January 17, 2001 DAS – Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Using an Interactive Java-Based Environment to Facilitate

Visualization Comprehension

Daniel Bramer, Tim Scheitlin, Rajul Pandya, Ryan Deardorff, Dean Elliott, Ken Hay, Mary

Marlino, Don Middleton, Mohan Ramamurthy, Marianne Weingroff, and Robert Wilhelmson

Visual Geophysical Exploration EnvironmentVGEE

Simpler Visualization EnvironmentGuidance for Key ConceptsIsolate Processes Within Complex Systems

Java / GDV / VisAD

Java 1.3 (application)Easy exchange between VGEE components

Underlying 3D Viz. EnvironmentLeveraged from GDV and VisAD

GDV – 3D Gridded Data Viewer (UNIDATA)VisAD – Java Visualization Component Library (SSEC

/ UNIDATA / NCSA / Aus. Bureau of Meteorology

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Visualization StateTrack/update/change parameters

Launch new viz tools

Probe WindowDisplays specific isolated information from the overall visualization

Main DisplayDisplays visualization information

Interactive

Versatile

Uses canned and user supplied datasets

VGEE GUI

Learner FriendlyExplore and Interact

in 3-DSame tools as

researchers, but set for survey level

Viz: El Nino avg. DJF vertical wind speed cross-section and isosurface

Concept Models / Probes

Concept ModelsStand-AloneTeach basic principles in a user controlled

environmentProbes

Isolate processes form the overall systemRelate learned concepts to the “real” world

Concept Models

TemperatureCondensationOcean EvaporationDry AdiabaticMoist AdiabaticCustom Moist AdiabaticEkman Wind BalanceCoriolis Force

Probes

Same asConcept Models

Integrate with Dataset(s)

Viz: Height (plan) Temperature (cross-section) with jet (isosurface)

Web site: www.dlese.org/vgee

Learner GuidesFocused Activities

Teacher GuidesGuidance

Work SubmissionEncyclopedia

Implementation

West Chester UniversitySpring 2002

University of Illinois Summer / Fall 2002

Acknowledgements

This project is funded by the National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education Grant #DUE-9972491.

Websitehttp://www.dlese.org/vgee