Vis software: email summary
kmsahr at happy.colorado.edu
kmsahr at happy.colorado.edu
Mon Apr 22 15:27:20 AEST 1991
Thanks to everyone who answered my request for info on good visualization
software for our SG. I've received alot of requests for a summary of the
info, so here goes...
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We use a product called IDL most of the time. It's produced locally
by Research Systems in Denver (started by a CU-LASP person, Dave Stern).
It does almost everything you want, with the possible exception of
"Mac-like" drawing tools. It's incredibly easy to produce 2d and 3d plots,
including contour and surface plots. It also contains its own programming
language which is somewhat similar to Fortran. I did all the data
analysis and graphics for my PhD thesis using it (in addition to C). The
reason we have it here is because it's basically free to University
members. The commercial version is quite pricey (several thousand $$, I
think).
A local company (Precision Visuals) sells a product called PV-WAVE, which
is nothing more than IDL sold under their name, with perhaps some user
interface improvements. Their address is in the Boulder phonebook.
Finally, we are also using Mathematica by Wolfram Research. Although it
does a great deal more than graphics, it does produce very nice plots.
All these programs support most kinds of graphics terminals, workstations,
and X. The new version of Mathematica (2.0) appears to be much enhanced,
including a fabulous 'lab notebook' style user interface (available for
the moment only on Mac II's, NeXT, and 386/Windows machines, although
the X Window version is coming). This restriction only applies to
NoteBook - the regular user interface for Mathematica works under X and
many other platforms. Both Mathematica and IDL have a text-based
command line interface, with plots popped up in their own windows under
whatever windowing system you're using. For example, the following IDL
statements plot a sine wave:
IDL> x = findgen(100) ;allocate an array whose elements
;are numbers 1-100
IDL> y = sin(x)
IDL> plot,y
That's all there is to it. Under Mathematica an example is
Plot3D[ Sin[x y], {x, 0, Pi}, {y, 0, Pi} ]
which produces a surface plot of the function sin(x*y) with both x
and y ranging from 0 to Pi. Of course both these programs let you customize
labels, axes, ranges, etc. if you don't like the defaults.
Good luck.
--
--
Rainer Malzbender
Dept. of Physics (303)492-6829
U. of Colorado, Boulder rainer at boulder.colorado.edu 128.138.240.246
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I'm not sure if this is quite what you're looking for, but you could generate
plots of data using Mathematica, save as EPS, import the EPS into
IslandDraw
or FrameMaker, and edit to your heart's content. In IslandDraw you can
actually manipulate the PostScript, while in FrameMaker you can add stuff
on
top of the EPS image but not modify it (except for scaling, of course).
Wingz (a powerful spreadsheet tool) can import data, generate a variety
of graphs, and draw objects and such on the same page.
All of the above mentioned products run under X11 except FrameMaker. The
X11 version of FrameMaker for SGI will be available later this year.
All of these products are available through your SGI sales rep, or may be
ordered (by credit card! or P.O.) from the Software Express Catalog Sales
Hotline (just call the SGI customer support line, (800) 345-0222 and select
Catalog Sales).
I hope this helps.
--
Michael I. Gold You go your way, I'll go mine,
Silicon Graphics Inc. I don't care if we get there on time,
Internet: gold at sgi.com Everybody's searching for something they say,
Voice: (415) 335-1709 I'll get my kicks on the way...
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We use apE; it provides a flexible, modular environment for
2D and 3D data manipulation. It only costs the price of their admin
fee (more or less). It is especially effective on a powerful SGI
machine.
Write to
apE at apE.osgp.osc.edu
for more info.
Regards,
__ __
Loki Jorgenson / / \ \ node: loki at Physics.McGill.CA
Grad, Systems Manager / ////// \\\\\\ \ BITNET: PY29 at MCGILLA
Physics, McGill University \ \\\\\\ ////// / fax: (514) 398-8434
Montreal Quebec CANADA \_\ /_/ phone: (514) 398-7027
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We have make good use of grtool which runs on the Sun,
and its x-window successor, xvgr, which we have not tried
to compile on our SGI.
However I am not aware that it handles contour plots.
I would be very interested in any answers you get on
SGI software for coutour work. Please email me or post
to the net.
You should probaly teke a look at apE
which is supposed to be a fantastic scientific
visualization package for multiple platforms
including the SGI. It is $75.
Peter
peter at engrg.uwo.ca
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I can't think of anything that can do all that you want but here are some
suggestions.
1. Spyglass intends to port their Mac visualization software (Transform,
Dicer, Viewer, etc.) to SGI in the near future.
2. You are welcome to look around on my ftp server
(swedishchef.lerc.nasa.gov
[139.88.54.33]). Look particularily in programs/GL and libraries.
3. This is my list of all sites that carry SGI software.
Anonymous ftp sites with iris/sgi software
adenosine.pharm.utah.edu 128.110.74.1 Irisplot.2.0 dvi2ps
bu.edu 128.197.2.6 RFCs, mail utils, games source,
bu.edu siod, lpd spooler for iris, etc.
connemara.math.arizona.edu 128.196.224.5 irisplot
fresnel.stanford.edu 36.10.0.77 X11R4 for Iris
iris613.gsfc.nasa.gov 128.183.10.147 tn3270 for IRIS and HPUX, other
IRIS
iris613.gsfc.nasa.gov programs
itnsg1.cineca.it 130.186.1.194 NCSA software, Silcon
itnsg1.cineca.it Graphics, Graphics and
itnsg1.cineca.it Visualization, Unix
orville.nas.nasa.gov 129.99.23.7 hyperchannel network device driver,
orville.nas.nasa.gov panel-library (Sil. Graph.
orville.nas.nasa.gov workstation graphical interface
orville.nas.nasa.gov builder), Kyoto Common Lisp for
orville.nas.nasa.gov Cray2
radio.astro.utoronto.ca 128.100.75.4 msdos, iris, SunUserGroup, UFGATE
sgi.com 192.58.91.2 IRIS stuff
vgr.brl.mil 192.5.23.6 info-iris, brl-cad, bump,
vgr.brl.mil ping+record route, ttcp, mon, pmon,
vgr.brl.mil images
--
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\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / Jeff Hanson \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /
* ViSC: Better * tohanson at gonzo.lerc.nasa.gov * * * * * *
/ \ / \ Science / \ / \ NASA Lewis Research Center / \ / \ Through / \ / \
* * * * * * * Cleveland, Ohio 44135 * * * Pictures * *
\ / \ / \ / \ Telephone - (216) 433-2284 Fax - (216) 433-2182 \ / \ / \
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apE, from The Ohio Supercomputer Graphics Program is pretty nice. The
nonprofit license is $75. You can find out more from:
michelle at rhett.osgp.osc.edu
It's a pretty 'trick' piece of software once you get the hang of it.
Eric S. Boltz
102 Maryland Hall
Materials Science and Engineering
The Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD 21218
PLEASE RESPOND TO : eboltz at cndenext.mrs.jhu.edu
(eboltz at jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu)
(eboltz at jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu)
(eboltz at jhuvms.BITNET)
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From: nesel at elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov
Regarding your SGI 4D/340 & visualization software - get PV-WAVE.
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Kevin,
I'm using PV-WAVE from Precision Visuals and have found it able to do
everything that you mentioned you wanted. They have just come out with a
"Point and Click" version that is supposed to have a Mac like interface.
Sounds like you might want to check it out.
Precision Visuals, Inc.
6230 Lookout Road
Boulder, Colorado 80301
1-800-447-7147
Hope this helps,
Gary Langhorst -=> gjl at lanl.gov
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