Visualisation software

A number of visualisation packages are available to SAPAC users. These are either already available on the PC in the SAPAC VisLab and SAVRC, or can be installed if required.

Many are freeware packages, and can readily be installed on users' own machines. Some are installed in the VisLab and SAVRC, and some allow stereo presentation of images using the suite's Infitec projection system.

The listing in the next column details the currently available software, and gives their operating system(s) and licence type, machine location, applicability, data formats, and other information.

The package names (in bold) are links to separate pages for each package, which contain more information, example images, and links to other sites relevant to each package.

AVS Express : Linux / commercial; SAVRC; general scientific data. This will be available in the SAPAC VisLab pending further work on the VisLab PC (as of 7/3/06). The SAVRC installation is multi-pipe; both the SAVRC and VisLab versions are also Developer Editions. We also have a number of licences for individual machines, for the Visualisation edition.

OpenDX : Linux / freeware; can be installed on individual machines; general scientific data (pending Linux installation on VisLab PC).

VTK : Linux / Windows / freeware; can be installed on individual machines; general scientific data.

Vis5D : Linux / Mac / freeware; SAVRC, can be installed on individual machines; originally for meteorological data, but useful in general (pending Linux installation on VisLab PC).

Chimera / Pymol / VMD : Linux / Windows / Mac / freeware; VisLab / SAVRC, can be installed on individual machines; molecular modelling; can read standard pdb format data; stereo capable.

POV-Ray : Linux / Windows / Mac / freeware; VisLab, can be installed on individual machines; ray-tracing renderer: POV-Ray objects/scene descriptions, but can accept models from other 3D applications (e.g. 3DS) after conversion.