4d2: a high-performance visualization tool for CFD and particle data visualization

Deyang Song; Michael Norman

doi:10.1117/12.205945

7 April 1995 4d2: a high-performance visualization tool for CFD and particle data visualization

Deyang Song, Michael Norman

Proceedings Volume 2410, Visual Data Exploration and Analysis II; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.205945
Event: IS&T/SPIE's Symposium on Electronic Imaging: Science and Technology, 1995, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

Dataflow visualization systems such as AVS, IRIS Explorer, and IBM Data Explorer have been widely used. But the inherent problems such as excessive memory usage and low run- time efficiency have imposed limitations for their use with large, time-dependent data sets. For interactive visualization, efficiency is more of a necessity than luxury. 4d2 is designed as a high-performance interactive visualization tool for time-dependent 3D CFD data on rectangular grids containing multiple scalar and vector fields, as well as for time-dependent 3D particle data. The visualization functions include contour plot, vector plot, slicing, iso- surface extraction, streamline integration, particle displaying, and volume rendering, as well as graphical user interface and animation control for time-dependent data sets. Several features distinguish 4d2 from other visualization tools. First, it provides a rich set of visualization functions and allow mixing of volume rendering with iso-surfaces, streamlines, particles, and so on. Secondly, many techniques are used to achieve extremely memory-efficient and time- efficient run-time performance: no data duplication is needed, hardware alpha-buffering is used to do volume-rendering, immediate graphics mode is used, and parallel algorithms are used when multiprocessors are available. This GL-based software runs on SGI workstations with both 8-bit and 24-bit graphics hardware, and is available in public domain. 4d2 has been successfully used in atmospheric science and astrophysics at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications and a number of other research labs.

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Deyang Song and Michael Norman "4d2: a high-performance visualization tool for CFD and particle data visualization", Proc. SPIE 2410, Visual Data Exploration and Analysis II, (7 April 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.205945

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KEYWORDS

Visualization

Particles

Volume rendering

Human-machine interfaces

3D displays

Astrophysics

Atmospheric particles

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