This is an archival copy of the Visualization Group's web page 1998 to 2017. For current information, please vist our group's new web page.
AVS5 at NERSC
Availability Up-to-date information on which versions of AVS5 are running on which NERSC platforms is available at: NERSC Visualization Software Applications.
Table of Contents
- Description
- AVS5, the Application Visualization System from Advanced Visual Systems (AVS) is an interactive scientific visualization application. It's primary claim to fame is the ability to create custom applications using a visual programming interface that lets you link together "modules" into a workflow that achieves some specific objective. In addition, you can write your own custom modules, thereby extending the functionality of the base system. AVS5 also provides some rudimentary charting/graphics capabilities, along with "helper" applications for things like creating Animations. The Visualization Group Supports AVS on the following platforms: Sun/Sparc Solaris, SGI Irix, AIX and LINUX
- Features
- AVS has a rich set of functionality. A complete list of the functionality, Image Gallery, technical tips, etc., can be found at AVS's web site.
- AVS has a rich set of functionality. A complete list of the functionality, Image Gallery, technical tips, etc., can be found at AVS's web site.
- Accessing AVS5
- AVS5 is available on NERSC platforms via the modules facility.
- Documentation
- Links to local online documentation.
- Additional Resources
- Links to the AVS distribution site, supplemental information, a FAQ page, User Forums, USENET groups, and more.
- Sample Screen Shots
Description
- AVS5 streamlines the creation of scientific and technical visualization apps on UNIX and Linux systems by providing traditional plots and graphs, 3D interactive rendering and volume visualization, and simple interfaces to common visualization techniques.
- AVS5 is a licensed product and is available on the NERSC analytics server. Users may take advantage of a large number of floating network licenses.
Features
- Built-in software renderer that allows you to produce feature-rich images even on low-cost 2D hardware platforms.
- Network Editor, a unique Visual Programming Environment in which you graphically connect AVS modules together to build a reusable visualization network.
- In addition to included modules, lets you write new modules and include existing C, C++, or FORTRAN routines.
- Handles platform-dependent technical issues and porting, including 3D Rendering, User Interface, File I/O, Data Transport and Communications.
- Features presentation capabilities for print and video, including high-quality animations.
- Geometry Viewer. Allows you to compose "scenes" that contain geometrically-defined objects. The objects must have been created by programs or AVS modules that use AVS's GEOM programming library. You can transform the objects themselves (move, rotate, scale); you can change the viewing parameters (e.g. move the eye point, perspective view, etc.); and you can control the way in which the graphical images are rendered (lighting and shading, Z-buffering, etc.).
- Image Viewer. A high-level tool for manipulating and viewing images.
- Graph Viewer. A high-level tool for graphing data.
New Product Features in Version 5.5
- Approximately 50 defects fixed and new documentation provided on existing features.
- New example modules, including Write Geom, Test Field, and Corout_F.
- New Geometry Camera module.
- New support for event masking.
- AVS/Animator now unlicensed and available to all users; source code included in the release.
- Expanded OpenGL support now covering all platforms including HP10.20.
- OpenGL stereo support enhanced (full screen and stereo-in-a-window) and expanded to include SunOS 5.7, Compaq Tru64 UNIX, HP10.20 as well as SGI N32 and N64.
- AVS 5 Documentation set online in PDF format for viewing, searching, printing (all manuals except Technical Overview, AVS/Graph User's Guide and UCD Builder User's Guide).
- New Release Notes chapter on Debugging Modules in AVS 5.
- Linux port (purchased separately) - AVS/Graph now supported and shared library version of AVS kernel enables users to link against hardware graphics accelerator versions of OpenGL.
Accessing AVS5
- AVS5 is available on NERSC platforms using the
module
command. First load AVS5 by typing
module load avs
and then start AVS5 by typing avs at the command line. - AVS5 has a rich set of demos. To try them out after starting up AVS5:
select AVS APPLICATIONS, then AVS DEMOS, and then select a demo from pulldown
menus in the AVS Demo window.
- For help, select the help command button available in the upper left hand
corner of the leftmost window.
Documentation
AVS5 Course
- An Introduction to the AVS Data Interchange Application
- Introductory AVS Course
- Another Introductory AVS Course
- A Third Introductory AVS Course
- Student Workbook for Introductory AVS Course
- Advanced AVS Course
- Another Advanced AVS Course
- A Third Advanced AVS Course
- Student Workbook for Advanced AVS Course
- Slides showing example networks for some common visualization techniques.
Local documentation downloads (Use shift left-mouse to download files)
- AVS Meta Documentation. Documentation about AVS documentation, sort of a roadmap to the AVS documentation.
- Chemistry Developer's Guide AVS has a "molecular data type" and a "Chemistry Developer's Kit" to help with the development of Chemistry-specific AVS5 modules.
- AVS5 Update Document. Describes features new in AVS5.
- AVS User's Guide. This document is dated May 1992.
- AVS Animator's User Guide. Describes use of the AVS Animator Application to create image sequences of scientific visualization.
- AVS Developer's Guide. A reference guide for writing AVS5 modules.
- Guide to AVS interactive demos and tutorials
- AVS Module Reference. Provides "man pages" for each of the AVS modules.
- AVS Applications Guide. Guide for using built-in AVS applications: Data Interchange Application, the Module Generator and the Data Viewer.
- AVS on Unix Workstations: Installation/Release Notes (November 1999)
- Developer's AVS Installation/Release Notes. (November 1999)
- AVS on Linux Workstations: Installation/Release Notes (November 1999)
Postscript release notes version 5.6 (no IBM or HP release notes)
- AVS 5.6 for Compaq Tru64 Unix Alpha
- Debugging in AVS 5.6
- Administering Licenses
- AVS 5.6 Installation
- AVS 5.6 Release Notes
- AVS 5.6 Extended Features
- AVS 5.6 on SGI Systems
- AVS 5.6 on Solaris Systems
- AVS 5.6 on Unix Systems
Postscript release notes version 5.5
- AVS 5.5 on Compaq Tru64 Unix Alpha
- Debugging in AVS 5.5
- Administering Licenses
- AVS 5.5 for HP Workstations
- AVS 5.5 for IBM RS/6000 Systems
- Installing AVS 5.5
- AVS 5.5 Release Notes
- Exentended Features of AVS 5.5
- AVS 5.5 on SGI Systems
- AVS 5.5 on Solaris Systems
- AVS 5.5 on Unix Systems
Additional Resources
- AVS home page
- Online AVS5 resources (vendor site)
- Platform support (vendor site)
- AVS5 FAQ
- AVS5 help search page
- International AVS Center (IAVSC)
- Online moderated vendor forum for AVS products including AVS5. Requires sign on, open to all users.
- Google search: comp.graphics.apps.avs USENET group (uncensored)
- Visualization Group's description of graphics/visualization software support at NERSC
- List of NERSC platforms and version numbers for visualization applications and for graphics applications (primarily NCAR)
Sample Screen Shots (click on image to see more)
 |