iMRV Capabilities


As of 25 Feb 2010

Data Reading


  1. SAM Binary format files written using FORTRAN Unformatted write. The reader inputs the grid at the user's choice of minimal, half, or full resolution. Resolution can be altered at any time after reading. This is to improve performance because SAM grid files can be as large as 8 GB. This week. They seem to be growing daily.

Data Management


  1. The iTools Data Manager shows all data that have been inputted in a hierarchical format. SAM files are shown as folders, and when expanded, show every model field from the file.
  2. Field properties can be changed, including the field name which is displayed in the browser and on visualizations, as well as resolution. When the resolution is changed, the grid is updated with no additional user interaction, and any visualizations using that field are automatically updated.
  3. Physical units are attached to each data type so that iMRV can only perform operations that are allowed, for that data type.

Visualization


  1. Standard iTool methods for panning, zooming, and rotating apply. The rotation tool is the best I've seen; each axis is manipulated by a colored wheel that surrounds the visualization. The user grabs the wheel and turns the visualization.
  2. A custom tool allows the user to clip away unneeded parts of the domain in order to focus on the phenomena of interest.
  3. Isosurfaces. The user can use a GUI to adjust clipping to remove part of the visualized grid, set isosurface color and transparency, shininess, lighting, and value. Each change updates the visualization.
  4. Axes. One set of axes applies to all visualizations composited in the view. The user can set major and minor tick mark intervals, axis visibility and location, and major and minor tick mark length.
  5. Contours. The contouring plane can be at any position normal to one of the three axes. Contour color, linestyle, and width; label size, font, position, and presence; filled vs. line; algorithm-chosen or user-chosen values; use of customizable color palettes.
  6. Vectors. Vector grids can be visualized using fully three-dimensional vectors. These are drawn as shafts with cones attached. Vector spacing, scaling, grid clipping, color, size, shininess, transparency, and shape are all customizable via properties.
  7. Field lines. Fully three-dimensional field lines of any vector field, including velocity and vorticity. Color, size, arrow head placement and size, number of lines and initial positioning, etc. are all fully user-customizable.

Filters


  1. Reflectivity. Computed from user-chosen set of particle species mixing-ratio fields, defaulting to all. Distribution parameters are stored in XML tables.
  2. Velocity. Computed from the component grids that have units of m/s and most resemble u, v, and w in their naming. The automatic choice of components can be overridden by the user.
  3. Vorticity. The three orthogonal components and/or a vector grid can be derived from velocity component grids.
  4. Vector magnitude, producing a scalar grid

Analysis


  1. Comprehensive grid statistics.
  2. Histogram of grid values.

Session


  1. The user can save the state at any time, and restore that state at the start of the next session.
  2. The user can record all of their actions in a macro that can then be edited, or played back, at any time.

Output


  1. Untested: Postscript printer and Encapsulated Postscript File.

Next up....


  1. GUI-driven selection of initial locations for field lines
  2. Eulerian vorticity dynamics fields
  3. GUI-driven probe to report values if visualized fields at a point or region in the display
  4. Automatic saving/restoring of appearance properties for visualizations
  5. Summary integrals
  6. Animation
  7. Lagrangian trajectories and Langrangian vorticity dynamics analysis
  8. Scalar summation operator
  9. Additional vector operators