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From: peda@simplicity.Stanford.EDU (Bill Codding)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics.visualization
Subject: About requests for 3d vizware
Message-ID: <PEDA.90Nov8233338@simplicity.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 9 Nov 90 07:33:38 GMT
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As mccool@dgp.toronto.edu noted, there will be a strong need
for a FAQ list.  One of the FAQ's is obvious, from all the
posts asking about visualization software.

I would like to propose a partial list of defining issues
which should be addressed in the vendor entries for at least
one category of vizware, that for 3D mesh-based volumes/surfaces.

1) What are the general capabilities: slicing, isosurface contours, wireframe,
   shading, gradient vectors, streamlines, etc.
2) Can the data be wireframe, voxel, non-orthogonal voxel (skewed meshes --
   particularly important to those in CFD), or unordered.
3) Is the software a library of routines or a fully capable package
   with mouse-based interaction, etc.
4) Which standards/libraries the software uses: X, Phigs, NeWS, etc.
   This helps define portability issues.
5) Is it commercial, shareware, or freeware.  FTP sites.
6) Which platforms has it been developed on or ported to.

This thread can focus on 3D scientific/design visualization software,
other threads can be started to deal with image processing,
bio/chemistry, 2D scientific visualization, and the like.  Many of these
questions will of course need to be addressed for other categories as
well.

(Our particular need is for 3D connected but _non-regular_ (skew) mesh vizware
such as that used for CFD; it would really be appreciated if readers could
please post or mail references to what you know of, and post or mail
again in the future if you discover a new reference.)

-Bill Codding

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  Bill Codding                                       (415)493-3554 (w)
  Research Engineer                                  (415)751-5484 (h)
  P.E.D.A.                                peda@simplicity.Stanford.EDU
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