rdf-syntax-grammar
mods:
  schema location: http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
  title info:
    title: Cinematic Scientific Visualizations
  name:
    name part: Litaker, Kendall R
    role:
      role term: creator
    role:
      role term: author.
  name:
    name part: Akleman, Ergun
    role:
      role term: thesis advisor.
  name:
    name part: Texas A & M University
    role:
      role term: degree granting institution.
  type of resource: text
  genre: bibliography
  origin info:
    place:
      place term: txu
    date issued: 2013
    issuance: monographic
  language:
    language term: eng
  physical description:
    form: remote
    extent: 1 online resource.
  abstract: The Hubble Space Telescope has provided the world with incredible imagery of the surrounding universe. The aesthetic quality of this imagery is limited by production resources; by creating a method to harness the highly refined detail and quality of CG elements in live-action films, we can inspire and educate at a much greater level. In this thesis, I create a rendering approach that allows camera movement around and through elements such as nebulae and galaxies, creating a more cinematic experience. The solution will also allow for reasonable scientific accuracy, visual appeal, efficiency, and extendability to other astronomical visualizations. 3D meshes are constructed and textured using telescopic images as reference. Splats are volumetrically generated using a voxelized bounding box around the mesh. Valid splats within a user specified maximum distance receive initial color and alpha values from the texture map. Probability density functions are used to create a density falloff along the edges of the object, and modifications to the RGBA values are made to achieve the desired cloud-like appearance. The data sets are rendered using a C program developed at the Space Telescope Science Institute by Dr. Frank Summers. The methodology is applied to the test cases of a nebula, star-forming region Sharpless 2-106, and a galaxy, Messier 51, or the Whirlpool Galaxy. The results of this thesis demonstrate the visual, scientific, and technical success of this solution. The code developed during this project generates the desired imagery with reasonable efficiency. A short animation moving from outside the galaxy to a close up of the nebula exhibits the flexibility in scale and camera movement. A careful balance between scientific accuracy and visual appeal were maintained through consultation with astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute. The favorable efficient, flexible, visual, and scientific results presented by this work make this process extendable to mos…
  note: by Kendall R. Litaker.
  note: "Major Subject: Visualization"
  note: Includes vita.
  note: Master of Science Texas A & M University 2013 http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/150989
  note: Includes bibliographical references.
  note: Text (Thesis)
  subject:
    topic: Major Visualization
  subject:
    topic: particle rendering
  subject:
    topic: scientific visualization
  subject:
    topic: computer graphics
  subject:
    topic: astronomy
  identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/150989
  record info:
    record content source: TXA
    record creation date: 140227
    record change date: 20151206092202.0
    record identifier: in00003448478
    language of cataloging:
      language term: eng