From: Bill HibbardSubject: VisAD Java class library for visualization The VisAD Java class library for interactive and collaborative visualization and analysis of numerical data is now available. VisAD features: The use of pure Java and Java RMI for platform independence and to support data sharing and real-time collaboration among geographically distributed users. Support for distributed computing is integrated at the lowest levels of the system. A general mathematical data model that can be adapted to virtually any numerical data, that supports data sharing among different users, different data sources and different scientific disciplines, and that provides transparent access to data independent of storage format and location (i.e., memory, disk or remote). Initially supported file formats include FITS, netCDF, HDF-EOS (via native library), Vis5D (via native library), GIF and JPEG. A general display model that supports interactive 3-D, data fusion, multiple data views, direct manipulation, collaboration, and virtual reality. Data analysis and computation integrated with visualization to support computational steering and other complex interaction modes. Support for two distinct communities: developers who create domain-specific systems based on VisAD, and users of those systems. VisAD is designed to support a wide variety of user interfaces, ranging from simple data browser applets to complex applications that allow groups of scientists to collaboratively develop data analysis algorithms. Developer extensibility in as many ways as possible. Complete source code, the VisAD Java Class Library Developers Guide and several example applications are freely available at: http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/~billh/visad.html.htm You can get help from the VisAD mailing list. Join by sending an email message to majordomo@ssec.wisc.edu with: subscribe visad-list in the first line of the message body (not the subject line). VisAD requires Java 3D and jdk1.2beta3, available from Sun at: http://java.sun.com/.edu/~billh/visad.html.htm In its initial release VisAD will be more appropriate for complex interactions and collaboration than for operational production of visualizations of large data sets. Bill Hibbard whibbard@macc.wisc.edu