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GVU Technical Report Series

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Author: Faust, Nick L. (Nickolas Lea) × Author: Hodges, Larry F. × End date: 1999 × Start date: 1996 ×

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Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    An Integrated Global GIS and Visual Simulation System
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 1997) Lindstrom, Peter ; Koller, David ; Ribarsky, William ; Hodges, Larry F. ; Op den Bosch, Augusto ; Faust, Nick L. (Nickolas Lea)
    This paper reports on an integrated visual simulation system supporting visualization of global multiresolution terrain elevation and imagery data, static and dynamic 3D objects with multiple levels of detail, non-protrusive features such as roads and rivers, distributed simulation and real-time sensor input, and an embedded geographic information system. The requirements of real-time rendering, very large datasets, and heterogeneous detail management strongly affect the structure of this system. Use of hierarchical spatial data structures and multiple coordinate systems allow for visualization and manipulation of huge terrain datasets spanning the entire surface of the Earth at resolutions well below one meter. The multithreaded nature of the system supports multiple windows with independent, stereoscopic views. The system is portable, built on OpenGL, POSIX threads, and X11/Motif windowed interface. It has been tested and evaluated in the field with a variety of terrain data, updates due to real-time sensor input, and display of networked DIS simulations.
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    Real-Time, Continuous Level of Detail Rendering of Height Fields
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 1996) Lindstrom, Peter ; Koller, David ; Ribarsky, William ; Hodges, Larry F. ; Faust, Nick L. (Nickolas Lea) ; Turner, Gregory
    We present an algorithm for real-time level of detail reduction and display of high-complexity polygonal surface data. The algorithm uses a compact and efficient regular grid representation, and employs a variable screen-space threshold to bound the maximum error of the projected image. The appropriate level of detail is computed and generated dynamically in real-time, allowing for smooth changes of resolution across areas of the surface. The algorithm has been implemented for approximating and rendering digital terrain models and other height fields, and consistently performs at interactive frame rates with high image quality. Typically, the number of rendered polygons per frame can be reduced by two orders of magnitude while maintaining image quality such that less than 5% of the resulting pixels differ from a full resolution image.
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    Organizational Hierarchies for Real-Time, 4D Visualizations
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 1996) Haus, Jacques ; Newton, Gregory P. ; Ribarsky, William ; Faust, Nick L. (Nickolas Lea) ; Hodges, Larry F. ; Newton, Gregory P.
    This paper describes a 4D object hierarchy that is appropriate for the immense amount of time-dependent, 3D data associated with large scale simulations or information spaces. An organizational hierarchy approach is developed that can also handle elements not contained in the organization. Using this flexible approach, even complex scenarios with constantly moving, changing objects can be displayed and explored in real-time with minimal clutter. The user may also move objects around by direct manipulation, define paths, create or delete hierarchical elements, and make other interactions. To strengthen the capacity for distributed simulations and for using sensor information from multiple sources, DIS capability has been integrated with this approach for dynamic updates of position, direction and speed, and hierarchical structure. The paper will discuss how the techniques used here can be applied to widely different organizational structures.
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    4D Symbology for Sensing and Simulation
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 1996) Turner, Gregory ; Haus, Jacques ; Newton, Gregory P. ; Ribarsky, William ; Faust, Nick L. (Nickolas Lea) ; Hodges, Larry F.
    The Army's Common Picture of the Battlefield will produce immense amounts of data associated with tactical goals and options, dynamic operations, unit and troop movement, and general battlefield information. These data will come from sensors (in real-time) and from simulations and must be positioned accurately on high-fidelity 3-D terrain. This paper describes a 4-D symbology (3-D symbols plus time-dependence) for battlefield visualization that addresses>these needs. It is associated with the Army's 2-D symbols for operations and tactics so that the information content of this symbolic structure is retained.>A hierarchy is developed based on military organization to display this symbology. Using this hierarchy, even complex battlefield scenarios can be displayed and explored in real-time with minimal clutter. The user may also move units around by direct manipulation, define paths, create or delete hierarchical elements, and make other interactions. To strengthen the capacity for distributed simulations and for using sensor information from multiple sources, DIS capability has been integrated with the symbology for dynamic updates of position, direction and speed, and hierarchical structure. The paper will also discuss how the techniques used here can be applied to general (non-military) organizational structures.