The broadening use of visualisation of large data sets suggests the design of a visuali-sation client/server architecture, using supercomputer or distributed cluster hardware architectures. The aim is to allow remote users to receive a visualisation an a level of detail which can be selected to suit the need at hand.
The thesis will work towards a implementation under Linux of visualisation using graphics tools in the GLview system, that allows levels of detail to be presented and will demonstrate the network connection between a visualisation server and client.
The theoretical component of the thesis will examine abstract data types that allow levels of approximation to be chosen.
Aim: To create a system using a client/server approach that allows a user to retrieve visualisations from the server at a chosen level of detail.
Environment: The system will be designed to exploit the unix operating system, especially its interprocess communication and its ability to establish TCP/IP network connections. Where possible, parallelism will be exploited. The GLview software will be used as the graphics library.
Theoretical: There exist mathematical frameworks for representing information at varying levels of detail. These methods include structural approaches, where a partial ordering is defined for the data types in use based on their components, and tree representations; the use of numerical tools such as Fourier components, discrete cosine transform and wavelets, where a signal can be represented at various levels of detail by recombining chosen fragments; and statistical methods.
Perceptual: There is a body of knowledge on the response of the human vision system. This will be examined to decide how to choose the components for presentation at varying levels of detail.
An interface to drive the system will be needed for test and demonstration purposes: it is not intended to create a production quality man-machine interface in the doctoral project.
Running example: Presentation of solution of Navier-Stokes equations in fluid flows.
| Tool | Platform | License | Learn time |
Exten- sible |
CAVE/ VRML |
Time- data |
Iso- contour/ surface |
Height- map |
Stream- line/ ribbon/ tube |
Streak- line |
Vol- rend. |
Glyph | Vect- probe |
LIC ISL |
|||||||||
| OpenDX | Unix/Win | open | 4-5 d | yes |
|
yes |
|
yes |
|
yes | yes | yes | no? |
|
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|
Vis5D (reg.grid) |
Unix/Win | open | ? | yes |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? | ? | ? | ? |
|
|||||||||
| GLview | Unix/Win | demo | 1-2 d | may |
|
yes |
|
no? |
|
no | no | yes | no |
|
|||||||||
| Amira | Unix/Win | demo | 1-2 d | no |
|
no? |
|
no? |
|
no | yes | yes | yes |
|
|||||||||
|
FAST (CFD) |
SGI | src | ? | yes |
|
yes |
|
yes? |
|
yes | ? | ? | ? |
|
|||||||||
| VTK | Unix/Win | open | 1-2 w | yes |
|
yes? |
|
yes? |
|
no | yes? | yes | no |
|
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| AVS | ? |
| Semester | No. | Course | Prof. | Bt/Vt | |
| H99 (fall 1999) |
1. | (DIF8916) DIF8916 |
Topics in Information Technology ... | (Pauline Haddow) Staal Vinterbo |
12/2.5 |
| 2. | D?? | Computer Graphics | Richard Blake | 14/3 | |
| 3. | 75330 | Introduction to Supercomputing | Arne Marthinsen | 12/2.5 | |
| 4. | DIF8902 | Software Process Modeling | Letizia Jaccheri | 12/2.5 | |
| V00 (spring 2000) |
1. | DIF8916 | ... Topics in Information Technology ... | Pauline Haddow | 12/2.5 |
| 5. | 75350 | Finite Element Method and PDE | Einar Rønquist | 12/2.5 | |
| 6. | DIF8901 | Object Oriented Systems | Reidar Conradi? | 12/2.5 | |
| 7. | DIS1010 | Optimisation Models in CS and Telecom. | Alexei Gaivoronski | 14/3 | |