Vis5D is a 3-D visualization system used primarily for animated 3-D visualization of weather simulations. It was the first system to produce fully interactive animated 3-D displays of time-dynamic volumetric data sets[1][2] and the first open source 3-D visualization system.[3]
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Vis5D was created in response to two circumstances:
Vis5D takes it name from its 5-D array containing time sequences of 3-D spatial grids for a set of physical parameters of the atmosphere or ocean. Its graphical user interface enables users to select from various ways of visualizing each parameter (e.g., iso-surfaces, plane slices, volume renderings), and to select a combination of parameters for view. A key innovation of Vis5D is that it computes and stores the geometries and colors for such graphics over the simulated time sequence, allowing them to be animated quickly so users can watch movies of their simulations.[3] Furthermore, users can interactively rotate the animations in 3-D.
Vis5D provides other visualization techniques. Users can drag a 3-D cursor to a selected time and location, then trigger the calculation of a forward and backward wind trajectory from that point. Users can drag a vertical bar cursor and see, in another window, a thermodynamic diagram for the selected vertical column of atmosphere. And users can drag a 3-D cursor to a selected time and location and read out individual values for parameters at that point. These examples all involve direct manipulation interfaces, as does the placement of plane slices through 3-D grids.
Vis5D provides options for memory management, so that very large data sets can be visualized at individual time steps without the need to compute graphics over the simulation's entire time sequence, while smaller data sets can be visualized with full animation. Vis5D also provides an API enabling developers of other systems to incorporate Vis5D's functionality. This API is the basis of a TCL scripting capability so users can write automated scripts for producing animations.
Vis5D was first demonstrated, via videotape, at the December 1988 Workshop on Graphics in Meteorology at the ECMWF.[1] The first live demos were at the January 1989 annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society.
Vis5D running on the GS 1000 was the first visualization system to provide smooth animation of 3-D gridded time-sequence data sets with interactive rotation.[1][2]
Vis5D was the first open source 3-D visualization system.[3]
Vis5D is a natural for immersive virtual reality and was adapted to the CAVE for the VROOM at the 1994 Siggraph conference.[4] This became Cave5D.