An Introductory Guide To Scientific Visualization

Scientific visualization is concerned with exploring data and information insuch a way as to gain understanding and insight into the data. This is a fundamental objective of much scientific investigation. To achieve this goal, scientific visualization utilises aspects in the areas of computergraphics, user-interface methodology, image processing, system design, and signal processing. This volume is intended for readers new to the field and who require a quick and easy-to-read summary of what scientific visualization is and what it can do. Written in a popular andjournalistic style with many illustrations it will enable readers to appreciate the benefits of scientific visualization and how current tools can be exploited in many application areas. This volume is indispensible for scientists and research workers who have never used computer graphics or other visual tools before, and who wish to find out the benefitsand advantages of the new approaches.

Background A group of UKexperts on Scientific Visualization and its associated applications gathered at The Cosener's House in Abingdon, Oxford shire (UK) in February 1991 to consider all aspects of scientific visualization and to produce a number of documents: • a detailed summary of current knowledge, techniques and appli cations in the field (this book); • an Introductory Guide to Visualization that could be widely dis tributed to the UK academic community as an encouragement to use visualization techniques and tools in their work; • a Management Report (to the UK Advisory Group On Computer Graphics - AGOCG) documenting the principal results of the workshop and making recommendations as appropriate. This book proposes a framework through which scientific visualiza tion systems may be understood and their capabilities described. It then provides overviews of the techniques, data facilities and human-computer interface that are required in a scientific visualiza tion system. The ways in which scientific visualization has been applied to a wide range of applications is reviewed and the available products that are scientific visualization systems or contribute to sci entific visualization systems are described. The book is completed by a comprehensive bibliography of literature relevant to scientific visualization and a glossary of terms. VI Scientific Visualization Acknowledgements This book was predominantly written during the workshop in Abingdon. The participants started from an "input document" pro duced by Ken Brodlie, Lesley Ann Carpenter, Rae Earnshaw, Julian Gallop (with Janet Haswell), Chris Osland and Peter Quarendon.

This is a ‘how to’ book for scientific visualization. The book does not treat the subject as a subset of information visualisation, but rather as a subject in its own right. An introduction on the philosophy of the subject sets the scene and the theory of colour perception is introduced. Next, using Brodlie’s taxonomy to underpin its core chapters, it is shown how to classify data. Worked examples are given throughout the text and there are practical ‘sidebars’ for readers with access to the IRIS Explorer software who can try out the demonstrations on an accompanying website. The book concludes with a ‘taster’ of ongoing research.

Scientific visualization has always been an integral part of discovery, starting first with simplified drawings of the pre-Enlightenment and progressing to present day. Mathematical formalism often supersedes visual methods, but their use is at the core of the mental process. As historical examples, a spatial description of flow led to electromagnetic theory, and without visualization of crystals, structural chemistry would not exist. With the advent of computer graphics technology, visualization has become a driving force in modern computing. A Concise Introduction to Scientific Visualization – Past, Present, and Future serves as a primer to visualization without assuming prior knowledge. It discusses both the history of visualization in scientific endeavour, and how scientific visualization is currently shaping the progress of science as a multi-disciplinary domain.

Effective visualization is the best way to communicate information from the increasingly large and complex datasets in the natural and social sciences. But with the increasing power of visualization software today, scientists, engineers, and business analysts often have to navigate a bewildering array of visualization choices and options. This practical book takes you through many commonly encountered visualization problems, and it provides guidelines on how to turn large datasets into clear and compelling figures. What visualization type is best for the story you want to tell? How do you make informative figures that are visually pleasing? Author Claus O. Wilke teaches you the elements most critical to successful data visualization. Explore the basic concepts of color as a tool to highlight, distinguish, or represent a value Understand the importance of redundant coding to ensure you provide key information in multiple ways Use the book’s visualizations directory, a graphical guide to commonly used types of data visualizations Get extensive examples of good and bad figures Learn how to use figures in a document or report and how employ them effectively to tell a compelling story

"Scientific Visualization" presents the state of the art in scientific visualization techniques, both as an overview for the inquiring scientist and as a basic foundation for developers. The three sections present an overview, explain frameworks and methodologies, and present techniques and algorithms. Extensive bibliographies are included.

The purpose of this text is to provide a reference source to scientists, engineers, and students who are new to scientific visualization or who are interested in expanding their knowledge in this subject. If used properly, it can also serve as an introduction and tutorial.

Numerical simulations of global warming, Mars observation data, and aircraft design are but a few of the topics where the use of human visual perception for data understanding are considered essential. Ten years agoa handful of pioneers professed the value of visualization to skeptical audiences. Today, with supercomputers and sensors producing ever-increasing amounts of data, scientific visualization is accepted throughout much of science and engineering as the fundamental tool for data analysis. Written by a world-wide panel of visualization experts, Scientific Visualization: Advances and Challenges presents astute coverage of prevailing trends, issues, and practice of scientific visualization. From algorithmic topics such as volume graphics and the modeling and visualization of large data sets, to foundations, perception, and interface technology (including virtual reality), this book provides the latest advances in the area. The book demonstrates new techniques, examines diverse application areas, and discusses current limitations and upcoming requirements. Scientific Visualization:Advances and Challenges $> presents readers with a unique opportunity to examine expert thinking and current practice, and to obtain a vision of potential future directions. It will be essential reading for scientific and engineering practitioners and visualization researchers alike. Offers extremely topical and timely coverage of a rapidly evolving area Includes contributions from an international panel of visualization experts in one accessible volume Provides scientific and engineering practitioners as well as visualization researchers with an essential guide to the literature