Vector Field Visualization

 

 


General Description of the project

 

[Purpose]

Since late of 80s, vector field visualization has become a hot research area in Computer Graphics. Vector field visualization can be widely used in the areas, such as physics, engineering, mathematics, etc, helping people to validate their models. Vector field visualization also can be used in other fields including education and art.

 

The project here is trying to implement an interactive tool for vector field visualization. The tool allows user to view an existing vector field in image and can provide some interfaces to user for modifying the features of the vector field, e.g. adding/moving/ deleting sources, sinks, or saddle points in the vector field through mouse operations.

 

This tool can be used as an experimental platform for the future research in vector field visualization or other relative fields.

 

[Goal]

1)     Show a steady image of a vector field

2)     Show the animation of the fluid flow of the vector field

3)     Allow user to add/move/ delete sources, sinks, or saddle points in the vector field through mouse operations

4)     Extract unknown singularities in the vector field

5)     Visualize the vector field in 3D surface (2.5D vector field visualization)

6)     Allow user changing the view of the 3D surface to see the features of the vector field

 

[Background]

1)     Algorithm of vector field visualization (IBVF, IBVFS, LIC, Spot noise, etc.)

2)     OpenGL knowledge, including transformation, texture mapping, image blending, animation, etc.

3)     Some knowledge about MFC API

 

 

 


Download

 

Source file

 

Project Report

 

 

 


Some images from the program

 

 

       

 

                 Vector field after adding 4 elements                                                                  Vector field after unknown singularities extracting

 

       

 

                More complex vector field                                                                                     After unknown singularities extracting

 

      

 

    The bunny with different kind of vector field mapping on its surface

 

 

  From the result images, we found the program still had some problem.

1)     It can not extract all the unknown singularities every time.

2)     The mapping of the vector field onto the 3D surface still not high quality

3)     How about the 3D volume visualization. We did not exploit it in this project

 

 

 


Link

 

[1] J.J. van Wijk. Ibfvs: examples and demo software, 2003.

[2] J.J. van Wijk. Ibfv: sample codes and demo software, 2002.