HARPER@CSC.FI ("Robert Harper Finland", CSC) (01/09/91)
Archive-name: graphics/image-processing/ncsa/1991-01-07
Archive: ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu:/README.FIRST [128.174.20.50]
Original-posting-by: HARPER@CSC.FI ("Robert Harper Finland", CSC)
Original-subject: FTP site at National Centre for Supercomputing Applications.
Reposted-by: emv@ox.com (Edward Vielmetti)
NCSA SOFTWARE BROCHURE
by the Software Tools Group
Changing the Way You See Science
The NCSA Scientific Visualization Software Suite
for the Macintosh
NCSA DataScope
NCSA DataScope features distribution capabilities across TCP/IP network
connections. This interactive data analysis tool displays 32-bit
scientific data values in spreadsheet form or as simple scaled,
interpolated, or polar color raster images. It also acts as an output device
for 2D arrays of floating-point numbers. Furthermore, while most
supercomputer simulations write out results in ASCII or binary data files
from which you can create graphs or images, DataScope allows you to
bypass this intermediate file because it displays a data image
immediately on the screen, even while generating the image's values.
Other features include synchronized selection capabilities between text
and image windows; evaluation of mathematical expressions to derive
new datasets; built-in functions; a notebook window for recording
observations and calculations; and support for functions contained in
external libraries.
NCSA Image
NCSA Image is a color-imaging application that displays and animates
8-bit binary scientific data as color raster images, and generates black-
and-white contour, ordered dither, shaded data, and 3D plots. It lets you
plot linear selections of data in a XY graph, perform histogram color
adjustments on raster images, animate multiple raster images, print any
of the black-and-white plots switch and manipulate palettes, and view
actual floating-point numbers.
NCSA ImageIP
NCSA ImageIP is a color imaging and analysis program that retains the
capabilities of NCSA Image, but adds the more common functionality of
image processing programs which allow actual manipulation of image
data. Features include the modification of the dataUs histogram,
modification of data contrast, operations on the data using non-linear
filters and convolution kernels, and useful utility functions.
NCSA Layout
NCSA Layout permits batch capabilities that generate animation
sequences on the Cray or other UNIX systems. It is a presentation tool
that allows you to display and annotate 2D data images so that you can
photograph your Macintosh screen display with a 35mm camera and
produce presentation-quality slides. It lets you annotate images with grid
lines, tick marks, text, color bars that display the range of the current
palette, a colored canvas, and graphics from non-NCSA software such as
MacDraw, PowerPoint, and PixelPaint. Furthermore, NCSA Layout offers
options for enumeration of each animated frame, multi-image display in
animation frames, halftone printing, scrolling windows, canvas sizing, full
overlay capabilities, and transparent text and colored background options.
You can save a layout as an HDF file for editing at a later date, or you can
save any part of a layout as a raster image that may be transferred to
other machines or programs for photographing, animation, or display.
NCSA PalEdit
NCSA PalEdit is an interactive palette creation tool that helps you produce
a 'clut' resource tailored to your needs. It allows you to combine, adjust,
and make range selections in palettes from any combination of
components from four color models-RGB, CMY, HSV, and HSL. One tool
option permits you to distinguish between modification of whole color
regions or only active component colors. In addition, you can copy and
save new or modified palettes in five different file formats: raw palette,
HDF, Klutz DA, Canvas, or PixelPaint.
NCSA Telnet
NCSA Telnet is the Macintosh's link to the TCP/IP networks. It is an
implementation of DARPA standard telnet that provides interactive access
from any Macintosh to telnet hosts on TCP/IP networks; lets you have
simultaneous connections to numerous computers across the network, and
includes a standard file transfer server (FTP) to allow you to share files
with other remote machines and user's; VT 102 emulation; Tektronix
4014 emulation; interactive color raster graphic capabilities; domain name
lookup; user-defined macro keys; full color, font style, and font size
support; and customized windows whose contents may be scrolled, cut,
copied, pasted, and printed.
NCSA HDF
NCSA HDF, or Hierarchical Data Format, is a multi-object file format that
facilitates the transfer of graphical and floating-point data between
various machines and operating systems, including the Cray, Sun, Alliant,
Silicon Graphics, Macintosh, and IBM PC computers. HDF allows self-
definitions of data content and easy extensibility for future enhancements
or compatibility with other standard formats; includes Fortran and C
calling interfaces; utilities to prepare raw image of data files or for use
with other NCSA software; and interface for storing and retrieving
compressed or uncompressed raster images with palettes; an interface for
storing and retrieving scientific datasets of up to seven dimensions
together with information about the data, such as labels, units, formats,
and scales for all dimensions.
Other Releases
NCSA CompositeTool for the Sun Workstation
NCSA CompositeTool is a presentation tool that lets you annotate 2D
images so that you can photograph your Sun screen with a 35mm camera
and produce presentation quality slides. It allows you to create a display
using a user-defined palette, color bars, grid lines, XY axes, tick marks,
text tilting, multiple raster images, contour intervals of a 2D data image,
and vectors of 2D data. Moreover, you may perform screen dumps of
selected portions of your layout, and store and retrieve layouts to be
photographed or edited at a later date. CompositeTool features NCSA HDF
support.
NCSA Contours for the Macintosh
NCSA Contours is a simple graphics tool that represents 2D raw raster
scientific data as contour, 3D, and shaded data plots. It supports the
Macintosh desk accessories and cut, copy, and paste features and allows
you to print and save all or part of a plot in PICT format, which can be
read and manipulated by such commercial software packages as
SuperPaint, CricketDraw, and MacDraw.
NCSA GelReader for the Macintosh
NCSA GelReader is a color-imaging and analysis tool developed for
molecular biologists or others in need of electrophoretic gel data analysis.
The program extracts information from digitized electrophoretic gel
images such as DNA fragments. Allowing interactive manipulation of
lanes and bands, the tool helps estimate the molecular weight of bands as
well as generate reports of them. NCSA GelReader was created with the
assistance of UIUC's Center for Prokaryotic Genome Analysis (CPGA).
NCSA HDF Vset
NCSA HDF Vset is the latest storage scheme in HDF (Hierarchical Data
Format). It can accommodate existing HDF data elements (e.g., raster
images, scientific datasets, palettes, and annotations) as well as varied,
irregularly structured and nonuniform datasets of any size and
dimension. Specifically, HDF Vset makes the following two features
available to you: (1) All kinds of regular (array-type) and irregular
datasets may now be stored in one finite-element data, spreadsheets,
splines, non-Cartesian coordinate data, etc., and (2) Related and diverse
datasets can now be linked together hierarchically to form logical
groupings. Calling interfaces are available for C and FORTRAN on
Cray/UNICOS, Suns, SGIs, and Vax/VMS.
NCSA Height-Color Visualizer for SGI Systems
The NCSA Height-Color Visualizer is a non-interactive batch utility that
enables you to easily create 3D animations from time-dependent data.
Input for the Height-Color Visualizer consists of two 2D arrays, each
having a single variable at every node. Using the program, you can
manipulate the first of the two arrays to create a height geometry, so that
both fields assume the same input dimensions. Thus the analysis of the
correlation of data in the NCSA Height-Color Visualizer is as easy as
associating regions of height with coincident regions of color.
NCSA HyperCard Scientific Animation Package for the Macintosh
The NCSA HyperCard Scientific Animation Package allows you simply and
efficiently to create a movie animation of a series of graphic images. It is
an add-on XCMD for HyperCard that imports sequences of graphics images
into a Hyper-Card stack of cards. Specifically, the package allows you to
translate graphics images, typically created on the Cray supercomputer
and translated into a series of Tektronix 4014 drawing commands, into a
PICT file; read the resultant file into a HyperCard stack; and animate the
images.
NCSA ImageTool for the Sun Workstation
NCSA ImageTool is a color-imaging application that displays 8-bit binary
scientific data as color raster images or black-and-white contour, shaded
data, ordered dither, or 3D plots. It allows you to plot selections of data in
XY graphs; print contour plots, 3D plots, and XY graph; and modify and
save color palettes.
NCSA PC Show for the IBM PC, XT, AT, and PS/2
NCSA PC Show is a color-imaging application that displays 8-bit binary
scientific data as color raster images on an IBM PC or compatible, with the
Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA), Video Graphics Adapter (VGA), or
Revolution 512 graphics card from Number Nine Computer (N09). NCSA
PC Show can read raw raster, raw palette, or HDF files; map images
according to a user-defined palette; display multiple images in sequences;
animate multiple image sequences; and rotate the palette.
NCSA Telnet for the IBM PC
NCSA Telnet provides interactive access from any IBM PC or compatible to
telnet hosts on TCP/IP networks. It is an implementation of DARPA
standard telnet that maximizes the local processing power of the PC that
allows you to maintain simultaneous connections to numerous computers
across the network. It features a built-in standard FTP server for file
transfer, full subnetting support, Tektronix 4014 graphics emulation,
scrollback, domain name lookup, RARP for dynamic IP address
assignment, full color support for the new Ethernet board for the PC and
PS/2, and VT102 emulation in multiple, simultaneous sessions.
NCSA X DataSlice for the X Window
NCSA X DataSlice is a color-imaging application that was developed to
permit analysis of 3D 32-bit floating-point scientific data stored in HDF
files. It allows you to view any 2D plane, or slice, of data along the three
cartesian coordinate x, y, and z axes in spreadsheet form and as a color
raster image; adjust the viewing axes to suit your needs; interpolate
raster images from the data slice; load user-defined palettes to enhance
imaging and analysis; frame multiple data slices together on the screen;
and animate raster images along any coordinate axes. NCSA X DataSlice
features synchronized selection between text and image windows; dicing
(which allows you to view a data slice as a plane in the data matrix,
revealing the relative location of the slice in the dataset); and 3D volume
rendering (which allows you to view the 3D dataset as a whole and select
and view surfaces within the scientific dataset by setting transfer
functions).
NCSA XDIFF/XFIX for the MacOS and UNIX-Based Systems
NCSA XDIFF/XFIX consists of two programs designed to help you maintain
identical source code files on different systems. NCSA XDIFF creates a file
of just the edits you make to an ASCII text file on your local machine.
After you transfer this file to the remote system, NCSA XFIX incorporates
the edits into your file on the remote machine. The NCSA XDIFF/XFIX
package is currently available for Macintosh, Sun, Alliant, and Cray
computers.
NCSA X Image for the X Window System
NCSA X Image is a color-imaging and data analysis tool that combines
much of the functionality of the Macintosh tools: NCSA DataScope, NCSA
Image, and NCSA PalEdit. It allows you to view and manipulate data
values, including datasets calculated on the CRAY X-MP or CRAY-2
Supercomputer and digitized pictures; reads from HDF, raw raster and
raw palette files; displays actual data values in spreadsheet form, as full
color cartesian and polar images, and as black-and-white contour, shaded
data, intensity and 3D plots; evaluates mathematical expressions to
generate color histograms of the frequency distribution of data.
Moreover, NCSA X Image allows you to create and customize color palettes
by using a mathematical expression or manual "mixing" to define
individual colors or by inverting, compressing, expanding, or rotating
entries within the palette.
Trademarks and Credit Information
HyperCard, Macintosh, Macintosh II, and Macintosh IIX are trademarks of
Apple Computer, Inc.
MacDraw is a registered trademark of CLARIS Corporation.
Cray and UNICOS are registered trademarks of Cray Research, Inc.
CricketDraw is a trademark of Cricket Software.
VT102 is a registered trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation.
Enhanced Graphics Adapter, Video Graphics Adapter, IBM AT, IBM PC,
and IBM Personal System/2 are registered trade marks and IBM XT is
a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
The X Window System is a trademark of the Massachusetts Inst. of
Technology.
Revolution 512 is a trademark of Number Nine Computer.
PixelPaint is a trademark of Pixel Resources, Inc.
SuperPaint is a trademark of Silicon Beach Software, Inc.
Sun and Sun Workstation are registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems,
Inc.
Tektronix 4014 is a trademark of Tektronix, Inc.
Ethernet is a trademark of Xerox Corporation.
How to Obtain NCSA STG Public Domain Software
If you are connected to Internet (NSFNET, ARPANET, MILNET, etc.) you
may download NCSA software and documentation, and source code if it is
available, at no charge from an anonymous file transfer protocol (FTP)
server at NCSA. The procedures you should follow to do so are presented
below. If you have any questions regarding this procedure or whether
you are connected to Internet, consult your local system administration or
network expert.
1. Log on to a host at your site that is connected to the Internet and is
running software supporting the FTP command.
2. Invoke FTP on most systems by entering the Internet address of the
server:
% ftp ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu
or
% ftp 128.174.20.50
3. Log in by entering anonymous for the name.
4. Enter your local login name for the password.
5. Enter get README.FIRST to transfer the instructions (ASCII) to your
local host.
6. Enter quit to exit FTP and return to your local host.
7. Review the README.FIRST file for complete instructions concerning
the organization of the FTP directories and the procedures you
should follow to download the README files specific to the application
you want.
Your login session should resemble the sample presented below, where
the remote user's local login name is smith and user entries are indicated
in boldface type.
harriet_51% ftp ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu
Connected to zaphod.
220 zaphod FTP server (Version 4.173 Tue Jan 31 08:29:00 CST 1989)
ready.
Name (ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu: smith): anonymous
331 Guest login ok, send ident as password.
Password: smith
230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
ftp> get README.FIRST
200 PORT command successful.
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for README.FIRST (10283
bytes).
226 Transfer complete.
local: README.FIRST remote: README.FIRST
11066 bytes received in .34 seconds (32 Kbytes/s)
ftp> quit
221 Goodbye.
harriet_52%
NCSA software and manuals are also available for purchase Qeither
individually or as part of the anonymous FTP reel or cartridge tapesQ
through the NCSA Technical Resources Catalog. Orders can only be
processed if accompanied by a check in U. S. dollars made out to the
University of Illinois. To obtain a catalog, contact:
NCSA Documentation Orders
152 Computing Applications Building
605 East Springfield Avenue
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 244-0072