Harry A. Schenck
Ocean Surveillance Dept., RDT&E Div. Code 702, Naval Command Control
Ocean Surveillance Ctr., San Diego, CA 92152-7520
Improved computational models and experimental capabilities provide the opportunity for understanding structural acoustic phenomena in detail and scope never before realized. However, the raw products of both physical and computational experiments are very large data sets. Thus in this field as in many others, scientific visualization has a key role to play in turning numbers into easily understood results. This presentation will include concepts, principles, and practical suggestions for visualizing the information represented in large multidimensional data sets of structural acoustic field and surface variables. Examples of concepts that will be presented include the display of magnitude and phase simultaneously in three-dimensional fields, volumetric display of dispersion relations, and the use of animation to understand parametric sensitivity. Representation of phenomena in the time domain and through spatial transforms will be illustrated, along with traditional spectral methods. Principles to be discussed include the use and misuse of color, the appropriate use of display geometry, scaling, making comparisons, and the avoidance of artifacts. The visualization tools and workstation environment used in generating this presentation, together with lessons learned and practical considerations, will be discussed. [Work supported by the Office of Naval Research.]