A geoscience perspective on immersive 3D gridded data visualization

Abstract

We describe visualization software, Visualizer, that was developed specifically for interactive, visual exploration in immersive virtual reality (VR) environments. Visualizer uses carefully optimized algorithms and data structures to support the high frame rates required for immersion and the real-time feedback required for interactivity. As an application developed for VR from the ground up, Visualizer realizes benefits that usually can not be achieved by software initially developed for the desktop and later ported to VR. However, Visualizer can also be used on desktop systems (unix/linux based operating systems including Mac OS X) with a similar level of real-time interactivity, bridging the "software gap" between desktop and VR that has been an obstacle for the adoption of VR methods in the Geosciences. While many of the capabilities of Visualizer are already available in other software packages used in a desktop environment, the features that distinguish Visualizer are: 1) Visualizer can be used in any VR environment including the desktop, GeoWall, or CAVE, 2) In non-desktop environments the user interacts with the data set directly using a wand or other input devices instead of working indirectly via dialog boxes or text input, 3) On the desktop, Visualizer provides real-time interaction with very large data sets that can not easily be viewed or manipulated in other software packages. Three case studies are presented that illustrate the direct scientific benefits realized by analyzing data or simulation results with Visualizer in a VR environment. We also address some of the main obstacles to widespread use of VR environments in scientific research with a user study that shows Visualizer is easy to learn and to use in a VR environment and can be as effective on desktop systems as native desktop applications.

Virtual reality and the CAVE: Taxonomy, interaction challenges and research directions

“…NICE is a virtual reality system that uses the CAVE to allow children to construct and interact with virtual ecosystems in a way that gives them the ability to create stories according to their interaction experience. The CAVE has also been widely used in scientific and data visualization, for example as described in (Billen et al, 2008;Ohno and Kageyama, 2007;Ohtani and Horiuchi, 2008;Symanzik et al, 1996). In addition, the use of CAVE has been tried for medical applications, e.g., in (Zhang et al, 2003) and (Zhang et al, 2001) a virtual environment was introduced for tensor magnetic resonance imaging.…”

Scientific visualization of landscapes and landforms

“…Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE™), an immersive virtual reality system, projects images on 3-6 walls of a room-sized cube. This technology has allowed users to interact with 3D dynamic simulations of landscape processes such as surface water flow (Johnston, 1998), to explore 3D volume data such as the structure of detrital sedimentary rocks and fossil mats (Billen et al, 2008), and to visualize subsurface seismic data (Lin and Lofton, 1998). Whereas these systems allow users to explore large regions at high resolutions and immersion can provide field-scale experience, special facilities and expensive hardware are required.…”

Understanding Microbialite Morphology Using a Comprehensive Suite of Three-Dimensional Analysis Tools

“…Actions include basic navigation, visual element creation, measurement of locations and distances, among others (Billen et al, 2008). The application used to view the serial-sectioned data set is 3DVisualizer (Billen et al, 2008). 3DVisualizer allows the exploration and manipulation of any type of three-dimensional gridded data or model results, including image stacks generated by the serial-sectioning process.…”

“…The usability problem is being overcome with new software development. For example, Virtual Reality User Interface (Vrui) and 3DVisualizer are freely available applications for interactive, high-performance virtual reality applications (Billen et al, 2008;Kreylos, 2008) that allow users to directly manipulate data in intuitive ways in diverse visualization environments, including both high-end three-dimensional systems (i.e., GeoWall, CAVE) and personal computers. A third barrier is the immersive environment workflow.…”

“…The input device is placed at the point of interest, and actions are performed by using tools assigned to buttons on the device. Actions include basic navigation, visual element creation, measurement of locations and distances, among others (Billen et al, 2008). The application used to view the serial-sectioned data set is 3DVisualizer (Billen et al, 2008).…”