Spheriphor Study 04 - Thomas J. Greenbaum

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Spheriphor Shell Game

The following POV-Ray scene description language source code generates an arrangement of nested spherical shells centered at the nodes of a branching framework. The intent is to provide a branching framework of spherical shells for use as a spherical metaphor or Spheriphor. In this way, the branching framework may be used as a visual metaphor for representing complex data clusters in spherical space.

The methodology generates a branching framework that connects a sequence of progressively smaller spherical shells. In this study there are three levels of branches. Each branch terminates at a node where the next level of branches emerges. A series of nested spherical shells is centered at each node. The spherical shells create a spherical grid for comparing the lengths of the branches and thus provide the basis for a system of metrics.

While this study displays the branching framework in a flat plane, one can imagine the framework wrapped around a dome projection screen. The dome would provide a 360 degree, immersive experience of the data set.

Navigation into any given branching point (node) would provide a zoom factor or a deep dive into the data. For example, the user selects a node via a user interface, the camera point of view then zooms to the center of the selected series of spherical shells. This new camera view point becomes the center point of the dome projection system. In this way many levels of data could be navigated and the fine details of data sets revealed.

The Fibonacci Series is used as a sample data set for this study. The reader can see the spiral form that emerges. This is the same spiral form which is found in the spiral arm of a galaxy, the cross section of a nautilus shell or the center of a sunflower.

POV-Ray Source Code

Persistence of Vision Raytracer (POV-Ray) is used to parametrically generate images of a spherical metaphor for multi-dimensional data visualization on a digital dome projection system. This spherical metaphor, or to coin a term “Spheriphor,” takes advantage of the opportunity to visualize high-density, multi-dimensional data using spherical coordinate systems. Virtual Globes may also use the Spheriphor to display non-GIS data.

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Usage

The POV-Ray Spheriphor generator uses one file, the Spheriphor_Study04.pov scene description file.

Create a file folder on your hard drive: c:\spheriphor\
Copy the text from the table below and paste into the POV-Ray text editor
Select File>Save As... and enter the filename
- Spheriphor_Study04.pov main scene description file
Click on the tab in POV-Ray for Spheriphor_Study04.pov and Run the renderer

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Spheriphor_Study04.pov

   /*
   Copyright (c) 2005 by Thomas J. Greenbaum. Some Rights Reserved.
   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
      http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
   Spheriphor_Study04.pov
   Spheriphor Generator, version November 18, 2005
   For creation of a visual metaphor for representing complex data clusters
   Based on original Snowflake Generator work, this time with spherical shells
   The Fibonacci Series is used as a sample data set
   Command line options to redirect file output
      Test resolution setting:   
         +FC24, +Lc:\spheriphor, +Ospheriphor017 Width=640, Height=480, +A
      High resolution setting:
         +FC24, +Lc:\spheriphor, +Ospheriphor030 Width=3072, Height=2304, +A
      Zazzle resolution setting:
         +FC24, +Lc:\spheriphor, +Ospheriphor033 Width=6400, Height=4800, +A     
      NOTES: +FC24 = Compressed Targa-24 format (RLE, run length encoded) 24bit color depth
   */
    
   #include "stdinc.inc"
   //Increase max_trace_level to calculate multiple layers of transparent objects
   global_settings
   {
     max_trace_level 20
   }                                                       
   
   //Solid color for quick render set to 0, transparent takes long set to 0.7
   #declare trans_no = 0.75 ;
    
   #declare SkyBlueTrans     = color rgbf <0.196078, 0.600000, 0.800000, trans_no> ;
   #declare BrightGoldTrans  = color rgbf <0.950000, 0.950000, 0.050000, trans_no> ;
   #declare SpringGreenTrans = color rgbf <0.000000, 1.000000, 0.498039, trans_no> ;
   #declare RedTrans         = color rgbf <1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, trans_no> ;
   #declare NavyBlueTrans    = color rgbf <0.137255, 0.137255, 0.556863, trans_no> ;
    
   #declare Grid_finish = finish {
      ambient   0.200
      diffuse   0.400
      specular  1.000
      roughness 0.001
      //reflection {.7}
   }
   
   #declare Rfinish = finish {
      ambient   0.700
      diffuse   0.400
      specular  1.000
      roughness 0.001
      //reflection {.7}
   }
   
   //Primitives
   #declare HemiSphere =
   difference {
      sphere { <0,0,0>,1}
      sphere { <0,0,0>,0.99}
      box { <-2,0,-2>,<2,2,2> }
   }
   #declare HalfPipe =
   difference {
      cylinder { <0,0,0>,<1,0,0>,1 }
      cylinder { <-0.5,0,0>,<1.5,0,0>,0.99 }
      box { <-2,0,-2>,<2,2,2> }
   }
   //Metrics
   #declare s1_rad = 1 ;                               
   #declare s1_val = array[9] {1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55} ;
   #declare s1_cnt = 9 ;
   #declare s1_ang = 360/s1_cnt ;
   #declare s1_tra = s1_rad/sind(s1_ang/2) ; 
   #declare s0_rad = s1_rad+s1_tra ;
   #declare i = 0 ;
   #declare Sum = 0 ;
   #while (i < s1_cnt )
      #declare Sum = Sum + s1_val[i] ; 
      #declare i = i + 1;
   #end
   #declare s2_val = array[9][8]
   {  //Column   1           2           3           4           5           6           7           8
      {0.018518519,0.018518519,0.037037037,0.055555556,0.092592593,0.148148148,0.240740741,0.388888889}, //Row 1
      {0.037037037,0.037037037,0.074074074,0.111111111,0.185185185,0.296296296,0.481481481,0.777777778}, //Row 2
      {0.055555556,0.055555556,0.111111111,0.166666667,0.277777778,0.444444444,0.722222222,1.166666667}, //Row 3
      {0.092592593,0.092592593,0.185185185,0.277777778,0.462962963,0.740740741,1.203703704,1.944444444}, //Row 4
      {0.148148148,0.148148148,0.296296296,0.444444444,0.740740741,1.185185185,1.925925926,3.111111111}, //Row 5
      {0.240740741,0.240740741,0.481481481,0.722222222,1.203703704,1.925925926,3.129629630,5.055555556}, //Row 6
      {0.388888889,0.388888889,0.777777778,1.166666667,1.944444444,3.111111111,5.055555556,8.166666667}, //Row 7
      {0.629629630,0.629629630,1.259259259,1.888888889,3.148148148,5.037037037,8.185185185,13.22222222}, //Row 8
      {1.018518519,1.018518519,2.037037037,3.055555556,5.092592593,8.148148148,13.24074074,21.38888889}  //Row 9
   } ;
   #declare s2_cnt = 6 ;
   #declare s2_ang = 360/s2_cnt ;
   
   // L E V E L   0 0
   
   //begin Spheriphor Level 0O
   #declare j = 0 ;
   #declare Spheriphor_00 =
   union {
   #while (j < s1_cnt)
      //Multiple hemispheres arrayed radially internally to center hemisphere
      object { 
         HemiSphere scale s1_rad
         translate 
         rotate <0,j*s1_ang,0>
         texture { 
            pigment { color SkyBlue }
         }
         finish { Rfinish }
         no_shadow
      }
      //Hemispheres at the end of each radial halfpipe arm
      object { 
         HemiSphere scale s1_rad
         translate 
         rotate <0,j*s1_ang,0>
         texture { 
            pigment { color Red }
         }
         finish { Rfinish }
         no_shadow
      }
      //Radial halfpipe arms
      object { 
      HalfPipe scale  
         translate 
         rotate <0,j*s1_ang,0>
         texture { 
            pigment { color SkyBlue }
         }
         finish { Rfinish }
         no_shadow
      }
      #declare j = j + 1 ;
   #end
      //Hemisphere at center of spheriphor
      object { HemiSphere 
        scale s0_rad
        texture {
           pigment { color BrightGold }
        }
        finish { Rfinish }
        no_shadow
      } 
   } //end Spheriphor Level 00
   
   //begin Grid Level 00
   #declare Grid_00 =
   union {
      //Concentric hemispheres for gridline
      #declare k = 1 ;
      #declare Grid_cnt = 14 ;
      #while (k < Grid_cnt)
         #declare blue_no = (1/Grid_cnt)*(k) ;
         #declare GreenTrans = color rgbf <0, 1, blue_no, trans_no> ;
         object { HemiSphere 
           scale s0_rad+(k*5)
           translate <0,-400,0>
           texture {
              pigment { color GreenTrans }
           }
           finish { Grid_finish }
           no_shadow
         }
      #declare k = k + 1 ;
      #end
   } //end Grid Level 00
   
   // L E V E L   0 1
   
   //begin Spheriphor Level 01
   #declare j = 0 ;
   #declare Spheriphor_01 =
   union {
   #while (j < s1_cnt)
      object { 
         Spheriphor_00 scale s2_val[j][7]/30
         translate 
         rotate <0,j*s1_ang,0>
      }
      #declare j = j + 1 ;
   #end
   } //end Spheriphor Level 01
   
   //begin Grid Level 01
   #declare j = 0 ;
   #declare Grid_01 =
   union {
   #while (j < s1_cnt)
      object { 
         Grid_00 scale s2_val[j][7]/30
         translate 
         rotate <0,j*s1_ang,0>
      }
      #declare j = j + 1 ;
   #end
   } //end Grid Level 01
   
   // L E V E L   0 2
   
   //begin Spheriphor Level 02
   #declare j = 0 ;
   #declare Spheriphor_02 =
   union {
   #while (j < s1_cnt)
      object { 
         Spheriphor_01 scale s2_val[j][7]/30
         translate 
         rotate <0,j*s1_ang,0>
      }
      #declare j = j + 1 ;
   #end
   } //end Spheriphor Level 02
   
   //begin Grid Level 02
   #declare j = 0 ;
   #declare Grid_02 =
   union {
   #while (j < s1_cnt)
      object { 
         Grid_01 scale s2_val[j][7]/30
         translate 
         rotate <0,j*s1_ang,0>
      }
      #declare j = j + 1 ;
   #end
   } //end Grid Level 02
   
   //Composite Levels 00, 01 and 02
   #declare Spheriphor_Comp =
   union {
      object {
      Spheriphor_00
      }
      object {
      Grid_00
      }
      object {
      Spheriphor_01
         translate <0,s0_rad*1.1,0>
      }
      object {
      Grid_01
      }
         object {
      Spheriphor_02
         translate <0,s0_rad*2.2,0>
      }
      object {
      Grid_02
      }
   }
   
   //Translate the final composite to be centered approximately on the origin
   object {
      Spheriphor_Comp
      rotate <0,s1_ang,0>
      translate <-30,0,0>
   }
   
   // B A C K G R O U N D 
   plane {
     y,-600
     texture {
       pigment { color Yellow }
       finish {
         ambient   0.700
         diffuse   0.600
         specular  1.000
         roughness 0.1
       }
     }
   } 
   
   // L I G H T S
   #declare Light_dist = 200 ;
   light_source { <100,Light_dist,20>
      color Gray70
      spotlight
      radius 35 falloff 40
      fade_distance 180
      point_at <-100,-Light_dist,-20>}
   
   light_source { <-60,Light_dist,-60>
      color Gray50
      spotlight
      radius 35 falloff 40
      fade_distance 180
      point_at <60,-Light_dist,60>}
   
   light_source { <-80,Light_dist,80>
      color White
      spotlight
      radius 35 falloff 40
      fade_distance 180
      point_at <80,-Light_dist,-80>}
   
   // C A M E R A S
   #declare Cam01 =    
   camera {
      spherical
      location <0,150,0>
      look_at  <0,0,0>
      angle 60 60   
      up z
   }
   
   #declare Cam02 =
   camera {
      spherical
      location <0,30,0>
      look_at  <0,0,0>
   }
   
   #declare Cam03 =    
   camera {
      orthographic
      location <0,150,0>
      look_at  <0,0,0>
      right 1.33*x
      angle 70   
   }
   
   camera { Cam03 }

SPHΘRIPHΦR - Study 04

Branching Network Fibonacci Series

Contents

Image Gallery

Spheriphor Shell Game

POV-Ray Source Code

Usage

Spheriphor_Study04.pov