Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!agate!shelby!helens!baroque!jim From: jim@baroque.Stanford.EDU (unknown) Newsgroups: comp.graphics Subject: Re: Scientific Visualization again Message-ID: Date: 27 Nov 89 21:37:35 GMT References: <11726@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <1989Nov25.142552.1702@hellgate.utah.edu> <3399@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU> <5646@eos.UUCP> Sender: news@helens.STANFORD.EDU Organization: Stanford University Lines: 71 In-reply-to: eugene@eos.UUCP's message of 27 Nov 89 01:53:52 GMT In article <5646@eos.UUCP> eugene@eos.uucp writes: But remember to make the distinct between education and research. Actually, I think there are three distinct areas in which computer aided "visualization" is a useful tool. Although, each has very different needs, those needs are very well served by the large amount of information that can be conveyed visually. I call the three areas NerdVis, EdVis, and ShowVis. I. NerdVis. This flavor of "scientific visualization" gives a scientist or engineer who is trying to solve a problem a better understanding of the system he is studying. Ideally, the visualization would not be separated from the simulated or physical process, so that one could interactively tweak code or parameters and immediately "see," i.e. analyze, measure, compare, etc., the results. But currently, because of the different capabilities of the simulating (supercomputers) and visualizing (workstations) systems, the processes are separated. A similar separation exists between most experimental measurement and display systems. This separation may always exist, but conceptually, the "visualization" should not be separated from the problem being studied. NerdVis is NOT an end in itself. It is a means to understand a problem. The goal is to give each and every scientist the tools that will allow her to "visualize" and interact with her own data to understand her specific problem. To be useful, a visualization can't take weeks, or even hours, to produce. There is NO need for graphics artists or renaissance teams. This is the scientist's ball game. Ideally, a graphics programmer shouldn't be necessary. These "visualizations" should be as easy to produce as X-Y plots. I think Stardent's AVS and Artifact are early prototypical examples of tools which will empower scientists to visualize their own data without kowtowing to graphics gurus! Power to the scientific masses! II. EdVis. Educational "visualization" needs to be simple, interactive and enticing. This means simultaneously manipulating the parameters of a physical model and "visualizing" the behavior of that model. Unlike research level visualization, educational models are usually simple enough that pedagogically useful and graphically compelling simulations can be made on almost any PC or workstation. To date, the software to do this is sadly lacking. After all, who develops it? A high school teacher here, a professor there. Each doing his own thing for his own class with little cooperation or sharing. The tremendous potential that EdVis has to make math and science more interesting and accessible has not been exploited. Unfortunately, there is little financial incentive for commercial development of such software. I also know of little governmental support. III. ShowVis. Now comes the fancy "gee whiz" presentation quality visualization. It isn't necessarily directly helpful to scientific understanding, but indirectly it is indispensable. In order to survive in a society full of slick presentations, science needs to show a glitzy face too. ShowVis is the type of visualization for which hundreds of person hours might be spent to produce a single video segment. (Not really practical if you're generating results from ten Cray runs a week.) ShowVis needs the services of professional design and production teams: programmers, graphics artists, editors, narrators, etc. The primary purpose is marketing, i.e. convincing management, Congress, agency officials, and even the general public that certain projects are worthwhile and should be funded. As an unavoidable side effect, some education occurs, indeed this provides perhaps the only information the TV bound public will get about Mars, Saturn, etc. Jim Helman Department of Applied Physics P.O. Box 10494 Stanford University Stanford, CA 94309 (jim@thrush.stanford.edu) (415) 723-4940 Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com