Enhanced 3D terrain visualization process using game engine

Recently, many information visualization regarding terrain use 2D maps which include shading and lines to show the terrain. However, the emerging 3D terrain visualization technologies and software may produce a lot of terrain information. This emerging technology is also concurrent with the growth of game engines. As for this study, Unity3D, one of these game engines, has built-in terrain engine that provides 3D terrain visualization. Moreover, this engine provides the ability to be able to publish as web application for the online environment. Based on the literature review, there are studies related to terrain visualization developed using game engines, however, majority focuses on the capability of terrain visualization in an offline environment. None of these studies focus on the performance of the 3D visualization process in an online environment. Thus, the aim of this study is to enhance the process of generating 3D terrain visualization with GIS data generated from the Unity3D game engine in an online environment. The results of the performance are compared with two different situation that is online and offline. Several experiments are conducted and performances are measured based on loading time, response time, frames per second (FPS), memory usage and CPU usage of different terrain data types and size. The study adopts design research process that is comprised of problem identification from literature review, solution development by using the process to develop the prototype needed, and evaluation by comparing the output of the visualization process. The findings show that the process of enhancing 3D terrain visualization with GIS data generated from the Unity3D game engine in offline environment is better compared to those online. This is due to the compression and the need for Unity3D web player to make contact with the Unity server for authentication and also for visualization during online. Furthermore, operating system resource needs to be used before it goes online. The main finding of this study is the new algorithm of enhancing 3D terrain visualization process using Unity3D game engine. The algorithm can be divided into three processes which are terrain data reading, terrain data conversion, and terrain data processing. It may assist the developer on how to enhance the process of developing web-based 3D terrain visualization using Unity3D game engine

Software test and evaluation study phase I and II : survey and analysis

Issued as Final report, Project no. G-36-661 (continues G-36-636; includes A-2568

Proceedings of the Sixth Annual Software Engineering Workshop

Software development characteristics, models, and methodologies were presented and discussed.

XML: aplicações e tecnologias associadas: 6th National Conference

This volume contains the papers presented at the Sixth Portuguese XML Conference, called XATA (XML, Aplicações e Tecnologias Associadas), held in Évora, Portugal, 14-15 February, 2008. The conference followed on from a successful series held throughout Portugal in the last years: XATA2003 was held in Braga, XATA2004 was held in Porto, XATA2005 was held in Braga, XATA2006 was held in Portalegre and XATA2007 was held in Lisboa. Dued to research evaluation criteria that are being used to evaluate researchers and research centers national conferences are becoming deserted. Many did not manage to gather enough submissions to proceed in this scenario. XATA made it through. However with a large decrease in the number of submissions. In this edition a special meeting will join the steering committee with some interested attendees to discuss XATA's future: internationalization, conference model, ... We think XATA is important in the national context. It has succeeded in gathering and identifying a comunity that shares the same research interests and has promoted some colaborations. We want to keep "the wheel spinning"... This edition has its program distributed by first day's afternoon and next day's morning. This way we are facilitating travel arrangements and we will have one night to meet

Data bases and data base systems related to NASA's aerospace program. A bibliography with indexes

This bibliography lists 1778 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system, 1975 through 1980

Choosers: A Visual Programming Language for Nondeterministic Music Composition by Non-Programmers

This thesis focuses on the design of Choosers, a prototype algorithmic programming system centred around a new abstraction (of the same name) designed to allow non-programmers access to nondeterministic music composition methods. Algorithmic composition typically involves structural elements such as indeterminism, parallelism, choice, multi-choice, nesting, weighting, and looping. There are powerful existing tools for manipulating these and other elements of music. However, while these systems give substantial compositional power to musicians who are also skilled programmers, many musicians who lack programming skills find these tools inaccessible and difficult to understand and use. This thesis presents the design and evaluation of a prototype visual programming language designed to allow structural elements of the kind involved in nondeterministic music composition to be readily visualised and manipulated, while making little or no demand on programming ability. Initially, a Cognitive Dimensions of Notations review of a representative selection of user interfaces for algorithmic composition software was conducted. The review led to a set of findings used to identify candidate design principles which were then tested via a series of design exercises. The findings from these design exercises led to the development of a new abstraction, the Chooser, via a series of iterative design cycles. Once a candidate design had been finalised it was evaluated with participants via two sets of programming walkthroughs, with the findings from each step used to refine the formalism. The final study used Choosers as a design probe through a series of interviews with domain experts in which manipulable compositions were introduced to prompt discussions on potential future implications for music computing education, music production, and music composition

Space station data system analysis/architecture study. Task 2: Options development DR-5. Volume 1: Technology options

The second task in the Space Station Data System (SSDS) Analysis/Architecture Study is the development of an information base that will support the conduct of trade studies and provide sufficient data to make key design/programmatic decisions. This volume identifies the preferred options in the technology category and characterizes these options with respect to performance attributes, constraints, cost, and risk. The technology category includes advanced materials, processes, and techniques that can be used to enhance the implementation of SSDS design structures. The specific areas discussed are mass storage, including space and round on-line storage and off-line storage; man/machine interface; data processing hardware, including flight computers and advanced/fault tolerant computer architectures; and software, including data compression algorithms, on-board high level languages, and software tools. Also discussed are artificial intelligence applications and hard-wire communications

Towards an Ontology of Ongoing Thought

Functional outcomes of ongoing thought show both costs and benefits. Yet, the reason for its heterogeneity remains unclear. The executive failure and representational accounts stemmed from different psychological research approaches to understand ongoing thought. The executive failure account examines why changes in ongoing thought happen, while the representational account seeks to explain how humans generate ongoing thought. The attentional system and the default mode network are the common neural processes of both theoretical accounts, but interacting in a contradicting manner. The two accounts can be seen as competing theories of ongoing thought. However, in the family resemblance view (Seli et al., 2018), the two theoretical accounts potentially serve as two component processes of one phenomenon. One possible solution to this conflict could be that under different global neural configurations, the two networks support different cognitive functions. The thesis sets out to present evidence supporting of the family resemblance view and to begin research on the ontology of the component processes in ongoing thought. Neural cognitive hierarchy is the potential explanation of the heterogeneity. The current thesis adopts sparse canonical correlation analysis to incorporate the neural and behavioural aspects of ongoing thought. The data suggests ongoing thought is a collective phenomenon with many types of experience driven by the connectivity patterns in the default mode network. Each type of experience associated with their unique functional outcomes and neural hierarchies at the whole-brain level. Cognitive flexibility and the balance of segregation and integration between the transmodal systems and the rest of the cortex determines the immersive details. The current findings suggested the importance of whole-brain neural hierarchies to ongoing thought. The confirmation of these trait level findings at a state level are necessary to gain more insights into the architecture of the component processes

The CSCW paradigm for software development

People work together to solve a wide variety of problems using different forms of cooperation for each class of problem. Modern technology is complex, and therefore it is unusual for an individual to attempt the development of a major project single-handedly. In an attempt to provide computer-based support for the problems that arise when two or more people attempt to cooperate to perform a task or solve a problem, the area of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) becomes relevant. The software development process almost invariably involves cooperation that crosses group, professional, and subcultural boundaries. The complexity of software development demands that highly integrated groups of analysts, designers, and users are involved in the process. Many development activities may occur concurrently. The area of CSCW and advanced information technology, with its enormous capabilities for transmitting and storing information, holds considerable promise for the software development process.ComputingM. Sc. (Information Systems