Abstract :
Swell and Prime - two new programs that render animated, three-dimensional (3D) clouds - are the Purdue University Rendering and Perceptualization Lab´s latest innovations. At the lab, directed by David Ebert, researchers are developing software that brings scientific and medical data sets to life as 3D models, computer-generated illustrations, and photorealistic images. Crude as they might appear, simulators are invaluable to weather forecasters. But they haven´t replaced storm spotters: meteorologists trained in field observation still make predictions based on how clouds look in the sky. Prime´s developers hope that the software will enhance forecasting´s speed and accuracy by giving simulation data the look and feel of real-world weather conditions that meteorologists could instantly recognize.
Keywords :
clouds; computer animation; data visualisation; digital simulation; geophysics computing; realistic images; rendering (computer graphics); software packages; weather forecasting; 3D clouds; 3D models; Prime program; Purdue University; Rendering and Perceptualization Lab; Swell program; cloud animation software; computer-generated illustrations; field observation; medical data sets; meteorology; photorealistic images; real-world weather conditions; rendering; scientific data sets; simulation data; software development; storm spotting; weather forecasting; Animation; Biomedical imaging; Clouds; Computational modeling; Medical simulation; Meteorology; Predictive models; Rendering (computer graphics); Technological innovation; Weather forecasting;
