Newsgroups: comp.graphics.data-explorer,comp.graphics.visualization,comp.parallel From: dawood@watson.ibm.com (David Wood) Subject: DX 2.1 Press release Keywords: DX, visualization,graphics,parallel Organization: IBM Date: Mon, 25 Jul 1994 12:08:19 GMT Message-ID: IBM RELEASES NEW VERSIONS OF VISUALIZATION DATA EXPLORER SOFTWARE YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y., July 12 . . . IBM has announced two new versions of its visualization software, Visualization Data Explorer* Version 2.1 and Visualization Data Explorer* for Symmetrical Multiprocessing (SMP) Version 2.1. Both versions will be demonstrated at the IBM Booth #918 at Siggraph in Orlando, FL. from July 26-28. Visualization Data Explorer is a visualization application and toolkit that allows scientists, engineers and analysts to visualize and analyze large amounts of complex and multi-variate data, independent of discipline. "Users can gain greater insight into data in areas such as semiconductors, oil and gas exploration, chemistry, biology, computational fluid dynamics, geographic information systems, environmental modeling, earth and space sciences, as well as many other commercial and technical applications," says Channing Verbeck, IBM Research Division manager of development for Visualization Data Explorer. "The new features and enhancements to Visualization Data Explorer expand the platforms on which it runs, make it easier to learn and use, and offer parallel performance on symmetrical multiprocessing systems with Visualization Data Explorer for SMP Version 2.1." "VISUALIZATION DATA EXPLORER IS EASY FOR THE 'NOVICE' TO LEARN, YET POWERFUL ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE 'EXPERT' TO CONSTRUCT COMPLEX VISUAL MODELS...WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP A LOCAL SET OF RELATIVELY SIMPLE MACROS ORIENTED SPECIFICALLY TO THE NEEDS OF OUR USERS, PRIMARILY IN NATURAL RESOURCE APPLICATIONS." --RAY FORD, COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT, UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA Announcement Details -------------------- Visualization Data Explorer Version 2.1 provides support for the Digital Equipment Corporation 3000 AXP* series of workstations under OSF/1* Version 2. It also runs on Sun Solaris** Version 2.3 from Sun Microsystems. With this expansion of platforms, Visualization Data Explorer now runs on workstations from most leading manufacturers, including Digital, Data General, Hewlett-Packard, Silicon Graphics and Sun, in addition to IBM. Many other enhancements to Visualization Data Explorer make the software easier to learn and use, while expediting the importing of data. These include new on-line tutorials that help users to learn the basic techniques needed to visualize and analyze their data; an improved Data Prompter, a data import application that now asks questions about the data and brings up the appropriate dialogs to guide users through the data import process; and improvements to the General Array import facilities that enable users to create filters or templates. The Common Data Format (CDF) is now directly supported by Visualization Data Explorer's import module. This adds to the number of supported public domain interfaces, including the Network Common Data Format (netCDF), Hierarchical Data Format-Scientific Data Set (HDF-SDS) and Visualization Data Explorer native format (DX). This is in addition to the ability to import image formats, such as rgb and TIFF, and a number of publicly contributed data format filters. Visualization Data Explorer for SMP Version 2.1 extends the product's capabilities by allowing Visualization Data Explorer modules to execute in parallel on all the available processors of a symmetric multiprocessor. Now available for the Sun SPARCstation*10 under Solaris** 2.3 and for the Silicon Graphics Onyx* under IRIX* 5.2, Visualization Data Explorer for SMP Version 2.1 makes it possible to handle larger data sets and improve interactive performance through parallel processing. With these enhancements, Visualization Data Explorer now runs on UNIX* systems from most leading manufacturers, in parallel on finer-grain shared memory multi-processors, and parallel distributed on networks, workstation clusters and on distributed memory systems. This enables the user to utilize more fully the resources of their workgroups to gain insights not previously attainable. Also being announced is Visualization Data Explorer support of additional graphics hardware under OpenGL*, which includes accelerators available for Digital Alpha, the new IBM POWER GXT1000* and the Evans and Sutherland Freedom series* for IBM RISC System/6000*. The price for Visualization Data Explorer in the U.S. starts at $5,900. Version 2.1 and SMP Version 2.1 are scheduled for shipment on July 22, 1994. Availability outside the U.S. is planned for August 1994. "SCIENTIFIC VISUALIZATION ALLOWS FOR A TREMENDOUS INCREASE IN THE EFFICIENCY OF MODEL DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING IN OUR WORK, WHICH IS ADDRESSING THE INTERRELATIONSHIP OF OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE IN FORECASTING AND GLOBAL CLIMATE PROBLEMS. VISUALIZATION DATA EXPLORER IS AN IDEAL TOOL -- FLEXIBLE AND EASY TO USE. WE HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED WITH BOTH THE PRODUCT AND THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM IBM." -- JOHN M. MORRISON, FACILITY FOR OCEAN/ATMOSPHERE MODELING AND VISUALIZATION, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY Technical Background -------------------- Visualization Data Explorer provides a robust set of tools within a single environment that gives users the ability to apply advanced visualization and analysis techniques to their data. The data come from areas such as modeling, simulations, observations, experiments or other sources. The software runs as a client-server application where all tasks are managed as a single UNIX process on each workstation, eliminating the overhead of having each module as a separate process. Visualization Data Explorer is built on a foundation of a flexible self describing data model that provides uniform access and services to all the data independent of type or structure. Visualization Data Explorer employs a visual programming and "data-flow" approach to visualization and analysis. Data-flow is a way of decomposing data processing tasks into convenient, self-contained, data-oriented steps called "modules" that allow flexibility in how and when they can be used. Modules are connected together in a graphical user interface to create a visualization scenario best suited to the specific requirements of the user. "WE USE VISUALIZATION DATA EXPLORER FOR 3D VISUALIZATION AND REGISTRATION OF IMAGES FROM DIFFERENT IMAGE SOURCES, PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CANCER. IT OFFERS A LARGE NUMBER OF FUNCTIONAL MODULES...IT IS EASY TO CONSTRUCT AND INCORPORATE BOTH NEW MODULES AND NEW MACROS...THE 'FILE SELECTION' MODULE ALLOWS THE IMAGES TO BE ORGANIZED INTO EASILY ACCESSIBLE CATEGORIES...VISUAL EDITOR ALLOWS THE USER TO FOCUS ON IMAGES TO BE PROCESSED." -- MARILYN E. NOZ, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER * Indicates a trademark of the respective company. ** Indicates a registered trademark of the respective company. For more information contact : Keith Sams 1503 LBJ Frwy Dallas TX 75234, 214-406-7296, ksams@vnet.ibm.com Carl Spongberg (Eastern US) 3190 Fairview Park Dr., MD-8C17, Falls Church, VA 22042, 703-205-5630, 703-205-5691 (fax), carls@vnet.ibm.com -- ============================================================================== David Wood dawood@watson.ibm.com IBM - TJ Watson Research Center 914-784-5123 Hawthorne NY Brain. Brain. What is brain? -- Kara the Eymorg, "Spock's Brain," stardate 5432.3. ==============================================================================