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With the advent of computers running at greater than 3 GHz and graphic cards containing ¼ GBytes of memory, a new realm has been created for the representation of data on desktop computers. Using these contemporary computers, engineers have gone from creating simple two]dimensional graphs, in the mid 80’s to complex three-dimensional objects representing the stress in a critical member of a bridge or the temperatures in the sun. One of the more publicly obvious applications of 3-D graphics is in the field of computer gaming. Titles like Doom, Quake, or Unreal Tournament may seem a far stretch from engineering applications; however, these “games” can provide a practical tool in the displaying of and interaction with calculated properties.
Previously, if an artificial environment was needed to, say, display data such as a dust cloud moving over a landscape, a very specialized application (with an intense learning curve) was required. Also, these animations required significant preplanning; they were essentially an animated motion picture production. If the camera angle was not correct, the animation had to be redone. With an interactive representation, the user can move around the model and look at the data from all angles.
An application that many may not have had the chance to observe, but one that is more closely associated with typical engineering work experience, is the creation of three-dimensional buildings and industrial facilities that can be used to study either design features or the consequences of accidents. By creating a virtual environment, a user can test a building or evaluate a process before it is constructed. Are the hallways wide enough to move the required equipment? Where should security cameras be placed? These are all questions that can be answered through the use of virtual environments.
Beyond the apparent uses of a virtual environment are applications that are not currently being used such as the display of radiological fields within a nuclear facility or the representation of the spread of a hazardous material within a facility and its surroundings.
This section provides an idea about what graphical representations are possible and what tasks could be performed in the near future. To view a presentation of this material in pdf format, click on the following link