greg@griffin.itc.gu.oz (Greg Watson) (01/12/90)
One of our academic staff members is seeking a software package to perform 3-D modelling of ecological systems. The system should preferably run on either a XT/AT/386 clone or a Sun workstation. In his own words: "In my field of ecological economics it would be advantageous to be able to record values of several energy forms located in an imaginary 3-D grid set out over an object, or a simple system, and eventually, a complex system. In a simple system I would use a 1 metre cube, top half filled with air, and bottom half filled with a soil type of homogeneous composition, say clay, and in 10 cm cubic cells record mass, temperature, and energy values at the molecular level. In a medium-complex case I would need 1 cm cubic cells for a wheat crop 100 metres square and with height and depth 2 metres above and below ground level (ie. cells 10000 x 10000 x 400). In a complex economic process I would need a larger spatial coverage, and would hope to have the cell size reduced to cover sample molecules, so that cells in each dimension would run to trillions or more. It would be useful to view the 3-D model at selected cross-sections, and to aggregate values in cells in more than one plane. If possible it would be useful to rotate and slice the model. I am aware that software exists for 3-D modelling of the earth's crust in the geophysical oil exploration industry, but there the data is acquired in the field and stored on tape without the possibility of inputting data cell by cell. It should be much easier to set up a blank system of 3-D coordinates where the user can input several values per cell." If anyone knows of a such a package or can help in any way it would be much appreciated. Thanks for your help, Greg Watson Information Technology Centre Griffith University Brisbane Australia