Virtual Reality Design for Science

CLASS CALENDAR

home                class description                     calendar                     images                 links

previous years:   2002   2004

Brown          Brown CS          RISD          RISD Illustration          Brown CS Visualization

Topic
 Sections
 Assignment
Wed 9/13      CIT #368
Introduction to Scientific Visualization and the Cave
  • the class
  • the scientific method
  • tips on reading scientific papers
  • the history of the scientific image
  • digital visualization
  • virtual reality visualization
  • animal locomotion
  • bats
visuals:
 microworlds, electron micro, fluid images, Char Davies, body without organs, bat wings
readings:
 none
slides:
HW#1 OUT
Natural Force and Form
Thu 9/14      CAVE: 180 George St.
6pm-8pm
HELP SESSION:
Using the CAVE
  • access to the CAVE
  • working at the CAVE
  • CAVE calendar
  • Your account
  • Devices & Tracking
  • CavePainting introduction
HELP SESSION: Using the CAVE
 HELP SESSION:

Introduction to
the Cave

and

CavePainting Manual
back to top

Mon 9/18       CIT #368
Introduction to the Cave, part II
  • design paradigm for the cave: sensory perception and comprehension
  • limitations of textures, animations, etc.
  • nature and geometry
  • the computer scientists as a toolsmith
  • scientific questions at different levels
  • hypothesis generation
visuals:
readings:
  • Read Form, Shape and Mass Chapter 3., pp 57-85, from Abstraction in Art and Nature by Nathan Cabot Hale. Look at the images.
  • Read Sensitive Chaos by Schwenk.
  • Read Patterns in Nature by Peter Stevens for topics relevant to your assignment hypothesis. Also, skim the full book, which is in the Cave room (please, the book should not leave that room.)
slides:

Wed 9/20      CIT #368
The Science behind Bat Flight
and
Design Principles: Process and Communication
  • sketch techniques, critique, and revision
  • design vocabulary, visual metaphor, and narrative
  • principles of perceptual relativity
  • qualities and dimensions of visual objects
group crit:
 Force and Form: Design and 2' presentations
visuals:
 Gestalt Form, Brancusi, Pollock, natural metaphor
readings:
  • Read original Cave paper. Spend about 15-30 minutes on it. This is for historical context about the Cave and to give a feel for some of the trade-offs of a Cave compared to other kinds of virtual reality environments.  Concentrate on sections 1.1, 1.2, 6, and 7. Section 3 mentions some of the physical design issues that might be interesting. This paper is 13 years old!, so some parts may seem out of date.
slides:
HW#1 PART B IN
back to top

Mon 9/25      CIT #368
visuals:
readings:
slides:

Wed 9/27       CAVE: 180 George St.
group crit:
 Force and Form: Cave designs
visuals:
readings:
Assignment 2 Memo
Block and Martinez Reading
Hornung Reading
Tufte Reading
Zwimpfer Reading
Loose Artistic Textures for Vis
slides:
Texture Gallery
Gradients
HW#1 PART C IN
--------------------------------
HW#2 OUT
Gradients and 2D Visualization of Multiple Variables
back to top

Topic
 Sections
 Assignment
Mon 10/2      CIT #368
group crit:
 Gradient designs
visuals:
readings:
slides:
HW#2 PART A IN
Wed 10/4      CIT #368
visuals:
readings:
Painting-Inspired 2D Vis
Comparing 2D Vector Field Vis
slides:

back to top

Mon 10/9      CIT #368
group crit:
 2D fluid flow visualization designs
visuals:
readings:
slides:
HW#2 PART B IN
Wed 10/11      CIT #368
3D Fluid Flow (Dave Willis)
visuals:
 3D Fluid FLow, aerodynamics, windtunnel, physical models
readings:
 Interrante and Grosch, Visualizing 3D Flow
Keller, P. and Keller, M. Visual Cues: Practical Data Visualization
slides:
 Fritz's 3D flow slides
Fritz's flight slides
Dave Willis's aerodynamics slides
HW#3 OUT
3D Visualization of Multiple Variables
back to top

Mon 10/16     CIT #368
group crit:
 3D flow designs
visuals:
readings:
slides:
HW#3 PART A IN
Wed 10/18     CIT #368
Bat Anatomy
visuals:
 Bat Anatomy
readings:
 Bats: A natural history,  by James Smith and John Hill, 1992 (pdf)
slides:
 Sharon's slides on bat anatomy (pdf)

back to top

Mon 10/23
        TRIP TO SEE THE BATS!!
TRIP TO SEE THE BATS!! TRIP TO SEE THE BATS!!
Wed 10/25       CAVE: 180 George St.
group crit:
 3D flow examples
visuals:
 Bat flight videos: smoke, wind tunnel, turn.
readings:
slides:
HW#3 PART B IN
--------------------------------
HW#4 OUT
Wing Anatomy and Kinematics
back to top

Mon 10/30     CAVE: 180 George St.
group crit:
 More 3D flow examples (Asgn. #3B)
visuals:
readings:
slides:

Topic
 Sections
 Assignment
Wed 11/1     CIT #368
group crit:
 Wing Structure Illustration
visuals:
readings:
slides:
HW#4 PART A IN
back to top

Mon 11/6       CAVE: 180 George St.
group crit:
 Wing Stroke Sequence
visuals:
readings:
slides:
HW#4 PART B IN
Wed 11/8    CIT #368
visuals:
 Menus/Interface from previous students, Storyboard design.
readings:
 3DUser Interfaces by Doug A. Bowman, Ernst Kruijff, Joseph LaViola,Jr. & Ivan Poupyrev. AT THE CAVE.
Three-dimensional menus: A survey and taxonomy, by Raimund Dachselt and Anett Hübner
Browse through Bill Buxton's page and www.3d-components.org
slides:
HW#5 OUT
Interactivity and Selection
back to top

Mon 11/13    CIT #368
group crit:
 Story boards
visuals:
readings:
slides:
HW#5 PART A IN
Wed 11/15    CIT #368
visuals:
readings:
slides:

back to top

Mon 11/20       CAVE: 180 George St.
group crit:
visuals:
readings:
slides:
HW#5 PART B IN
Wed 11/22
        NO CLASS!! THANKSGIVING!!
NO CLASS!! THANKSGIVING!! NO CLASS!! THANKSGIVING!!
back to top

Mon 11/27    CIT #368
visuals:
readings:
slides:
HW#6 OUT
  Final Project
Wed 11/29    CIT #368
group crit:
visuals:
readings:
slides:
Final Projects'
 PLANS IN
back to top

Topic
 Sections
 Assignment
Mon 12/4    CIT #368
visuals:
readings:
slides:
Project Milestone #1
Wed 12/6      ROOM #106: 180 George St.
visuals:
readings:
slides:
Project Milestone #2
back to top

Wed 12/11    CIT #368
Class Summary

 Class Review Forms to be filled out. Project Milestone #3
Wed 12/13

Final Project Presentations

back to top