Avizo (software)
Encyclopedia
Avizo is a general-purpose commercial software application for scientific and industrial data visualization
and analysis.
Avizo is developed by VSG - Visualization Sciences Group and was originally designed and developed by the Visualization and Data Analysis Group at Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB) under the name Amira. Avizo was commercially released in November 2007.
and computation on 3D data sets.
The Avizo interface is modelled on the visual programming. Users manipulate data and module components, organized in an interactive graph representation (called Pool), or in a Tree view
. Data and modules can be interactively connected together, and controlled with several parameters, creating a visual processing network whose output is displayed in a 3D viewer.
With this interface, complex data can be interactively explored and analyzed by applying a controlled sequence of computation and display processes resulting into a meaningful visual representation and associated derived data.
It is a versatile and customizable visualization tool used in various fields:
2D / 3D Data Visualization:
Image Processing:
3D Models Reconstruction:
Quantification and analysis:
3D image-based meshing
for CFD and FEA:
Presentation, Automation:
Avizo is based on Open Inventor
by VSG 3D Graphics
SDK.
Data visualization
Data visualization is the study of the visual representation of data, meaning "information that has been abstracted in some schematic form, including attributes or variables for the units of information"....
and analysis.
Avizo is developed by VSG - Visualization Sciences Group and was originally designed and developed by the Visualization and Data Analysis Group at Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB) under the name Amira. Avizo was commercially released in November 2007.
Overview
Avizo is a software application which enables users to perform interactive visualizationInteractive visualization
Interactive visualization is a branch of graphic visualization in computer science that involves studying how humans interact with computers to create graphic illustrations of information and how this process can be made more efficient....
and computation on 3D data sets.
The Avizo interface is modelled on the visual programming. Users manipulate data and module components, organized in an interactive graph representation (called Pool), or in a Tree view
Tree view
A tree view or an outline view is a graphical user interface element that presents a hierarchical view of information. Each item can have a number of subitems...
. Data and modules can be interactively connected together, and controlled with several parameters, creating a visual processing network whose output is displayed in a 3D viewer.
With this interface, complex data can be interactively explored and analyzed by applying a controlled sequence of computation and display processes resulting into a meaningful visual representation and associated derived data.
Applications
Avizo has been designed to support different types of applications and workflows.It is a versatile and customizable visualization tool used in various fields:
- Scientific visualizationScientific visualizationScientific visualization is an interdisciplinary branch of science according to Friendly "primarily concerned with the visualization of three-dimensional phenomena , where the emphasis is on realistic renderings of volumes, surfaces, illumination sources, and so forth, perhaps...
, physics, chemistry - Materials Science and researchMaterials scienceMaterials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates...
, , tomographyTomographyTomography refers to imaging by sections or sectioning, through the use of any kind of penetrating wave. A device used in tomography is called a tomograph, while the image produced is a tomogram. The method is used in radiology, archaeology, biology, geophysics, oceanography, materials science,...
and microscopyMicroscopyMicroscopy is the technical field of using microscopes to view samples and objects that cannot be seen with the unaided eye... - Food technologyFood technologyFood technology, is a branch of food science which deals with the actual production processes to make foods.-Early history of food technology:...
- Porous media analysisPorous mediumA porous medium is a material containing pores . The skeletal portion of the material is often called the "matrix" or "frame". The pores are typically filled with a fluid...
- Nondestructive testingNondestructive testingNondestructive testing or Non-destructive testing is a wide group of analysis techniques used in science and industry to evaluate the properties of a material, component or system without causing damage....
, Industrial inspection , and visual inspection - Computer-aided engineeringComputer-aided engineeringComputer-aided engineering is the broad usage of computer software to aid in engineering tasks. It includes computer-aided design , computer-aided analysis , computer-integrated manufacturing , computer-aided manufacturing , material requirements planning , and computer-aided planning .- Overview...
, Simulation data post-processing - Seismic exploration, reservoir engineeringReservoir engineeringReservoir engineering is a branch of petroleum engineering that applies scientific principles to the drainage problems arising during the development and production of oil and gas reservoirs so as to obtain a high economic recovery....
, microseismic monitoring, borehole imaging - GeologyGeologyGeology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, rock and core sampleCore sampleA core sample is a cylindrical section of a naturally occurring substance. Most core samples are obtained by drilling with special drills into the substance, for example sediment or rock, with a hollow steel tube called a core drill. The hole made for the core sample is called the "core hole". A...
analysis, earth sciences - Archaeology
- climatologyClimatologyClimatology is the study of climate, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time, and is a branch of the atmospheric sciences...
, , oceanographyOceanographyOceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
, environmental studies - AstrophysicsAstrophysicsAstrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
Features
Data Import:- 2D and 3D image stack and volume data (acquired by a 3D scanner3D scannerA 3D scanner is a device that analyzes a real-world object or environment to collect data on its shape and possibly its appearance . The collected data can then be used to construct digital, three dimensional models....
, light microscopeOptical microscopeThe optical microscope, often referred to as the "light microscope", is a type of microscope which uses visible light and a system of lenses to magnify images of small samples. Optical microscopes are the oldest design of microscope and were possibly designed in their present compound form in the...
, electron microscopeElectron microscopeAn electron microscope is a type of microscope that uses a beam of electrons to illuminate the specimen and produce a magnified image. Electron microscopes have a greater resolving power than a light-powered optical microscope, because electrons have wavelengths about 100,000 times shorter than...
, FIB-SEMFocused ion beamFocused ion beam, also known as FIB, is a technique used particularly in the semiconductor industry, materials science and increasingly in the biological field for site-specific analysis, deposition, and ablation of materials. An FIB setup is a scientific instrument that resembles a scanning...
, industrial tomographTomographyTomography refers to imaging by sections or sectioning, through the use of any kind of penetrating wave. A device used in tomography is called a tomograph, while the image produced is a tomogram. The method is used in radiology, archaeology, biology, geophysics, oceanography, materials science,...
, microtomographMicrotomographyMicrotomography , like tomography, uses x-rays to create cross-sections of a 3D-object that later can be used to recreate a virtual model without destroying the original model....
, GPRGround-penetrating radarGround-penetrating radar is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. This nondestructive method uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band of the radio spectrum, and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures...
, and other acquisition devices - Geometric models (such as point sets, line sets, surfaces, grids)
- Numerical simulation data(such as Computational fluid dynamicsComputational fluid dynamicsComputational fluid dynamics, usually abbreviated as CFD, is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate the interaction of liquids and gases with...
or Finite element analysis data) - Molecular data
- Time series and animations
- Seismic data
- Well logs
- 4D Multivariate Climate Models
2D / 3D Data Visualization:
- Volume renderingVolume renderingIn scientific visualization and computer graphics, volume rendering is a set of techniques used to display a 2D projection of a 3D discretely sampled data set.A typical 3D data set is a group of 2D slice images acquired by aCT, MRI, or MicroCT scanner....
- Visualization of sections, through various slicing and clipping methods
- Isosurface renderingIsosurfaceAn isosurface is a three-dimensional analog of an isoline. It is a surface that represents points of a constant value within a volume of space; in other words, it is a level set of a continuous function whose domain is 3D-space.Isosurfaces are normally displayed using computer graphics, and are...
- Polygonal meshesPolygon meshA polygon mesh or unstructured grid is a collection of vertices, edges and faces that defines the shape of a polyhedral object in 3D computer graphics and solid modeling...
- Scalar fields, Vector fields, Tensor representations, Flow visualizationFlow visualizationFlow visualization in fluid dynamics is used to make the flow patterns visible, in order to get a qualitative or quantitative information on them.- Overview :...
(Illuminated Streamlines, Stream Ribbons)
Image Processing:
- 2D/3D Alignment of image slices, Image registrationImage registrationImage registration is the process of transforming different sets of data into one coordinate system. Data may be multiple photographs, data from different sensors, from different times, or from different viewpoints. It is used in computer vision, medical imaging, military automatic target...
- Image filtering
- Mathematical Morphology (erode, dilate, open, close, tophat)
- Watershed Transform, Distance Transform
- Image segmentation
3D Models Reconstruction:
- Polygonal surface generation from segmented objects
- Generation of Tetrahedral Grids
- Surface Reconstruction from point cloudPoint cloudA point cloud is a set of vertices in a three-dimensional coordinate system. These vertices are usually defined by X, Y, and Z coordinates, and typically are intended to be representative of the external surface of an object....
s - SkeletonizationTopological skeletonIn shape analysis, skeleton of a shape is a thin version of that shape that is equidistant to its boundaries. The skeleton usually emphasizes geometrical and topological properties of the shape, such as its connectivity, topology, length, direction, and width...
(reconstruction of dendritic, porous or fracture network) - Surface Model Simplification
Quantification and analysis:
- Measurements and statistics
- Analysis spreadsheet and charting
3D image-based meshing
Image-based meshing
Image-based meshing is the automated process of creating computer models for computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis from 3D image data...
for CFD and FEA:
- From 3D imaging modalities (CT, micro-CT, MRI, etc.)
- Surface and volume meshes generation
- Export to FEA and CFD solvers for simulation
- Post-processing for simulation analysis
Presentation, Automation:
- MovieMaker, Multiscreen, Video wallVideo wallA video wall consists of multiple computer monitors, video projectors, or television sets tiled together contiguously or overlapped in order to form one large screen...
, collaboration, and VRVirtual realityVirtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
support - TCLTCLTCL or Tcl may mean:* Biochemistry** TCL * Companies** TCL Corporation, a Chinese electronics company** Twin City Lines, former public transit via streetcar in Minneapolis*Computer languages...
Scripting, C++ extension API
Avizo is based on Open Inventor
Open Inventor
Open Inventor, originally IRIS Inventor, is a C++ object oriented retained mode 3D graphics API designed by SGI to provide a higher layer of programming for OpenGL. Its main goals are better programmer convenience and efficiency.-Early history:...
by VSG 3D Graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
SDK.