Immersive Visualization / IQ-Station Wiki
This site hosts information on virtual reality systems that are geared toward scientific visualization, and as such often toward VR on Linux-based systems. Thus, pages here cover various software (and sometimes hardware) technologies that enable virtual reality operation on Linux.
The original IQ-station effort was to create low-cost (for the time) VR systems making use of 3DTV displays to produce CAVE/Fishtank-style VR displays. That effort pre-dated the rise of the consumer HMD VR systems, however, the realm of midrange-cost large-fishtank systems is still important, and has transitioned from 3DTV-based systems to short-throw projectors.
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This site is a place where the community of users of | This site is a place where the community of users of midrange-cost | ||
virtual reality displays can congregate and share information. | virtual reality displays can congregate and share information. | ||
In the past our focus was on systems primarily constructed from | In the past, our focus was on systems primarily constructed from | ||
Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components for a quality VR experience | Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components for a quality VR experience | ||
around the $10,000 to $15,000 price range. | around the $10,000 to $15,000 price range. But that was during the | ||
of COTS 3D-TVs | era of COTS 3D-TVs, and before COTS HMDs. | ||
Now however, the era of 3D-TVs has waned, but by replacing them with | |||
not-terribly-expensive short-throw projectors, and by using super-low-cost | |||
tracking from consumer HMD technology, we can still build larger fishtank-style | |||
VR displays (IQ-stations) for something reasonable — ~$7,000. | |||
== Hardware == | The software discussed here (VR libraries and applications) is often useful for | ||
both consumer HMDs, and these midrange-cost IQ-stations, as well as full-sized | |||
CAVE VR systems, and thus can be useful for VR pracitioners of the full range | |||
of system types and costs. (Though primarily oriented to those interested | |||
in immersive visualization — scientific visualization in VR.) | |||
== Integration Software == | |||
Most IQ-station systems presently in operation run VR applications built | |||
on one of two VR integration libraries: | |||
* [[Vrui]] | |||
* [[FreeVR]] | |||
== VR Applications == | |||
* [[ImmersiveParaView | Immersive ParaView]] — The general-purpose ParaView sci-vis tool in VR | |||
** [[ParaView_Tips | ParaView Tips]] | |||
* [[Toirt Samhlaigh]] — A 3D volume visualization tool | |||
* [[LidarViewer]] — A point-cloud visualization tool | |||
* [[VMD]] — Visual Molecular Dynamics | |||
* [[ML2VR]] — Matlab to VR | |||
* [[CQ3A]] — A world exploration application (with game-like worlds) | |||
===Commercial Applications=== | |||
* [[syGlass]] — volume viewer for SteamVR on MS-Windows | |||
== VR Tools == | |||
* [[VRPN]] — Virtual Reality Peripheral Network tool for aggregating data from input devices | |||
* [[ViveLighthouse]] — Accessing Vive Lighthouse tracking on Linux | |||
** [[LibSurvive]] — Building the LibSurvive library for Lighthouse tracking on Linux | |||
* [[Monado]] — Open-source OpenXR runtime for Linux | |||
* [[OpenXR]] — Building OpenXR on Linux | |||
==Visuallization Applications== | |||
* [[BuildingVTK]] (on MS-Windows) | |||
* [[BuildingParaView]] (on MS-Windows) | |||
* [[BuildingANARI]] (on Linux) | |||
== Other Applications == | |||
* [http://bino3d.org/ Bino] — stereoscopic movie player | |||
* [[XVS]] — John Stone's ''stereoscopic image viewer'' | |||
== Rendering Libraries == | |||
* [[Barney]] — Cross-GPU Multi-threaded rendering library | |||
* [[Visionaray]] — Open-source C++ Ray-Tracing template library | |||
== NIST Trans-Portable-VR == | |||
* [[Transportable_VR_NIST | NIST's Transportable VR System]] — modern IQ-station w/ short-throw projector | |||
* [[Portable_VR_Setup | Portable-VR Setup]] — setup instructions | |||
== Hardware (old) == | |||
The basic components of an IQ-station are: | The basic components of an IQ-station are: | ||
* [[3D_Displays | 3DTV Displays]] (and [[3D_Glasses | 3D glasses]]) | * [[3D_Displays | 3DTV Displays]] (and [[3D_Glasses | 3D glasses]]) | ||
* [[Tracking_Systems | Tracking Systems]] | * [[Tracking_Systems | Tracking Systems]] | ||
** [[ART SMARTTRACK]] | |||
** [[ViveLighthouse]] — Linux instructions | |||
* [[Input_Devices | Input Devices]] | * [[Input_Devices | Input Devices]] | ||
* [[Computers]] | * [[Computers]] | ||
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== Community == | == Community == | ||
For the past decade (apart from one "COVID year"), there has been a SIGGRAPH BOF | |||
with the topic of '''Immersive Visualization''': | |||
* [https://immersive-visualisation-bof.org BOF: Immersive Visualisation for Science, Research, Art and Metaverse Applications] | |||
Part of our community building efforts include bootcamps on Immersive Visualization. | Part of our community building efforts include bootcamps on Immersive Visualization. | ||
Line 33: | Line 87: | ||
* [[Bootcamp_UALR | Bootcamp in Little Rock]] held October 22-24, 2014 | * [[Bootcamp_UALR | Bootcamp in Little Rock]] held October 22-24, 2014 | ||
* [[Bootcamp_INL | Bootcamp in Idaho Falls]] held October 20-21, 2016 | * [[Bootcamp_INL | Bootcamp in Idaho Falls]] held October 20-21, 2016 | ||
== Related Publications == | == Related Publications == | ||
* [[Publication_Sherman_2010 | '''[Sherman 2010]''' ''IQ-Station: A Low Cost Portable Immersive Environment'']] | * [[Publication_Sherman_2010 | '''[Sherman 2010]''' ''IQ-Station: A Low Cost Portable Immersive Environment'']] | ||
* [[Publication_Sherman_2013 | '''[Sherman 2013]''' ''Immersive Visualization Bootcamps: sharing expertise, building community'']] | * [[Publication_Sherman_2013 | '''[Sherman 2013]''' ''Immersive Visualization Bootcamps: sharing expertise, building community'']] | ||
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Latest revision as of 18:41, 30 August 2024
Welcome to the IQ-Station Wiki for commodity-based low-cost VR
This site is a place where the community of users of midrange-cost
virtual reality displays can congregate and share information.
In the past, our focus was on systems primarily constructed from
Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components for a quality VR experience
around the $10,000 to $15,000 price range. But that was during the
era of COTS 3D-TVs, and before COTS HMDs.
Now however, the era of 3D-TVs has waned, but by replacing them with not-terribly-expensive short-throw projectors, and by using super-low-cost tracking from consumer HMD technology, we can still build larger fishtank-style VR displays (IQ-stations) for something reasonable — ~$7,000.
The software discussed here (VR libraries and applications) is often useful for both consumer HMDs, and these midrange-cost IQ-stations, as well as full-sized CAVE VR systems, and thus can be useful for VR pracitioners of the full range of system types and costs. (Though primarily oriented to those interested in immersive visualization — scientific visualization in VR.)
Integration Software
Most IQ-station systems presently in operation run VR applications built on one of two VR integration libraries:
VR Applications
- Immersive ParaView — The general-purpose ParaView sci-vis tool in VR
- Toirt Samhlaigh — A 3D volume visualization tool
- LidarViewer — A point-cloud visualization tool
- VMD — Visual Molecular Dynamics
- ML2VR — Matlab to VR
- CQ3A — A world exploration application (with game-like worlds)
Commercial Applications
- syGlass — volume viewer for SteamVR on MS-Windows
VR Tools
- VRPN — Virtual Reality Peripheral Network tool for aggregating data from input devices
- ViveLighthouse — Accessing Vive Lighthouse tracking on Linux
- LibSurvive — Building the LibSurvive library for Lighthouse tracking on Linux
- Monado — Open-source OpenXR runtime for Linux
- OpenXR — Building OpenXR on Linux
Visuallization Applications
- BuildingVTK (on MS-Windows)
- BuildingParaView (on MS-Windows)
- BuildingANARI (on Linux)
Other Applications
Rendering Libraries
- Barney — Cross-GPU Multi-threaded rendering library
- Visionaray — Open-source C++ Ray-Tracing template library
NIST Trans-Portable-VR
- NIST's Transportable VR System — modern IQ-station w/ short-throw projector
- Portable-VR Setup — setup instructions
Hardware (old)
The basic components of an IQ-station are:
- 3DTV Displays (and 3D glasses)
- Tracking Systems
- ART SMARTTRACK
- ViveLighthouse — Linux instructions
- Input Devices
- Computers
Community
For the past decade (apart from one "COVID year"), there has been a SIGGRAPH BOF with the topic of Immersive Visualization:
Part of our community building efforts include bootcamps on Immersive Visualization. Thus far, we have hosted three successful events:
- Bootcamp in Indianapolis held March 25-27, 2013
- Bootcamp in Laramie held June 12-14, 2013
- Bootcamp in Little Rock held October 22-24, 2014
- Bootcamp in Idaho Falls held October 20-21, 2016
Related Publications
- [Sherman 2010] IQ-Station: A Low Cost Portable Immersive Environment
- [Sherman 2013] Immersive Visualization Bootcamps: sharing expertise, building community