VizWorld.com

A bit more information about North Carolina State’s new IC-CRIME program is available, discussing how they plan to integrate state-of-the-art scanning hardware with run-of-the-mill gaming software to create an interactive, collaborative forensic research environment.

NC State recently received a $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation's Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI) program to help lay a foundation that promotes greater collaboration in the field of forensic science – a platform they call IC-CRIME (interdisciplinary, cyber-enabled crime reconstruction through innovative methodology and engagement).

The IC-CRIME platform will employ the latest in 3-D laser scanning technologies and run on the Unity game engine technology, which powers over 50 commercial games like “FusionFall” and “VooDude.”

via Videogames find ways to help real CSI solve crimes | Technology | Reuters.

Science forensic, ic-crime, unity

Filter Forge is in the holiday mood and offering their popular Photoshop Plugin suite for an impressive 50% off! That’s right:

A unique opportunity to get Filter Forge at half the regular price is available starting November 26, 2009. Under this offer, the Basic edition of Filter Forge, aimed at entry-level users, costs $49 instead of $99; the Standard edition, designed for mainstream graphic artists, $99 instead of $199; and the Professional edition, targeted at graphics professionals, $149 instead of $299. To buy Filter Forge at a 50% discount and save up to $150, click here: http://www.filterforge.com/buy/

Plus, if you buy it now you get free access to the new FilterForge 2.0 Beta with HDR support, new components, and new shapes!

Filter Forge – Buy Now!. via PhotoClique

Graphics filterforge, photoshop, plugin, software

The Visual Miscellaneum from David McCandless has been out for a few weeks now, and while it was a previously Recommended Resource, I wonder if perhaps I was mistaken.  John Graham-Cumming, a well known computer programmer responsible for many developments in email, spam prevention, and software build strategies, has a somewhat damning review of the book on his website, and of the “Reduce your Odds of Dying In A Plane Crash” infographic (shown above).  Just a taste:

1. The term “density” is not defined and in fact he isn't showing a density at all, just the raw total numbers by country.

2. The underlying data is incorrect. The diagram specifically says that it uses “fatal accidents” drawn from this database. Unfortunately, the person doing the visualization has used the total number of “incidents” (fatal and non-fatal accidents). For example, he gives a value of 75 for the number of fatal accidents in Ecuador, whereas the database gives 38. The same applies for all the other countries.

3. He uses circles with dots in the middle to represent the size. So is the value being plotted proportional to the radius of these circles or the area? Not clear. For example, try to compare Russia and Canada; they look about the same. Now look at Russia and India, India looks smaller to me. So what’s the truth?

Very rookie errors, to be sure, although the Circle one has been discussed widely before.   What do you think?

via John Graham-Cumming: How to fail at data visualization.

Science book, review

Sentinelle Medical has launched a suite of new application of their existing Aegis medical imaging software platform, targeting to work with their special Vanguard (TM) breast coils for breast visualization.

Michael Vendrell, MD, also of First Hill Diagnostic Imaging, has guided the Aegis team in developing multi-parametric color-maps for diffusion-weighted MRI. “These give Radiologists new tools for increasing efficiency and accuracy toward moving non-contrast body MRI into routine clinical practice. If screening non-contrast breast MR were ever to become a clinical reality, we believe tools such as these will play an important role,” says Dr. Vendrell.

Available as both a web-client and a dedicated software product, it has maximum flexibility on all kinds of workstations and networks.

Of course, I’m all for any technology to help Save The Boobies.

via PR-CANADA.net – Sentinelle Medical Launches Aegis Suite of Oncology 4D Visualization Software with PureWeb(TM) Techn.

Science aegis, biomed, mri, sentinelle

Autodesk University begins next week (December 1st), and will offer training and classes on all of their products to registered attendees.  But if you can’t afford to attend the conference in Las Vegas, then maybe you want to get a pass to the streamed online content that you can watch at your leisure:

* Free Pass – Available to anyone

This pass offers access to all product clinics and up to two virtual classes with live interactive Q&A. Plus, you get a wealth of content including real-time viewing of keynotes, industry news, interviews, a technology showcase, and more. Add in access to the AU Online community and you've got terrific value for just signing up.

* Premier Pass – Full access for only US$99

Get everything included in the Free Pass plus 50+ select classes with Q&A streamed live from Las Vegas. And, after the event, learn at your own pace with 350+ on-demand classes from AU 2009. That's more than 400 hours of professional training at your fingertips.

via About Autodesk University Virtual.

Graphics autodesk, conference

VizWorld is nearing its first year of operation, and it’s been a fun one.  The sheer thought has put us in the giving mood so we’ve started the first annual VizWorld User Survey!  I know how much of a pain Surveys can be, but it’s a short one (20 questions, multiple choice).  Plus, if you fill one out you’re entered to win a $25 Gift Card from Amazon.com !  That’s right, we’ll be raffling one off every Friday at 5pm Central Time from now til Christmas (the 25th will be the 4th and final raffle).

The VizWorld User Survey 2009

So go fill out the survey (only once per person, per week!) and enter for your chance to win!

Website feature, survey, Website

Medtronic and Vital Images have partnered to offer a new technology of 3D reconstructions of CT Images of abdominal and thoracic aorta for preoperative planning for treatment of aneurysms.

3D Recon is a new service from Medtronic that converts two-dimensional computed tomography (CT) axial images to three-dimensional images, offering advanced visualization of the anatomy and aneurysm measurement for device sizing. This technology allows physicians to streamline pre-case planning and patient follow-up. It is cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under a 510(k) granted to Vital Images.

I have to admit, it sounds like just isosurfaces of 3D CT Scans, which have been around for a while.

via 3D Recon Turns CT Axial Images into Volumetric Visualizations.

Science biomed, medtronic, vital images

Jonathan Williamson has a new tutorial up on BlenderCookie that shows how to export low-resolution polygonal geometry with textures into the Unity game engine.

In this tutorial we examine how to export a model from Blender to Unity 3D and import it into a game. The tutorial also demonstrates how to bake a normal map and a color map from a highpoly model to the lowpoly counterpart, real-time display of the color/normal maps in the Blender viewport with GLSL shading, and real-time updating of assets in Unity.

via Exporting a Lowpoly Model to Unity 3D | BlenderCookie.com.

Graphics blender, tutorial, unity

It’s Black Friday, that black hole of consumerism that entangles Americans once a year as they fight, claw, and scratch their way through markets for good deals.  But we’re smarter than that right? We have the internet!  And I’ve gathered a few great deals for you to check out from the comfort of your couch today (and today only!):

• FlowingPrints 3 for 1: Hit their store and buy the whole series of 3 prints ($60) for the price of 1 ($20). Use coupon code bfridayfps20 .
• Amazon’s Black Friday Deals : Amazon has a new Black Friday page with some great deals on Video Games, Books, and more
• Ballistic Publishing : Buy 2 books and get 10% off, Buy 3 and get 15% off, buy 5 and get 20% off!
• FilterForge 50% off! Limited time offer, and includes a free beta key to FilterForge2.0!

So there you have it, gifts for the animator, visual effects artist, or visualization scientist in your life.  Or just anyone else that you forgot to get a gift for!

Graphics, Hardware, Science blackfriday, feature

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Won’t be many updates tomorrow (From me at least). Regular programming resumes Friday.

Website holiday, humor, Website