Visualizing nature
by Kenneth Chang, NCSA Research Programmer, Publications
Group
Multimedia, though having made it to the cover of Time, is
still in its formative years--a revolution still in search of
purpose. Pretty pictures, impressive soundtracks--but people
are only now beginning to mold it into something more than
MTV for the computer.
Scientific computing, too, has entered the age of the CD-ROM
with its share of achievements and disappointments. In the
impressive category is Visualization of Natural Phenomena
by Robert S. Wolff and Larry Yaeger of Apple Computer Inc. It is
not even multimedia; it is a clearly written, beautifully
illustrated 374-page encyclopedia of scientific visualization.
Mixing the field's history, explanations of visualization
techniques, and wonderful examples, the book is enjoyable
for anyone--from neophyte to expert--to page through.
Photo by Thompson-McClellan Photography
Caution: Technical lingo
Note though, sections of the book are quite technical in
nature, and the casual reader is likely to glaze over at
sentences like, "However, instead of using a (u, v)
parametric mapping based purely on the object's geometry, the
mapping is based on the direction of a reflection vector
computed by reflecting the vector from the eye to the point
on the object's surface about the surface normal at that
point." The writing is still clear, if you care about such
matters; otherwise, just skip to the more interesting
sections, like Chapter 7, which discusses the cross-
pollination between scientific visualization and Hollywood
special effects.
Bundled with the book is a CD-ROM. The CD succeeds both as a
supplement and by itself. Icons in the margins of the book
tie the two together, referring the reader to a specific clip
that clarifies a point the authors are making. For example,
one section of the book discusses the "spokes" found in the
rings of Saturn. From the image in the book, the spokes are
not immediately obvious--they rather look like unintentional
smudges. When the corresponding movie is viewed, however, the
structures immediately become apparent.
Like sitting in on SIGGRAPH
By itself, the CD-ROM is still a fascinating experience and
avoids the mistake of many such projects of simply parroting
what has already been said in the book. With animations
ranging from Egyptian mummies to Sony commercials, it is
rather like sitting in on the animation festival at
SIGGRAPH's annual computer graphics conference where
thousands gather to goggle at the latest gadgets and wow at
the computer animations. The disadvantage is that the 180 x
240 pixel window is no substitute for the multistory screens
at SIGGRAPH, but the advantages are twofold. Next to each
animation is a short, clear explanation of what the animation
shows and the techiques used--a context for the pretty
pictures. The other advantage, for people in the
visualization field at least, is that the viewer can
immediately refer back to the book to read up on the details
of a given technique.
The particulars
Two useful appendixes describe the production environment--
including hardware, software, and data management--created by
the authors (Appendix A) and provide a lengthy glossary of
terms and a reference list (Appendix B).
NCSA staff members who contributed to the book include
Director Larry Smarr (Foreword; images and information),
Research Scientist Mike Norman (technical review); and SDG
Management Analyst Susan Goode (data and software).
Minimum system requirements: Apple Macintosh II or
later; System 7.01 or 7.1; 8 Mbyte RAM; 13-inch RGB monitor
(8-bit color minimum); 5 Mbyte free hard disk space; CD-ROM
drive; QuickTime 1.5 or later needed to play movies on CD-
ROM.
Published by TELOS, The Electronic Library of Science, an
imprint of Springer-Verlag (New York: 1993); ISBN: 0-387-
97809-7.
access / Summer 1994 / NCSA
