# Presentation: 922301

## Tools for Publishing 3D Scientific Information

**Overview of the options**
**Demos**
**Comparisons**

## Tools for Publishing 3D Scientific Information

**Overview of the options****  - Movies****      - **common current technology**  - VRML (**Virtual Reality Modeling Language)**      - **better, and easy for scientists**  - FASTexpeditions****      - **much better, but serious disadvantages**  - Java3D****      - **if you want to “program your own           viewer experience**”**

## Tools for Publishing 3D Scientific Information

**Overview of the options****  - ****Movies****      - downloads movie files****      - uses movie player on client****      - requires large files****      - heavy load on networks**

## Tools for Publishing 3D Scientific Information

**Overview of the options****  - Movies****  - ****VRML****      - downloads descriptions****          - 3D scene****          - sound (spatial and stereo)****          - animations****          - user interactions****      **

## Tools for Publishing 3D Scientific Information

**Overview of the options****  - Movies****  - ****VRML****      - downloads descriptions****      - ****uses fixed browsers on client**

## Tools for Publishing 3D Scientific Information

**Overview of the options****  - Movies****  - ****VRML****      - downloads descriptions****      - uses fixed browsers on client****      - ****requires smaller files than movies**

## Tools for Publishing 3D Scientific Information

**Overview of the options****  - Movies****  - VRML****  - ****FASTexpeditions****      - downloads scientific data and ****        scripts for analysis of the data****      - uses sophisticated tool on the client****      - requires files which are usually smaller****        than movie files****      - permits both guided analyses and****        self-controlled “what if” analyses**

## Tools for Publishing 3D Scientific Information

**Overview of the options****  - Movies****  - VRML****  - FASTexpeditions****  -****Java3D****      - downloads the data and the whole ****        program for viewing the data****      - uses the Java engine on the client****      - requires the scientist to write the ****        whole program for viewing the data****      - requires large files for download**

## Tools for Publishing 3D Scientific Information

**Overview of the options**
**Demos**

## Demonstration of FASTexpeditions

- a 14 minute video of a demonstration is     available here
- the demonstration consists of
- a viewer accessing an on-line scientific report
- he reviews the dynamic analyses of the author
- he continues with his own “what-if” analysis
- he connects with the author and/or colleagues   at remote locations and they conduct additional   analyses jointly

## Tools for Publishing 3D Scientific Information

**Overview of the options**
**Demos**
**Comparisons**

## Movies

**Advantages**
- movie players are “built into” most browsers   (no advantages after VRML becomes “built in”)
**Disadvantages**
- requires large files
- no flexibility of viewing positions
- no ability to conduct your own analysis

## VRML

**Advantages**
- VRML will be “built into” browsers   (and probably included within MPEG4)
- flexibility of viewing positions
- interactive animations and sounds
- smaller files to transfer
**Disadvantages**
- fixed user interface
- no ability to conduct your own analysis

## FASTexpeditions

**Advantages**
- capability for viewer controlled analyses
- high quality 3D scenes
- high performance interaction
- remote collaboration capability
- true 3D with stereo glasses
**Disadvantages**
- fixed (but powerful) user interface
- the viewer must have the FAST software
- the viewer must have an SGI workstation   (FAST may not be ported to OpenGL)

## Java 3D

**Advantages**
- the most flexible  (You can program any experience you wish)
- does not require plug-ins or other software
**Disadvantages**
- you must write the program
- the performance is much worse than other   software (such as FAST)

## Conclusions

- For now, I recommend VRML
- with the 3D scenes created by your favorite   analysis software
- with additions of animation and sound using   Cosmo Worlds (available on the PC and SGI)