Advanced Scientific Visualization with ParaView

Content

ParaView is an open-source multiple-platform application for interactive, scientific visualization. It has a client–server architecture to enable remote visualization of datasets. It can be driven with a feature-rich Python interface. ParaView is based on the VTK toolkit, a library for computer graphics, image processing and visualization. ParaView has been successfully used at CSCS in many fields ranging from Physics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Molecular Science, Climate and Weather, Astro-physics, etc...

This course combines lectures and hands-on sessions.

The following topics will be covered:
- ParaView latest features in version 5.6 and 5.7.
- Data formats and data interfaces for efficient distributed computations.
- Interactive and batch parallel visualization.
- Single-node SMP parallelism, MPI-based parallelism.
- Custom VTK python applications with simple Qt GUI.
- Interfaces to standard Python packages, Python Programmable Filters.
- Animation scripting, with steady or time-dependent data series.
- Volume Rendering of scalar data.
- Ray-tracing and Path-tracing (data, materials, progressive rendering).

Target Audience

This course addresses scientists with a strong interest in efficient scientific visualization of 3D data, for use on desktops and on our main Cray supercomputer.

Instructor

- Dr. Jean M. Favre, Swiss National Supercomputing Centre

Agenda

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

10:00-10:15 Welcome coffee
10:15-10:45 Lecture: ParaView Introduction
10:45-11:15 Lecture: Data formats and data interfaces
11:15-12:00 Lecture and interactive demonstration (New features, Batch and client-server)

12:00 - 13:00 Lunch

13:00 - 13:30 Lecture: SMP parallelism and MPI parallelism
13:30 - 14:00 Lecture: Python interfaces
14:00 - 15:00 Exercises
15:00 - 15:15 Coffee break
15:15 - 16:30 Lecture + exercises: Custom VTK C++/Python mini-applications with Qt.
16:30 - 17:00 Wrap-up. Q/A

Thursday, September 26, 2019

09:00-09:30 Lecture: Animation scripting
09:30-10:15 Exercises
10:15-10:30 Coffee break
10:30-11:00 Lecture: Volume Rendering
11:00-12:00 Exercises

12:00 - 13:00 Lunch

13:00 - 13:30 Lecture: Ray-tracing and Path-tracing
13:30 - 15:00 Exercises
15:00 - 15:15 Coffee break
15:15 - 15:45 Lecture: ParaView customization (data interfaces, python code, etc.)
15:45 - 16:15 Wrap-up. Q/A

Registration

All participants must register for the course. The registration fee includes coffee breaks and lunches throughout the two day course.

Course Fee: 160 CHF

Deadline for registration: Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Kindly note that the course can take place only if there are sufficient confirmed registrations received by the deadline. The minimum number of participants is 8.

Please contact Jean M. Favre (jean.favre@cscs.ch) for questions related to the course content and reception@cscs.ch for questions related to the event logistics. 

Kindly note that no parking space is available at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre. The closest bus stop to the centre is Lugano, Stadio. From Lugano railway station, you should take bus number 4 or 6.

Suggestions regarding travels and accommodation are available here.

You are encouraged to travel by public transportation. There is a Park & Ride Resega parking lot, within five minutes walk from CSCS.

We look forward to welcoming you at CSCS!