ThreeDView was developed primarily as a component of the Science Activity Planner (SAP) software, wherein it is to be used to display annotated images of terrain acquired by exploratory robots on Mars and possibly other remote planets. The images can be generated from sets of multiple-texture image data in the Visible Scalable Terrain (ViSTa) format, which was described in "Format for Interchange and Display of 3D Terrain Data" (NPO-30600) NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 28, No. 12 (December 2004), page 25. In ThreeDView, terrain data can be loaded rapidly, the geometric level of detail and texture resolution can be selected, false colors can be used to represent scientific data mapped onto terrain, and the user can select among navigation modes. ThreeDView consists largely of modular Java software components that can easily be reused and extended to produce new high-performance, application-specific software systems for displaying images of three-dimensional real-world scenes.
This program was written by Marsette Vona, Mark Powell, Paul Backes, Jeffrey Norris, and Robert Steinke of Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For further information, access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free on-line at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Software category.
This software is available for commercial licensing. Please contact Don Hart of the California Institute of Technology at (818) 393-3425. Refer to NPO-30675.
This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
Interactive Display of Scenes With Annotations
(reference NPO-30675) is currently available for download from the TSP library.
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Overview
The document is a technical support package for "Interactive Display of Scenes With Annotations" (NPO-30675), developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It focuses on the ThreeDView software, which provides high-performance interactive visualization of 3D terrain data representing real-world scenes. This software is primarily a component of the Science Activity Planner (SAP) and is designed to visualize terrain data in ViSTa format along with associated annotation data.
ThreeDView is built on modular Java software components, allowing for reusability and extensibility in creating application-specific 3D visualization systems. It is capable of displaying large textured terrain datasets with interactive performance on standard desktop hardware, utilizing features like geometric Level-Of-Detail (LOD) and texture resolution switching to optimize fidelity while minimizing resource usage. The software has been tested successfully in demonstrations for science customers and has undergone multiple releases to enhance its features.
The document outlines the hardware requirements for running ThreeDView, which include a 1.7 GHz desktop PC with a minimum of 1GB RAM, two 21" monitors, and a 60GB hard drive. It also specifies the software's maturity status and lists the third-party programs included, such as Java version 1.4, Java3D version 1.3, and Java Advanced Imaging version 1.1.1.
ThreeDView addresses several challenges, including the need for accurate spatial data display, maintaining interactive performance while handling high-resolution data, and providing a user-friendly interface. It is designed to run on multiple platforms, including Linux, Windows 2000, and Solaris.
The software has garnered interest from various organizations, including the Mars Exploration Rover Ground Data Systems, Mission Operations Systems, and the Athena Science Team, indicating its relevance in scientific and public outreach efforts. The document also highlights the potential for ThreeDView's modular components to be adapted for other commercial applications in the market.
In summary, the document serves as a comprehensive overview of the ThreeDView software, detailing its capabilities, performance, hardware and software requirements, and potential applications in scientific visualization and beyond.
