Alexandru C' Telea

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Scientific Visualization

• Alexandru C. Telea
• Eindhoven University of Technology

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• Lecture Overview

Aim and prerequisites
Summary
Study material
Practical work
Grading
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Aim (what you shall learn)

• Provide theoretical and practical
• knowledge in
• computer graphics
• data representation
• data visualization
• -implementing visualizations
• -visualization in MayaVi

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Prerequisites (what you should know)
Mathematics -basic 1D derivatives -basic
linear algebra Computer science -basic
computer graphics -basic programming
-more programming (if you take the practical
assignment)
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Summary (what well talk about)

• 8 main subjects
• Introduction-what is visualization
• -related disciplines-fields of
  applications, examples
• 2. The Visualization Pipeline
• -definition-importing data-data
  enrichment,data mapping

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Summary (what well talk about)
3. Basic Data Representation-sampling and
interpolation -the dataset concept
-color 4. Graphics Rendering -geometric
datasets-lighting, normal vectors -color,
transparency, texture
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Summary (what well talk about)
5. Fundamental Algorithms-scalar algorithms
-vector algorithms -tensor algorithms
-modeling algorithms 6. Volume Rendering
-raytracing, ray sampling -volume
interpolation
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Summary (what well talk about)
7. Information Visualization-what is relational
(abstract) data -graph visualization
-tree visualization 8. Visualization Software
(to be seen) -visualization architectures
-available libraries, systems, etc
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Study material (what youll learn from)
Theory -the slides
http//www.win.tue.nl/alext/COURSES/INFO_VIS
-book (recommended), see next buy
it yourself ? Practice -the assignments
http//www.win.tue.nl/alext/COURSES/
INFO_VIS -the MayaVi tool (optional)
download via the net, find the latest
site with Google
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Study material (what youll learn from)
The book The Visualization Toolkit
An Object-Oriented Approach to 3D
Graphics (W. Schroeder, K. Martin,
B. Lorensen Prentice Hall)

• the only textbook so far for scientific
  visualization
• contains a lot more than the course does
• (course will address specific parts/chapters)
• contains software we shall not (directly) use
• the CD contains data files for visualization
• try to get it! New edition available in 2003

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Study material (what youll learn from)
The slides Get them at
http//www.win.tue.nl/alext/ COURSES/INFO_VIS

• contain the exact course material, linked to the
  book
• slides are in principle enough
• book helps though a lot understanding the
  material

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Study material (what youll learn from)
The software MayaVi easy-to-use
visualization tool

• useful for those wishing to practice the
  visualization algorithms presented during the
  course
• not mandatory, but very helpful addition to the
  course
• doesnt require programming

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Study material (what youll learn from)

• MayaVi
• easy-to-use visualization tool
• well demonstrate it during the course
• no need for programming
• reads dataset files in the VTK format .vtk
  (you can read the datasets on the books CD)
• has a large number of visualization algorithms

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MayaVi Visualization Pipeline
How do I get my data visualized?
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datafile.vtk
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Grading (how well assess your work)

• Two options
• Research assignment
• -study a number of articles on a chosen
  subject -write an essay on that subject
• 2) Practical assignment
• -design and implement an algorithm for a
• concrete visualization problem
• -deliver report and operational software

See http//www.win.tue.nl/alext/COURSES/INFO_VIS
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That's it!
Contacts Alex Telea
alext_at_win.tue.nl