In Situ Pathtube Visualization with Explorable Images

Abstract

In situ processing is considered to be the most plausible data analysis and visualization solution for extreme-scale simulations. Explorable images were introduced as an in situ visualization method to enable interactive exploration of scalar field data without need for access to the massive original data and a powerful computer. We present a technique for in situ generation of explorable images for the visualization of vector field data without incurring additional inter-processor communication during simulation. We demonstrate this technique for pathtube generation on a variety of large datasets. The resulting pathtube visualization succinctly captures the flow structure over the full time span of the simulation. Users may explore the vector field structure through the generated images by changing the view angle, generating block cutaways, adjusting lighting, or changing transfer functions to recolor pathtubes or provide partial transparency.