From diderot@hitl.washington.edu Fri Jan 20 11:40:08 1995 Return-Path: Received: from mx5.u.washington.edu by stein2.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW94.10/UW-NDC Revision: 2.32 ) id AA06066; Fri, 20 Jan 95 11:40:08 -0800 Received: from hitl-new.hitl.washington.edu by mx5.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW94.10/UW-NDC Revision: 2.31 ) id AA03028; Fri, 20 Jan 95 11:40:08 -0800 Received: by hitl.hitl.washington.edu; id AA18390; Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:36:14 -0800 Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:36:14 -0800 X-Sender: diderot@hitl.washington.edu Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: scivw@hitl.washington.edu From: moreweb@newsmaster.tgc.com (by way of diderot@hitl.washington.edu (Toni Emerson)) (by way of diderot@hitl.washington.edu (Toni Emerson)) Subject: 20135 SDSC's Tecate System Prototype Adds Third Dimension To WWW WEBster Status: OR SDSC's Tecate System Prototype Adds Third Dimension To WWW WEBster by Dianna Husum, managing editor Jan. 10, 1995 ============================================================================ San Diego, Calif. -- Take off those goofy glasses. San Diego Supercomputer Center has developed a prototype system that allows researchers to view the World Wide Web and other information sysems in 3-D. Called Tecate, the prototype replaces existing two-dimensional viewing environments, like those supported by Mosaic, with a three-dimensional virtual environment in which researchers can manipulate complex scientific data. "Tecate was developed to provide information systems to aid earth scientists studying global change through the Project Sequoia 2000 program," Len Wanger, SDSC staff researcher and Tecate developer said. "This research is characterized by huge complex data sets such as large satellite images. The scientists needed help browsing for their data. The program needed to be able to deal with a variety of information systems -- the Web of course being the largest, then databases and real-time simulation systems. It also had to be able to present all this data in 3-D graphics and virtual reality in the most intelligent way possible." The ability to interact with complex data in three-dimensional space is essential for many scientific applications, explained SDSC Spokeswoman Ann Redelfs. A chemist, for example may want to view a molecule's three- dimensional structure and rotate it on the computer screen, selecting and probing different areas. "Tecate's ability to view Web data in a virtual environment allows for more intuitive modes of navigation," Redelfs said. "For example, the researcher can create three-dimensional informational landscapes that indicate the hierarchy or geographic location of the data being accessed." Wanger sees the Tecate technology enhancing browsers of the future. "Mosaic has two main problems," he explained. "The biggest is navigation. You take a random path and eventually get to something, but then you can't find it again unless you remember to save the URL. With Tecate you are able to fly in an environment. You also have the option of querying databases. "The second problem is a little more subtle. Mosaic only handles text and GIF. It needs a second program to view other forms of data. This means there is a separate program with a different interface separating you from the application. You have to back up to move forward. With Tecate's integration, you start to look straight within the program, and there are more opportunities for richness." Wanger was unable to comment on when or if Tecate would be available to the public. "At this point it is a research prototype of the program and we are playing with it to see how it performs," he said. Project Sequoia 2000, funded by Digital Equipment Corporation, is a collaboration of earth and computer scientists to develop information systems to study global climate change. Detailed information on Project Sequoia 2000 can be found at . ************************************************************************* Copyright 1995 Tabor Griffin Communications. To receive free trial of WEBster every other Tuesday at no charge, send e-mail (no text needed) to "4free@webster.tgc.com".