe>("faceZones", false));
@@ -799,10 +790,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
                         IOobjectOption::NO_REGISTER
                     );
 
-                if (fieldSelector && !fieldSelector().empty())
+                if (fieldSelector)
                 {
-                    objects.filterObjects(fieldSelector());
+                    objects.filterObjects(fieldSelector);
-                    faObjects.filterObjects(fieldSelector());
+                    faObjects.filterObjects(fieldSelector);
                 }
 
                 // Remove "*_0" restart fields

applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshExtract/surfaceMeshExtract.C

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Copyright (C) 2011-2016 OpenFOAM Foundation
-    Copyright (C) 2017-2024 OpenCFD Ltd.
+    Copyright (C) 2017-2025 OpenCFD Ltd.
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
     This file is part of OpenFOAM.
@@ -155,50 +155,39 @@ void writeOBJ
     }
 }
 
-
+// Simple wrapper for polyBoundaryMesh::indices() with some additional logic
+// - prune emptyPolyPatch (always) and (maybe) processorPolyPatch
 labelList getSelectedPatches
 (
-    const polyBoundaryMesh& patches,
+    const polyBoundaryMesh& pbm,
     const wordRes& allow,
-    const wordRes& deny
+    const wordRes& deny,
+    const bool excludeProcPatches
 )
 {
-    // Name-based selection
+    labelList ids = pbm.indices(allow, deny);
-    labelList indices
-    (
-        stringListOps::findMatching
-        (
-            patches,
-            allow,
-            deny,
-            nameOp<polyPatch>()
-        )
-    );
-
 
     // Remove undesirable patches
-
     label count = 0;
-    for (const label patchi : indices)
+    for (const label patchi : ids)
     {
-        const polyPatch& pp = patches[patchi];
+        const polyPatch& pp = pbm[patchi];
 
         if (isType<emptyPolyPatch>(pp))
         {
             continue;
         }
-        else if (Pstream::parRun() && bool(isA<processorPolyPatch>(pp)))
+        else if (excludeProcPatches && bool(isA<processorPolyPatch>(pp)))
         {
             break;  // No processor patches for parallel output
         }
 
-        indices[count] = patchi;
+        ids[count] = patchi;
         ++count;
     }
 
-    indices.resize(count);
+    ids.resize(count);
-
+    return ids;
-    return indices;
 }
 
 
@@ -668,11 +657,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
         const labelList patchIds =
         (
-            (includePatches.size() || excludePatches.size())
+            getSelectedPatches
-          ? getSelectedPatches(bMesh, includePatches, excludePatches)
+            (
-          : includeProcPatches
+                bMesh,
-          ? identity(bMesh.size())
+                includePatches,
-          : identity(bMesh.nNonProcessor())
+                excludePatches,
+                // No processor patches? (parallel output or excluded)
+                (UPstream::parRun() || !includeProcPatches)
+            )
         );
 
         labelList faceZoneIds;

src/functionObjects/utilities/vtkWrite/vtkWriteUpdate.C

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     \\  /    A nd           | www.openfoam.com
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    Copyright (C) 2018-2023 OpenCFD Ltd.
+    Copyright (C) 2018-2025 OpenCFD Ltd.
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
     This file is part of OpenFOAM.
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ License
 
 #include "vtkWrite.H"
 #include "cellBitSet.H"
+#include "emptyPolyPatch.H"
 #include "processorPolyPatch.H"
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * Private Member Functions  * * * * * * * * * * * //
@@ -54,15 +55,17 @@ bool Foam::functionObjects::vtkWrite::updateSubset
 
 Foam::labelList Foam::functionObjects::vtkWrite::getSelectedPatches
 (
-    const polyBoundaryMesh& patches
+    const polyBoundaryMesh& pbm
 ) const
 {
-    DynamicList<label> patchIDs(patches.size());
+    labelList ids = pbm.indices(selectPatches_, blockPatches_);
 
-    wordRes::filter patchFilter(selectPatches_, blockPatches_);
+    // Prune undesirable patches
-
+    label count = 0;
-    for (const polyPatch& pp : patches)
+    for (const label patchi : ids)
     {
+        const auto& pp = pbm[patchi];
+
         if (isType<emptyPolyPatch>(pp))
         {
             continue;
@@ -72,13 +75,12 @@ Foam::labelList Foam::functionObjects::vtkWrite::getSelectedPatches
             break;  // No processor patches
         }
 
-        if (patchFilter(pp.name()))
+        ids[count] = patchi;
-        {
+        ++count;
-            patchIDs.append(pp.index());
-        }
     }
 
-    return labelList(std::move(patchIDs));
+    ids.resize(count);
+    return ids;
 }