Using the -case argument with extrudeMesh to specify the case directory does not apply to paths stated in extrudeMeshDict

Summary

The utility extrudeMesh fails to read a triSurface file, when I provide the case directory using the '-case' command line flag. The path to the triSurfaceFile is provided in the extrudeMeshDict as 'constant/triSurface/filename'.

Using a working directory which is the case directory, all is well. However, if I call extrudeMesh from the case's parent directory, and provide the case directory using the '-case' argument, the triSurface file can not be found.

Maybe, this is a bug of the VTK-file reader; and not of extrudeMesh itself. However, the unexpected behaviour of extrudeMesh described here is the symptom I encountered. The root-problem may be well something else.

Steps to reproduce

Go to the 'overRhoSimpleFoam/hotCylinder' tutorial case.

Change to 'cylinderMesh', and call 'extrudeMesh' -> all is well

Go back up (call 'cd ..'), clear the case (call './Allclean'), and call 'extrudeMesh -case cylinderMesh' -> error: 'Cannot read file "constant/triSurface/cylinder.vtk"'

Example case

Use the 'overRhoSimpleFoam/hotCylinder' tutorial case.

What is the current bug behaviour?

extrudeMesh fails to read the provided triSurface file, which is provided in extrudeMeshDict.

If I change the entry in the file extrudeMeshDict from 'constant/triSurface/cylinder.vtk' to 'cylinderMesh/constant/triSurface/cylinder.vtk', then extrudeMesh finds the file.

Extruding surfaceMesh read from file "cylinderMesh/constant/triSurface/cylinder.vtk"

What is the expected correct behavior?

I would expect extrudeMesh to take the path from extrudeMeshDict, i.e. 'constant/triSurface/cylinder.vtk', and form a path from the specified case directory.

The output of extrudeMesh lists the correct case directory:

Case : /home/gerhard/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v2006/tutorials/compressible/overRhoSimpleFoam/hotCylinder/cylinderMesh

I would expect, that the path to the triSurface file is treated as a relative path, which is combined with the provided case directory.

Relevant logs and/or images

gerhard@host:~/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v2006/tutorials/compressible/overRhoSimpleFoam/hotCylinder$ ls
Allclean  Allrun  Allrun.pre  cylinderAndBackground  cylinderMesh
gerhard@host:~/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v2006/tutorials/compressible/overRhoSimpleFoam/hotCylinder$ extrudeMesh -case cylinderMesh
/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
| =========                 |                                                 |
| \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox           |
|  \\    /   O peration     | Version:  v2006                                 |
|   \\  /    A nd           | Website:  www.openfoam.com                      |
|    \\/     M anipulation  |                                                 |
\*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
Build  : _b45f8f6f58-20200629 OPENFOAM=2006
Arch   : "LSB;label=32;scalar=64"
Exec   : extrudeMesh -case cylinderMesh
Date   : Oct 20 2020
Time   : 14:09:57
Host   : host
PID    : 20346
I/O    : uncollated
Case   : /home/gerhard/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v2006/tutorials/compressible/overRhoSimpleFoam/hotCylinder/cylinderMesh
nProcs : 1
trapFpe: Floating point exception trapping enabled (FOAM_SIGFPE).
fileModificationChecking : Monitoring run-time modified files using timeStampMaster (fileModificationSkew 5, maxFileModificationPolls 20)
allowSystemOperations : Allowing user-supplied system call operations

// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
Create time

Create mesh for time = 0

Selecting extrudeModel linearNormal
Selected extrudeModel for linearNormal using coeffs 
{
    thickness       0.7;
}

Extruding from surface using model linearNormal
Not collapsing any edges after extrusion

Extruding surfaceMesh read from file "constant/triSurface/cylinder.vtk"



--> FOAM FATAL ERROR: 
Cannot read file "constant/triSurface/cylinder.vtk"


    From bool Foam::fileFormats::VTKsurfaceFormat<Face>::read(const Foam::fileName&) [with Face = Foam::face]
    in file surfaceFormats/vtk/VTKsurfaceFormat.C at line 98.

FOAM exiting

gerhard@host:~/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v2006/tutorials/compressible/overRhoSimpleFoam/hotCylinder$

Environment information

• OpenFOAM version : 2006
• Operating system : Ubuntu-18.04
• Hardware info :
• Compiler : gcc

Possible fixes