Cross-Platform Presentation of Interactive Volumetric Imagery

Volume data is useful across many disciplines, not just medicine. Thus, it is very important that researchers have a simple and lightweight method of sharing and reproducing such volumetric data. In this paper, we explore some of the challenges associated with volume rendering, both from a classical sense and from the context of Web3D technologies. We describe and evaluate the pro- posed X3D Volume Rendering Component and its associated styles for their suitability in the visualization of several types of image data. Additionally, we examine the ability for a minimal X3D node set to capture provenance and semantic information from outside ontologies in metadata and integrate it with the scene graph

The Effects of Task, Task Mapping, and Layout Space on User Performance in Information-Rich Virtual Environments

How should abstract information be displayed in Information-Rich Virtual Environments (IRVEs)? There are a variety of techniques available, and it is important to determine which techniques help foster a user’s understanding both within and between abstract and spatial information types. Our evaluation compared two such techniques: Object Space and Display Space. Users strongly prefer Display Space over Object Space, and those who use Display Space may perform better. Display Space was faster and more accurate than Object Space for tasks comparing abstract information. Object Space was more accurate for comparisons of spatial information. These results suggest that for abstract criteria, visibility is a more important requirement than perceptual coupling by depth and association cues. They also support the value of perceptual coupling for tasks with spatial criteria

The effects of immersion and navigation on the acquisition of spatial knowledge of abstract data networks

AbstractWith increasing frequency immersive virtual environments (IVEs) are being used to present multi-dimensional information visualizations. Networks and graphs are a common type of abstract data; in order to understand the varied relationships between entities in a network, it is crucial to acquire some spatial knowledge about the layout and connectivity of its components. While there is a good body of evidence for the benefits of IVE displays, most work on the effects of immersion and of navigation on the acquisition of spatial knowledge has been concerned with wayfinding in realistic environments; much less is known about how to leverage IVE technology to benefit a user’ss spatial understanding of (abstract) data networks. In this paper we present an empirical study designed to determine what effect level of immersion and navigation technique can have on a user’s acquisition of spatial knowledge of network data, specifically cell signaling pathways. For this CAVE study (CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment), the level of immersion is controlled by changing the Field-Of-Regard, while we also vary navigation between one egocentric and one exocentric technique. The results show that both immersion and navigation technique can affect the acquisition of spatial knowledge regarding abstract networks in an immersive virtual environment

Design and Display of Enhancing Information in Desktop Information-Rich Virtual Environments: Challenges and Techniques

Information-Rich Virtual Environments (IRVEs) have been described as environments in which perceptual information is enhanced with abstract (or symbolic) information such as text, numbers, images, audio, video, or hyperlinked resources. Desktop VE applications present the same information design and layout challenges as immersive VEs, but in addition, they may also be integrated with external windows or frames commonly used in desktop interfaces. This paper enumerates design approaches for the display of enhancing information both internal and external to the virtual world?s render volume. Using standard web-based software frameworks, we explore a number of implicit and explicit spatial layout methods for the display and linking of abstract information, especially text. Within the virtual environment view, we demonstrate both Heads-Up-Displays and encapsulated scenegraph behaviors we call Semantic Objects. For desktop displays, which support information display venues external to the scene, we demonstrate the linking and integration of the scene with web browsers and the Snap-Together visualization a system. Finally, we describe the application of these techniques in the PathSim Visualizer, an IRVE interface for the biomedical domain. These design techniques are relevant for instructional and informative interfaces for a wide variety of desktop VE applications

Snap2Diverse: Coordinating Information Visualizations and Virtual Environments

The field of Information Visualization is concerned with improving with how users perceive, understand, and interact with visual representations of data sets. Immersive Virtual Environments (VEs) excel at providing researchers and designers a greater comprehension of the spatial features and relations of their data, models, and scenes. This project addresses the intersection of these two fields where information is visualized in a virtual environment. Specifically we are interested in visualizing abstract information in relation to spatial information in the context of a virtual environment. We describe a set of design issues for this type of integrated visualization and demonstrate a coordinated, multiple-views system supporting 2D and 3D visualization tasks such as overview, navigation, details-on-demand, and brushing-and-linking selection. Software architecture issues are discussed with details of our implementation applied to the domain of chemical information and visualization. Lastly, we subject our system to an informal usability evaluation and identify usability issues with interaction and navigation that may guide future work in these situations

Integrating Web-based Visualization with Structural System Understanding to Improve the Technical Education of Architects

The relationship between structure and form has become an important topic of educational research in architecture. The new trend in architecture is to create elegant and efficient designs that are adequately responsive to environmental conditions such as various applied loads. This has created a challenge in architectural education to train architects who are aware of the relationships between structure and form. This paper provides the results of a collaborative effort among the schools of Architecture and Design, Computer Science, and Education at Virginia Tech to develop a web-based learning tool called Structure and Form Analysis System” (SAFAS). SAFAS consists of a “Knowledgebase” and a “Structure and Form Experimentation” module, both of which were used in an undergraduate structures course as supplemental learning materials. Evaluation of the results of several assignments given to students demonstrated that the developed educational materials were effective in helping students (a) gain a better understanding of spatial structures and (b) comprehend the relationships between structure and form. From this study, it is concluded that the SAFAS and the associated educational tools could be used in undergraduate architecture and structures courses to foster a better understanding of various structural concepts

SAFAS: Unifying Form and Structure through Interactive 3D Simulation

There has been a significant gap between the tools used for the design of a building’s architectural form and those that evaluate the structural physics of that form. Seeking to bring the perspectives of visual design and structural engineering closer together, we developed and evaluated a design tool for students and practitioners to explore the inter-relationships between the form and structure of long-span structures. We have developed an interactive 3D design application for spatial structures that integrates with a web simulation service, enabling the iterative analytic comparison of designs by structural weight, force distribution, member deflection and stability. In this paper, we describe the design and development of this Structure And Form Analysis System (SAFAS) tool using the usability engineering methodology, presenting its evolution and evaluation though four semesters of use in undergraduate architecture classes. In this paper we present our summative results and lessons learned for the usability engineering of e-Learning systems, scientific visualization of structural dynamics, and user skill sets

A Virtual Look at Epstein–Barr Virus Infection: Biological Interpretations

The possibility of using computer simulation and mathematical modeling to gain insight into biological and other complex systems is receiving increased attention. However, it is as yet unclear to what extent these techniques will provide useful biological insights or even what the best approach is. Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) provides a good candidate to address these issues. It persistently infects most humans and is associated with several important diseases. In addition, a detailed biological model has been developed that provides an intricate understanding of EBV infection in the naturally infected human host and accounts for most of the virus' diverse and peculiar properties. We have developed an agent-based computer model/simulation (PathSim, Pathogen Simulation) of this biological model. The simulation is performed on a virtual grid that represents the anatomy of the tonsils of the nasopharyngeal cavity (Waldeyer ring) and the peripheral circulation—the sites of EBV infection and persistence. The simulation is presented via a user friendly visual interface and reproduces quantitative and qualitative aspects of acute and persistent EBV infection. The simulation also had predictive power in validation experiments involving certain aspects of viral infection dynamics. Moreover, it allows us to identify switch points in the infection process that direct the disease course towards the end points of persistence, clearance, or death. Lastly, we were able to identify parameter sets that reproduced aspects of EBV-associated diseases. These investigations indicate that such simulations, combined with laboratory and clinical studies and animal models, will provide a powerful approach to investigating and controlling EBV infection, including the design of targeted anti-viral therapies