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Envision Center ITaP is transforming campus research computing support from a general-purpose computing center into an organization that partners with research groups by applying computing expertise. The Rosen Center for Advanced Computing (RCAC) has expanded its high-performance and data-intensive computing resources, the campus infrastructure has been upgraded, collaboration is facilitated by an Access Grid node, |
| and the Envision Center for Data Perceptualization is a major facility for perceptualization research and for applications' visualization needs. Supporting research, education and outreach campus-wide, the facility leverages sponsored research with equipment and research that fashions new paradigms for perceptualization and closes infrastructure gaps to exploit emerging technology. Collaboration is a core value in ITaP's strategic plan, and the programs of the Envision Center are manifestations of that value.
One such collaborative effort is the “Interactive 3D Visualization of Kinetic Sculpture” project initiated by Professor Nicoletta Adamo-Villani of the Computer Graphics Technology Department of Purdue University and Dr. Laura Arns of the Envision Center at Purdue University . The goal of this project is development of an interactive visualization of a sculpture to be placed on the east side of the College of Technology building on Purdue University West Lafayette campus. The 40 foot tall sculpture represents a torch with three rotating flames. The motion of the flames is initiated by the rotation of a metal disc at the base of the sculpture. |
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| Traditionally, prior to the realization of the final sculpture, the sculptor builds a model to scale, which helps the artist visualize the form and three dimensionality of the object, but doesn't provide any visual feedback on how the sculpture will fit within the surrounding environment. Our visualization allows the sculptor to view and interact with a full scale model, placed in its surrounding environment. The ability to see the object from different points of view and in relation to the other campus buildings has provided the artist with the unique opportunity of truly testing the expressiveness of the art within the environment in which it will reside. Because proper scale of the sculpture in comparison to the surrounding buildings was so important to the visualization of this project, satellite photos were used and the 3D models were built on top of this overhead reference, using Discrete's 3ds Max. Textures and colors were captured from digital photos of the buildings and were manipulated to maximize the possibility for repetition and reuse. |  |
| Each model was exported separately into the OpenSceneGraph format for use with VRJuggler , to display the virtual environment in immersive devices such as the Purdue Envision Center FLEX. A pair of Fakespace Labs' pinch gloves, along with a 6 degrees-of-freedom tracker by Intersense allows the user to interact directly with the application by detecting when the user makes gestures that can affect the virtual sculpture, such as “grabbing” the sculpture and performing constrained rotations of the metal disc. | |