The idea is to serve as a catalyst in the service of science, bringing useful new technologies to bear on valid problems, then developing that technology into user-friendly tools.
Scientific relevance is a primary metric of success.
Communication of end results to the scientific community and general public is a priority. These goals are targeted with a variety of lab resources, each of which is presented in brief along with the year's accomplishments. Focus areas for the lab include high-performance visualization of large complex simulation datasets, volume and flow visualization, distributed visualization, advanced web technologies including VRML, HDTV, and immersive environments. During FY97, Mesa Visualization Lab systems were basically held in maintenance mode, with upgrades limited to storage capacity. During FY97 the focus was on advancing projects as well as possible while preparing plans for upgrading the facility in FY98.