A real-time visualization system for computational fluid dynamics

We have developed a real-time visualization system for CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) in a network computing environment. This system, named RVSLIB (Real-time Visualization and Steering Library), makes it possible to visualize the results of a CFD simulation on a client simultaneously while it is being computed on a server (tracking). The GUI (Graphical User Interface) of the RVSLIB system also enables the user to specify parameters of the calculation and visualization graphically. The system generates pixel image data on the server, and compresses the data by JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group). Therefore, the amount of data transferred from the server to the client is relatively small. High performance visualization is achieved by effectively vectorizing the visualization module on a supercomputer. The system is built on standard X Window System#, OSF/Motif#, and socket-based communications, and therefore has high portability.