If you are using
Navigator 4.x
or
Internet Explorer 4.x
or
Omni Web 4.x
, this site will not render
correctly!
Vis >
visualization >
3d >
3-D Visualization Package Comparison
3-D Visualization Package Comparison
The following chart is a nominal comparison of the important features of four
3-D scientific visualization packages. The packages are:
- Vis5D 4.3
- SciAn 0.853
- IRIS Explorer 3.0
- LinkWinds 2.2
|
- from the University of Wisconsin
- from SCRI and Florida State University
- from NAG/SGI
- from JPL/NASA and CIT
|
Each package is rated on a 1 to 10 scale (10 being best) as to how effectively
it implements the various features. The numbers just reflect personal opinion
and are therefore quite subjective.
|
Vis5D |
SciAn |
Explorer |
LinkWinds |
|---|
| Animation |
|---|
| Interactive |
10 |
- |
- |
9 |
|---|
| Noninteracive |
10 |
5 |
8 |
9 |
|---|
| Annotation |
|---|
| Axes |
4 |
5 |
8 |
1 |
|---|
| Colorbar |
3 |
- |
10 |
- |
|---|
| Text/graphic labels |
5 |
5 |
8 |
2 |
|---|
| Antialiasing |
- |
7 |
9 |
- |
|---|
| Extensibility |
|---|
| Application creation |
- |
- |
8 |
- |
|---|
| Dataflow "steering" |
2 |
2 |
9 |
2 |
|---|
| Looping constructs |
4 |
3 |
8 |
6 |
|---|
| Scripting language |
7 |
5 |
8 |
4 |
|---|
| User functions |
5 |
- |
9 |
1 |
|---|
| Geometric primitives |
- |
5 |
9 |
- |
|---|
| 1-D graphics |
|---|
| Point cloud |
- |
10 |
10 |
7 |
|---|
| 2-D graphics |
|---|
| Contour lines |
8 |
6 |
6 |
3 |
|---|
| Data value probe |
9 |
4 |
7 |
10 |
|---|
| Shaded sheet |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
|---|
| 3-D to 2-D slicing |
5 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
|---|
| Streamlines |
5 |
5 |
1 |
- |
|---|
| Vectors |
5 |
6 |
9 |
1 |
|---|
| 3-D graphics |
|---|
| Contour lines |
- |
- |
5 |
- |
|---|
| Data value probe |
9 |
4 |
7 |
- |
|---|
| Isosurfaces |
5 |
7 |
9 |
5 |
|---|
| - colormapped |
5 |
- |
9 |
5 |
|---|
| Lighting control |
- |
7 |
9 |
4 |
|---|
| Map projections |
5 |
- |
8 |
5 |
|---|
| 4-D to 3-D slicing |
2 |
6 |
9 |
2 |
|---|
| Trajectories |
7 |
- |
5 |
- |
|---|
| Transparency |
6 |
6 |
6 |
3 |
|---|
| Vectors |
5 |
6 |
9 |
1 |
|---|
| Volume rendering |
8 |
- |
6 |
8 |
|---|
| Hardware demands |
9 |
7 |
2 |
10 |
|---|
| Input |
|---|
| Inventor models |
- |
- |
9 |
- |
|---|
| Multiple open files |
- |
8 |
10 |
8 |
|---|
| NetCDF files |
5 |
4 |
9 |
6 |
|---|
| Learning Curve/Ease of use |
10 |
9 |
5 |
8 |
|---|
| Load/Save progress |
5 |
1 |
9 |
4 |
|---|
| Missing data |
7 |
8 |
4 |
8 |
|---|
| Multiple data grids |
- |
9 |
10 |
8 |
|---|
| Multiple visualizations |
- |
9 |
10 |
9 |
|---|
| Output |
|---|
| Inventor models |
- |
- |
9 |
- |
|---|
| NetCDF files |
- |
- |
4 |
- |
|---|
| PostScript files |
6 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
|---|
| SGI RGB images |
9 |
7 |
10 |
9 |
|---|
| Palette manipulation |
2 |
6 |
9 |
6 |
|---|
| Sampling/cropping |
- |
- |
9 |
9 |
|---|
| Scaling |
- |
10 |
10 |
5 |
|---|
| Stereo viewing |
- |
10 |
3 |
- |
|---|
|
Created by Hans Vahlenkamp (hnv@gfdl.noaa.gov)
and John Sheldon (jps@gfdl.noaa.gov)
