A user interface framework for Grid-based computational steering and visualization.

1
A user interface framework for Grid-based
computational steering and visualization.

• Jason Wood, Mark Riding and Ken Brodlie

2
Overview

• Eviz project
• Objectives of the adaptive user interface
• skML and extensions
• Interface framework
• Examples
• Conclusions and further work

3
Eviz Goals

• Integrate heterogeneous hardware
• Span different networks
• Reuse existing visualization software
• Fault tolerance
• Aide user in creation of visualization pipeline
• Adapt user interfaces to user and situation

• Adapt user interfaces to user and situation

4
Objectives of adaptive user interface

• Dynamically constructed to fit system generated
  visualization pipeline
• Runtime selection of communications mechanism
• Runtime widget selection
• Runtime user customisation
• Runtime system updates
• Visualization system independent
• Platform independent

5
Extended skML

• Used by the Eviz system to describe the pipeline
  that has been created for the user.
• skML originates from the gViz project
  (http//www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/vvr/gViz).
• XML description of the visualization pipeline.
• Extensions to skML required to allow
• better generation of user interfaces
• runtime selection of widgets
• runtime selection of communications mechanism
• runtime user interface updates

6
Example skML

• ltskmlgt
• ltmap idisosurfacegt
• ltmodule idDR nameReadData
  out-portOutputgt
• ltparam nameFnamegtDglazing.datlt/paramgt
• lt/modulegt
• ltmodule idIS nameisoSurface
  in-portDataIn out- portGeomterygt
• ltparam nameThresholdgt65.0lt/paramgt
• lt/modulegt
• . . . . .
• ltlink idDRtoISgt
• ltmodule refDR out-portOutput/gt
• ltmodule refIS in-portDataIn/gt
• lt/linkgt
• . . . . . .
• lt/mapgt
• lt/skmlgt

7
Interface Framework
8
Building from skML

• Can build from default skML description

9
Building from skML

• Adding a type attribute to parameter

ltmap id"default" style"left10top10colord4d
4d4"gt ltmodule id"1" name"PollutionSim"
out-port"OutData" gt ltparam name"Grid Size"
min"12" max"30 type"long"gt12lt/paramgt
ltparam nameupdate" min"1" max50
typelong"gt10lt/paramgt ltparam nameX1"
min0.0" max100.0" type"double"gt0.0lt/paramgt
. . . . . . .
10
Building from skML

• Adding layout information to the RDF section

ltrdfDescription about"1"gt
ltvPhysicalLocationgtcspcx34.leeds.ac.uklt/vPhysica
lLocationgt ltvContactPointgt3278600lt/vCont
actPointgt ltvLayoutgt
ltvLayoutStyle rows"5" columns"6"
style"grid"/gt
ltvLayoutElement name"Grid Size" row"0" col"0"
width"1"/gt ltvLayoutElement
name"Topography" row"1" col"0" width"2"/gt
ltvLayoutElement name"X1" row"0"
col"3"/gt . . .
11
Building from skML

• Adding a widgetType attribute

. . . . ltparam_array name "Wind Direction"
min"-1" max"1" type"double
widgetTypeCompass gt ltvalgt1.0lt/valgt
ltvalgt0.0lt/valgt ltvalgt0.0lt/valgt lt/param_
arraygt ltparam name"Current Time" min"0"
type"double" widgetType"text"
interaction"view"gt0.0lt/paramgt . . .
12
User extensible widget interface

• The Eviz Client provides a Java interface that
  describes an eViz widget
• If users create widgets that implement this
  interface then eViz can use them.
• Widget selection is part of the parameter
  attributes in the extended skML file, or defined
  as a local preference.

13
User extensible communications interface

• The EViz client accepts and creates parameter
  values using an XML description.
• A java interface is provided to allow the
  addition of user created communications
  mechanisms.
• The communications mechanism for a component of
  the pipeline is specified in the RDF section of
  the skML file.

. . . ltrdfRDF xmlnsrdf"http//www.w3.org/1999
/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns" xmlnsv"http//www.brooke
s.ac.uk/skML2/"gt ltrdfDescription about"1"gt
ltvCommsTypegtRealityGridCommslt/vCommsTypegt
ltvPhysicalLocationgtgarfield.mvc.mcc.ac.uklt/
vPhysicalLocationgt ltvContactPointgthttp//calcu
lon.cs.man.ac.uk 50005/WSRF/SWS/SWS/16015781064
24904081lt/vContactPointgt lt/rdfDescriptiongt
ltrdfDescription about"2"gt ltvPhysicalLocation
gtmutley.mvc.mcc.ac.uklt/vPhysicalLocationgt
ltvContactPointgt5050800lt/vContactPointgt
lt/rdfDescriptiongt . . .
14
Application Changes

• Pipeline components can change their widgets
  state / appearance / visibility

... but the component must generate the change
15
Example 1

• Simulation and VTK application controlled using
  gViz

16
Example 2

• Simulation controlled by RealityGrid
• VMD visualization application controlled by gViz
• Single user interface to control both

17
Future Work

• Automatic layout of widgets for modules that have
  no layout information.
• Some generic way to describe simple UI behaviours
  or interactions.
• Widget classification scheme so that skML could
  request a class of widget rather than a name.

18
Conclusions

• The Eviz Client provides a mechanism for
  delivering user interfaces for system generated
  visualization pipelines composed from different
  visualization packages.
• Visualization components can have control over
  their user interface components.
• The framework is flexible enough to allow user
  created widgets and communications mechanisms to
  be added.