'Surfer' the photorealistic visualisator
'Surfer' project goal is to try to apply photorealistic strategy in scientific data visualization. Methods used in photorealistic rendering seem to bring some profits for science visualization. Most obvious position, objects generated this way provide as much visual information as it possible because staying extremely close to nature phenomenon in part of human vision that is 3-D and able to distinguish on extremely small difference in color, transparency, shining etc. Being so close in results to nature, photorealistic behavior allows observer to use his or her "embedded" senses, collected within lifetime experience of observing nature phenomenon, while examining visualization results. In case if particular object has no visual presentation in nature photorealistic strategy may be used to extend usual visualization toolkit with new abilities to demonstrate object's properties, bringing more information to observer again. 'Surfer' project tries to prove this ideas providing interactive environment for creating photorealistic objects. Package works within world-leading Alias|Wavefront MAYA 3-D design and animation system. This page only attempts to explain briefly how 'Surfer' is organized and works without details. Some demos are also available.
PS. Just after second version of 'Surfer' was finished somebody told me visualization package with same name already exists. Sorry about it :)
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