3DMAP-VR, a project to visualize 3-dimensional models of astrophysical phenomena in virtual reality (original) (raw)
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A Multi-Purpose Virtual Reality Model of the Solar System (VRMoSS)
2003
This paper describes the development of the 3D graphics part of an astronomical education installation for school children, called the Virtual Control Room. The content is a very detailed model of our Solar System, which can be used with an augmented reality interface or remote controlled with an external XML capable control application.
Interactive 3D visualization for theoretical virtual observatories
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2018
Virtual observatories (VOs) are online hubs of scientific knowledge. They encompass a collection of platforms dedicated to the storage and dissemination of astronomical data, from simple data archives to e-research platforms offering advanced tools for data exploration and analysis. Whilst the more mature platforms within VOs primarily serve the observational community, there are also services fulfilling a similar role for theoretical data. Scientific visualization can be an effective tool for analysis and exploration of data sets made accessible through web platforms for theoretical data, which often contain spatial dimensions and properties inherently suitable for visualization via e.g. mock imaging in 2D or volume rendering in 3D. We analyse the current state of 3D visualization for big theoretical astronomical data sets through scientific web portals and virtual observatory services. We discuss some of the challenges for interactive 3D visualization and how it can augment the workflow of users in a virtual observatory context. Finally we showcase a lightweight client-server visualization tool for particle-based data sets, allowing quantitative visualization via data filtering, highlighting two example use cases within the Theoretical Astrophysical Observatory.
360-DEGREE Videos: A New Visualization Technique for Astrophysical Simulations
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
360-degree videos are a new type of movie that renders over all 4π steradian. Video sharing sites such as YouTube now allow this unique content to be shared via virtual reality (VR) goggles, hand-held smartphones/tablets, and computers. Creating 360° videos from astrophysical simulations is not only a new way to view these simulations as you are immersed in them, but is also a way to create engaging content for outreach to the public. We present what we believe is the first 360° video of an astrophysical simulation: a hydrodynamics calculation of the central parsec of the Galactic centre. We also describe how to create such movies, and briefly comment on what new science can be extracted from astrophysical simulations using 360° videos.
A Multi Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Toolkit for Astrophysics
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2003
The AstroMD toolkit is a visualization and analysis software, specifically oriented to astrophysical data representation. It is included in the project Cosmo.Lab, financed by the European Community, which involves several European astrophysical institutions and CINECA. This tool gives a 3D graphic representation of the data exploiting all the available information and making use of the immersive visualization techniques. AstroMD uses the most advanced visualization technology, based on virtual reality, in order to build a leading edge instrument both for scientific research and for cultural dissemination and education. It is developed using the Visualization Toolkit (VTK) by Kitware (http://www.kitware.com), a freely available visualization library portable on several platforms. AstroMD is an open source completely free code which is freely available (http://cosmolab.cineca.it).
AstroMD, a tool for Stereographic Visualization and data analysis for astrophysical data
Over the past few years, the role of visualization for scientific purposes has increased enormously. In Astronomy the visualization techniques are so frequently applied to analyze data that they now represent a fundamental part of the modern researches in Astronomy. Since the evolution of high performance computers, the models and the simulations based on particle methods, have assumed a great role in the scientific investigation, allowing the user to run simulations with higher and higher numbers of particles. Data produced is often a multi-dimensional data set with several physical quantities, that is not simple to manage and to analyze. The cosmological astrophysical data obtained with computational astrophysics are different from data obtained with other kind of simulations or experiment and the data analysis they require cannot be easily provided by the available software. AstroMD, a project funded by the EC and the CNAA, is a tool for data analysis and visualization for simulation based on particle methods and manages different physical quantities and multi-dimensional data sets. The tool can use the virtual reality techniques where the user has the impression of travelling through a computer-based multi-dimensional model.
AstroMD. A multi-dimensional data analysis tool for astrophysical simulations
Over the past few years, the role of visualization for scientific purpose has grown up enormously. Astronomy makes an extended use of visualization techniques to analyze data, and scientific visualization has became a fundamental part of modern researches in Astronomy. With the evolution of high performance computers, numerical simulations have assumed a great role in the scientific investigation, allowing the user to run simulation with higher and higher resolution. Data produced in these simulations are often multi-dimensional arrays with several physical quantities. These data are very hard to manage and to analyze efficiently. Consequently the data analysis and visualization tools must follow the new requirements of the research. AstroMD is a tool for data analysis and visualization of astrophysical data and can manage different physical quantities and multi-dimensional data sets. The tool uses virtual reality techniques by which the user has the impression of travelling through a computer-based multi-dimensional model. AstroMD will be a freely available tool for the whole astronomical community.
Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, 2010
We describe the Meta-Institute for Computational Astrophysics (MICA), the first professional scientific organization based exclusively in virtual worlds (VWs). The goals of MICA are to explore the utility of the emerging VR and VWs technologies for scientific and scholarly work in general, and to facilitate and accelerate their adoption by the scientific research community. MICA itself is an experiment in academic and scientific practices enabled by the immersive VR technologies. We describe the current and planned activities and research directions of MICA, and offer some thoughts as to what the future developments in this arena may be.
Making it real -- computer graphics and astronomical instrumentation
Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Project Management for Astronomy II, 2006
Photo-realistic computer graphics software provides a valuable visualisation tool in the development of astronomical instrumentation. The perceived realism can convey a valuable sense of feasibility or unfeasibility of a concept. We here look at POV-Ray, an open-source ray-tracing graphics package that has been in use for several years at the Anglo-Australian Observatory. AAO applications include development of both static images and short movies for detailed visualisations of conceived instruments, production of high-quality images for publication and publicity, rapid generation of illustrative figures and simple geometrical and optical studies.