GlyphSea

GlyphSea is a 4D animation capability developed by Amit Chourasia, Emmett Mcquinn, Bernard Minster and Jurgen Schulze.

Abstract: Vector visualization is an important area to investigate scientific data in many domains. Prior visualization strategies have primarily focused on maps and volumetric rendering of scalar fields, which do not permit a full characterization of underlying phenomena. We have developed an interactive glyph visualization application that allows scientists to explore vector fields. We implement novel technique of procedural dipole and cross mark texturing to encode and display vector data. We employ a novel lattice method to show neighborhood, which also enables to distinguish glyphs. We further enhance visualization by using screen space ambient occlusion, jitter, outline halos and displacement. By combining contextual information with glyphs, such as geographic maps and representations of crustal structure with three-dimensional isosurfaces, scientists are able examine vector fields in a rich and interactive multivariate environment. We demonstrate the results for time-dependent vector data from a three different simulations including the "Big One" earthquake simulation affecting the Los Angeles region. These new visualizations clearly depict the obvious features as well those missed in previous investigations.

Fig 3: Ground Motion Vector Visualization (Narrated)

Vector Visualization Techniques

Vector Field with narration show new techniques for visualizing 4D vector fields. Work was done by Amit Chourasia and J.B. Minster with Emmett Mcquinn while Emmett worked as a SCEC Graduate Student Intern. Amit and Emmett presented their vector visualization work at a computer visualization conference SIGGRAPH2010. The final version HD version of this animation is more than 800MB is size and will be posted on request.

• SDSC GlypSea Web Page
• Vector Viz Animation (Preliminary) (199MB)
• Narrated Animation (147 mb)

GlyphSea Awards

Visualizations created using GlyphSea won the following awards:

• Best Visualization Award at Teragrid 11
• People's Choice OASCR award at SciDAC 2011
• Honorable Mention at the 2010 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge

GlyphSea Press

• Wired Science

Related Entries

• SCEC Visualization Projects
• M8