Course Outline
Brown CS 237/ RISD Illus 5303
Interdisciplinary Scientific Visualization in VR
Goals for Class:
To develop a design methodology for scientific visualization in interactive 3D virtual reality which:
· serves the needs of the scientific users
· enables an intuitive grasp of the data;
· allows for comfortable and dynamic inhabitation, navigation, and interaction with the model;
· effectively displays inter-relation among the various elements and datasets visible in the model.
· makes the best possible use of the particular qualities of virtual reality.
To investigate the collaboration of artists and scientists:
· applicability of artistic insight to scientific visualization
· differences and commonalities of vocabulary and process
· establishing a refined skill set for Scientific Illustration in relation to digital technology, 3D and VR, specific data sets from scientific research and interpretive feedback from the scientific community.
SEGMENT ONE
Visualization Basics
9/12
CIT 477, then Cave
Introduction to Scientific Visualization, and the Cave
· Overview of the class.
· Overview of the scientific method.
· Overview of the history of the scientific image.
· Overview of digital visualization.
· Overview of virtual reality visualization.
Lecture: Basic design parameters of the cave.
Classroom visuals: Microworlds, Electron Micro, Fluid Images, Char Davies, Body without Organs.
Out: Assignment 1: Bring Your Own Medium To The Cave, – due 9/17.
Design an environment for the Cave with the theme “Inside the Body.” These will be reviewed for implementation in the Cave the following week.
9/17
CIT 477
Introduction to the Cave, Part Two
Due: Assignment 1
Nathan Cabot Hale, Abstraction
in Art and Nature, Chapter 3, Form Shape and
Gyorgy Kepes, Language of Vision, Plastic Organization, pp.15-28
Group Crit: “Bring Your Own Medium” work (not in the Cave),Visualization Designs
New Topics:
· Towards a design paradigm for the cave: sensory perception and comprehension
· Nature and Geometry
Lecture: Technical issues of designing for the cave.
Exporting digital 3D in VRML, limitations for textures, animation etc, tips on
reading scientific papers.
Out: Assignment 2: Bring
Your Own Medium To The Cave, Part Deux, due 9/19. Realize your “inside the body”
virtual world in the Cave.
9/19
Cave
Introduction to Fluid Flow
Due: Assignment 2
Group Crit: Bring your own medium to the Cave
New Topics:
· Features in flow and their meaning: velocity, vorticity, pressure.
· Steady, unsteady, 2D, 3D, and turbulent flow
· Issues in Graphing and Data Representation
Classroom visuals: Van Dyke, Schwenk, Icon Design, Graphs
Out: Assignment 3: Graphing Multiple Variables: due 9/24. Create an iconic visualization of multi-valued 2D flow data. Explore the effectiveness of icons and how they relate to one another
Design Principles
9/24
Cave
Principles of Design: Color
Due: Assignment 3
Group Crit: Multi-valued 2D flow visualization, displays in the Cave
Technical Topic: Scientific Crits
Classroom visuals: Bauhaus, Albers, Hornung, Seurat
World of Science Encyclopedia Volume 14, pp.119-128, Motion Of Fluids;
Theodor Scwhenk,Sensitive Chaos, pp. 37-64;
Stevens, Peter, Patterns in Nature. pp.53-71,
Ware, Colin, Information Visualization: Perception for Design
--Experimental Semiotics Based on Perception pp. 10-22
--Types of Data pp. 28.
Assignment 4: Intro to Color Design: due 10/1: figure and ground relationships in color.
9/26
Cave
Design Principles II: Process and Communication
Benjamin Martinez and Jacqueline Block, Perception Design and Practice,
Intro.; Chap. 2 Simplicity; Chap. 3 Shape; Chap. 4 Dynamism (pp 1-46)
Figure and Ground and depth: pp. 47-64
Paul Klee: The Thinking Eye: Notebooks pp. 1-67
Group Crit: Color Studies
Class demo: Color in the Cave
Topics:
· Sketch Techniques. Critique and Revision.
· Design Vocabulary, Visual Metaphor and Narrative. Principles of perceptual relativity. The qualities and dimensions of visual objects and their possible relationships to Info Visualization.
Classroom visuals: Design Principles: Gestalt Form,
Brancusi, , Pollock, natural metaphor.
Technical Topic: Moving on to 3D (and 4D) Flow
Part One: Written analysis of shape/form transformation from provided samples.
Part Two: Design and render an “info-composition” storyboard showing 4 states (frames) of transformation over time of the following variables:
Velocity (speed and direction)
interior pressure vorticity
wall pressure shear
wall residence time
Use changes of color, shape, form & spatial relationships to convey the variations in the data on a coded and/or intuitive level using formal metaphor and implied narrative.
10/1
CIT 477
Layering, Multi-values and Transparency
Due: Assignment 4
Group Crit: Metaphorical Form
Topics:
· Qualities of 3D digital
· Geon Design, Depth Cues
· Transparency, Texturing, Gradients
· Spatial Relationships in Data Visualization
Classroom Visuals; Layered Design, Designing in 3D, Moholy Nagy, Porter
Technical Topic: Velocity and Pressure applications: arterial flow and flying bats
10/3
Plasticity of Visual Organization
Focusing on an Approach pp. 6-13 Images: pp. 115, 127,129,130,147, 154, 156, 167, 165
Also: vortex cores, Volume Rendering
Group Crit: 3D Digital Models
New Topics:
· The image or model as an integrated entity or visual system paralleling the inter-relation of a living organism or organic system.
· Spatial projection systems.
· Morphology of surfaces.
· Abstraction of the third dimension.
· Suggestion of movement.
Technical Topic: evaluating visualization methods
Design Demo: working with physical materials.
Classroom Visuals: Spiral forms in art and nature., Chinese Landscape; Michelangelo, Naum Gabo, Calder.
Assignment 5: Metaphorical Form Due 10/8.
SEGMENT THREE
Navigation and Interaction
10/8
The Ecology of Visual Perception:
Due: Assignment 5
Benjamin Martinez and Jacaueline Block, Perception Design And Practice
Chapter 6: Space And Flatness
Chapter 7: Three Dimensions in Two
Styles emphasizing three-dimensional composition. pp. 225-239
Station Point Options, pp. 116-156
Group Crit: 3D physical models
New Topics:
· Principles of 3D and 4D organization
· Issues in Interface Design
· Surfaces, gradients, affordances and the spatial orientation of the viewer
· Size and scale
Technical Topic: Designing surfaces and tools for the Cave: opportunities and limitations
Clasroom Visuals: The human experience of space and surface in art.
Assignment 6: 3D Digital Model Due 10/10. Build a digital 3D environment in cinema 4D, Maya or other program showing a frame of flow narrative, possibly based on the designs completed for the last assignment. All values must be simultaneously visible and relations should be apparent. Export three versions in VRML for Cave.
10/10
Causality and Narrative Interconnection Of Data.
Due: Assignment 6
Wake, Warren, Design Paradigms: Introduction; Chapter 10, Multiple Object relations, Chapter 14: Putting Paradigms to Work
Ware, Colin, Information Visualization: Perception for Design, Gibson’s Affordance Theory (pp. 22-25) ; Interacting with Visulaizations, (pp. 335-353)
Toolsmithing Papers, Tangible Bits, Metadesk.
Group Crit: Cave interaction formats
New Topics:
· Selection of Data subsets. Perception of subset inter-relation.
· Perception of Event.
· Structuring sequential narrative
Classroom Visuals: Paper Dreams, I am a Camera, Comix, sequential scientific photos ( feritlization, virus attack etc.)
Assignment 7: 3D models of arterial flow in clay, acetate, wire etc. Due 10/15.
10/15
Inhabitation and Exploration
Due: Assignment 7
Paul Vitz, and Arnold Glimcher, Modern Art and Modern Science, Chapter 5: Space and Time, pp.108-141
Bryan Konietzko, , Storyboarding
Scott McCloud , Understanding Comics: Chapter 3, Blood in the Gutter; Chapter 4, Timeframes.
Group Crit : Storyboards and Prototypes
New Topics:
· Usability of Virtual Reality. Avoidance of “ simulator sickness”
· Narrative Pathways and intuitive connections.
· The Human environment
Classroom visuals:
Organs; Artery Movie; Koyanisquaatsi?
Assignment 8 : Interaction Design -- due 10/17. Design a basic format and tool set for the cave which allows for effective navigation, perception of spatial relationships, and intuitive interaction.
10/17
Due: Assignment 8
Assignment 9: 3D Visualization Storyboards and Prototypes -- due 10/22. Storyboard derived from data narrating the occurrence of an anomalous event in arterial flow. Design two or three frames in 3D digital. Show the use of one or more selection tools to examine data subsets. Develop a storyboard for a user addressing a flow problem in the cave.
Char Davies Articles
J.J Gibson, Constancy and Invariance in Perception, From That Nature and Art of Motion ed. By G. Kepes.
Donald Appleyard, Motion, Sequence and the City, From That Nature and Art of Motion ed. By G. Kepes (N 7443.K4)
SEGMENT
FOUR
Projects
Design Process
Topics in-depth
10/22
Due: Assignment 9
Assignment 10: Build Artery Application -- part 1 due 10/24, part 2 due 10/29. In Part one, build and run the current artery application. For part two, make visual and interaction change to the application and rebuild and rerun it.
Note: project things are due most classes after this point. Check that you’re ready with project stuff due for next class!
10/24 - Lubrano
Due: Assignment 10 - part 1
Project: hand in list of 5-7 project proposal
topics. Think broadly, don’t develop too
much, and refer to the project handout for
more details. Give each of your
proposed topics a score based on the project criteria. Read “Immersive Virtual Reality for Scientific
Visualization: A Progress Report” for some ideas on open research questions in this area.
Bioengineer and
artery expert Peter Richardson will visit for first half-hour of class, so
we’ll try to start right at 10.
10/29 - Cave
Project: Hand in 3 proposal concepts via e-mail by Monday morning. 1-2 paragraphs each with your own score. We’ll put the ideas on the web Monday. Rescore them yourself, and look through the others on Monday to see who you might want to collude with. Address all of the project goals in your development. Refer to the project handout. In class we will choose partners for final projects.
10/31 - ISB 302
Project: Bring written
outline of project proposal. This should
incorporate all elements of your project, including the cohesive theme, visual
development, interaction development, etc. There will be a group crit of each
project with respect to the design goals in the project handout. You will need to indicate intermediate
results as milestones every Tuesday (11/12, 11/19, 11/26, 12/3). Enumerate them in your sketch to show a
sequence of what you will get done.
Fritz will comment on design issues; David and Dan will comment on
coding timing questions on 11/5.
Writing and Rhetoric Fellows: Arrange to meet with one of the writing and rhetoric fellows (Morriah_Horani@brown.edu and Claire_Grace@brown.edu) on Thursday or
Friday and again on Monday. At the first
meeting, you should determine how to structure your written project proposal
and also structure the 5-7 minute presentation you will give on Tuesday. On Monday you should do a complete practice
presentation with the fellow. Make sure
that the presentation has a solid message and emphasizes what’s important and
interesting about your project. Use
visuals effectively (any medium is fine).
This is a very short presentation time!
Incorporate suggestions from the fellows!
11/5 - Lubrano
Guest lecture, George Lauder from MIT will talk about swimming fish and
flow issues.
Written Project Proposal: 2-5 pages with descriptions and sketches of your project.
Project Presentations:
5 minute presentation of what’s cool in each project
STILL DRAFT AFTER THIS POINT
Read two other papers about open questions in VR and Scientific Visualization.
Read Brooks walking > flying siggraph
Project: Choose one project topic, meet with Rhetoric Fellow to discuss project proposal structure and content and presentation organization, hand in 1-paragraph project executive summary on 10/31
Project: develop
proposal outline, hand in revised outline on 11/5
Due: project proposal outlines
Project: hand in draft project proposal/plan on 10/24
Project: develop outline for 5 minute project presentation, review presentation outline with Rhetoric Fellow, prepare talk, and present practice talk to Rhetoric Fellow (at least 1 day after outline review)
Due: project proposal drafts
· Project Proposal Presentations
Project: work on milestones
10/31
· Visualization conference in Boston, possible field trip?
· Project proposal drafts returned -- in-class Rhetoric Fellow meetings
Project: meet with Rhetoric Fellow for writing feedback, revised final project proposals due 11/5
11/5
Due: revised final project proposals
Project: interim project reports due 11/7
11/7
· Interim project report -- milestones, images, demos, crit
11/12
11/14
11/19
Project: interim project reports due 11/7
11/21
· Interim project report -- milestones, images, demos, crit
11/26
Project: prepare and discuss project report and presentation organization with Rhetoric Fellow
12/3
Project: prepare and review project report and presentation outlines with Rhetoric Fellow
12/5
Due: project report outlines
Project: prepare and practice
12/10
·
Final project presentations
Due: draft project reports
Final project reports due before end of semester.
1. Sketch, Critique, Revision
2. Models for Collaboration: Division of Tasks; Rotating Groups; Democratic Revision; Multi-Group Design Mutation; Testing and Implementation.
3. Interpreting and Responding to Expert Feedback
Assignment: revised final project proposals and presentations, due 10/24 – presentation preparation with Rhetoric Fellow is required.
Ø Innovation and Constraint
Ø Cave Particulars: render budget, color gamut, spatial structure
Ø Variables in the Scientific Problem, Origin of Data sets, Possible goals for interpretation of the model
Visiting Speakers from Design and Science
1. Topics in Fluid Mechanics
2. Topics in Arterial Medicine
3. Topics in Software/ Hardware Design for the Cave
4. Current State-of-the-Art in the Scientific Visualization Literature