TY - GEN

T1 - Using streaming and parallelization techniques for 3D visualization in a high-performance computing and networking environment

AU - Olbrich, S.

AU - Pralle, H.

AU - Raasch, S.

N1 - Funding Information: This work is partly funded by the DFN-Verein (German Research Network), with funds from the BMBF (German Federal Ministry for Education and Research), and it is also sponsored by HP. The authors wish to thank A. von Berg (RVS) for the discussion about the high-performance network issues and configuration of the testbed network.

PY - 2001/7/12

Y1 - 2001/7/12

N2 - Currently available massively parallel supercomputers provide sufficient performance to simulate multi-dimensional, multi-variable problems in high resolution. However, the visualization of the large amounts of result data cannot be handled by traditional methods, where postprocessing modules are usually coupled to the raw data source - either by files or by data flow. Due to significant bottlenecks of the storage and communication resources, efficient techniques for data extraction and preprocessing at the source have to be developed to get a balanced, scalable system and the feasibility of a Virtual Laboratory" scenario, where the user interacts with a multi-modal, tele-immersive virtual reality environment. In this paper we describe an efficient, distributed system approach to support threedimensional, interactive exploration of complex results of scientific computing. Our processing chain consists of the following networked instances: 1. Creation of geometric 3D objects, such as isosurfaces, orthogonal slicers or particle sets, which illustrate the behaviour of the raw data. Our efficient visualization approach allows to handle large result data sets of simulation frameworks. It is based on processing every result data part corresponding to the domain decomposition of the parallelized simulation at the location of computation, and then collecting and exporting the generated 3D primitives. This is supported by special postprocessing routines, which provide filtering and mapping functions. 2. Storage of the generated sequence of 3D files on a separate 3D Streaming Server", which provides - controlled via Real Time Streaming Protocol" (RTSP) - play-out capabilities for continuous 3D media streams. 3. Presentation of such 3D scene sequences as animations in a virtual reality environment. The virtual objects are embedded in a WWW page by using an advanced 3D viewer plugin, and taking advantage of high-quality rendering, stereoscopic displays and interactive navigation and tracking devices. For requirement analysis, evaluation, and functionality demonstration purposes we have choosen an example application, the simulation of unsteady fluid flows.

AB - Currently available massively parallel supercomputers provide sufficient performance to simulate multi-dimensional, multi-variable problems in high resolution. However, the visualization of the large amounts of result data cannot be handled by traditional methods, where postprocessing modules are usually coupled to the raw data source - either by files or by data flow. Due to significant bottlenecks of the storage and communication resources, efficient techniques for data extraction and preprocessing at the source have to be developed to get a balanced, scalable system and the feasibility of a Virtual Laboratory" scenario, where the user interacts with a multi-modal, tele-immersive virtual reality environment. In this paper we describe an efficient, distributed system approach to support threedimensional, interactive exploration of complex results of scientific computing. Our processing chain consists of the following networked instances: 1. Creation of geometric 3D objects, such as isosurfaces, orthogonal slicers or particle sets, which illustrate the behaviour of the raw data. Our efficient visualization approach allows to handle large result data sets of simulation frameworks. It is based on processing every result data part corresponding to the domain decomposition of the parallelized simulation at the location of computation, and then collecting and exporting the generated 3D primitives. This is supported by special postprocessing routines, which provide filtering and mapping functions. 2. Storage of the generated sequence of 3D files on a separate 3D Streaming Server", which provides - controlled via Real Time Streaming Protocol" (RTSP) - play-out capabilities for continuous 3D media streams. 3. Presentation of such 3D scene sequences as animations in a virtual reality environment. The virtual objects are embedded in a WWW page by using an advanced 3D viewer plugin, and taking advantage of high-quality rendering, stereoscopic displays and interactive navigation and tracking devices. For requirement analysis, evaluation, and functionality demonstration purposes we have choosen an example application, the simulation of unsteady fluid flows.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=23044527968&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/3-540-48228-8_24

DO - 10.1007/3-540-48228-8_24

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:23044527968

SN - 3540422935

SN - 9783540422938

T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)

SP - 231

EP - 240

BT - High-Performance Computing and Networking - 9th International Conference, HPCN Europe 2001, Proceedings

A2 - Hertzberger, Bob

A2 - Hoekstra, Alfons

A2 - Williams, Roy

PB - Springer Verlag

T2 - 9th International Conference on High-Performance Computing and Networking, HPCN Europe 2001

Y2 - 25 June 2001 through 27 June 2001

ER -