8. Data Visualisation and CAD
8.1 IDL (Interactive Data Language)
- Description:
IDL is powerful software for data analysis, visualization, and application development. IDL's features include flexible I/O, object-oriented programming, 2D plotting, 3D graphics, volume rendering, image processing, mathematics, statistics, a cross-platform GUI toolkit, plus a high-level, array-oriented programming language. Use IDL for visual data analysis, rapid prototyping, or application development. IDL programs, including their graphical user interfaces, are portable across Linux, Windows 3.11, Windows 95, Windows NT, Mac, PowerMac, Unix and VMS.
The IDL-Student Version is a functionality-limited version of IDL 5.0. It is designed to compliment IDL-teaching lab environments and give students access to software specifically designed for technical curriculums including physics, astronomy, engineering, earth sciences, medical sciences and computer science. For more information or to place an order, visit our web site.
- Distribution media:
CD-ROM and Internet (FTP).
- Licensing policy:
Free demo CD-ROM available or download via FTP.
- OS provisions:
IDL 5.0 for Linux is built using the Linux 2.0.18 kernel and the Red Hat version 4.0 Linux distribution.
- Documentation:
3000+ pages of documentation on paper and hypertext online help.
- Product support:
Customer support service, maintenance/update service, training and consulting are available. In addition, a Usenet group is devoted to IDL.
- Extra features and add-ons:
ENVI: remote sensing image processing application, DataMiner: ODBC database access, HDF, CDF, netCDF support, animation, volume slicer, high resolution mapping.
- Available since:
May, 1997.
- Countries with distribution:
Ask vendor.
- Price range:
Contact vendor/distributor.
- Vendor:
Research Systems, Inc.
2995 Wilderness Place Boulder, CO 80301 U.S.A.
- Phone:
+1 303 786 9900
- Fax:
+1 303 786 9909
- EMail:
- URL:
- FTP:
- Last modified:
November 5, 1997.
8.2 Megahedron
- Description:
A flexible and powerful 3D graphics engine controlled by a high-level interpreted language called SMPL. With it, you can learn about 3D, write your own interactive simulations, animations, and ray-tracings. You can even write your own shaders, customize procedural objects and motions, and use up to 64 computers at once for net rendering. Includes executables for Windows 95, Windows NT x86 and Alpha, SGI Irix and Linux.
- Distribution media:
CD-ROM, ISO-9660 and Rock Ridge.
- Licensing policy:
Very flexible. The owner is allowed to run as many copies as they can, on any platforms. Demo version, full documentation and sample images and scripts available on our web site.
- OS provisions:
Supports kernel 1.2.8 or 1.3.15. Non-ELF, a.out executable (QMAGIC). 16 MB of RAM minimum recommended. 7 MB free disk space recommended.
- Documentation:
In HTML on CDROM.
- Product support:
Private news server, EMail. Patches on web site.
- Extra features and add-ons:
Everything included on one CD-ROM.
- Available since:
August, 1996.
- Countries with distribution:
World wide, direct and through dealers.
- Price range:
US$99
- Vendor:
Syndesis Corporation
235 South Main Street Jefferson, WI 53549 U.S.A.
- Phone:
+1 414 674 5200
- Fax:
+1 414 674 6363
- EMail:
- URL:
- Contact:
John Foust <jfoust@threedee.com>
- Last modified:
November 3, 1997.
8.3 Tecplot 7.0
- Description:
Tecplot is interactive data visualization software for XY plotting, 2D and 3D mesh, contour, vector, scatter, and shade plots. For more information, see the Amtec Engineering web site.
- Distribution media:
CD-ROM and Internet (FTP).
- Licensing policy:
Either personal licenses (node locked) or network licenses. Evaluation copies available on CD-ROM or by anonymous FTP.
- OS provisions:
12 MB minimum, Linux 1.2 or newer (available in both statically linked and dynamically linked versions). Use the statically linked version if your system does not have Motif 1.2 or newer installed. 32 MB RAM is recommended.
- Documentation:
Printed User's and Reference Manuals, full online help. English.
- Product support:
Update and technical support included with license for first three months. Extra charge (ask for EUSS) after that. Training courses available.
- Available since:
V7 since September 1996, V6 since August 1993.
- Countries with distribution:
Many, see Amtec web site.
- Price range:
US$1795 for personal license, US$2395 for single-user network license, US$1795 for each additional user. All prices the USA and Canada only.
- Vendor:
Amtec Engineering, Inc
PO Box 3633 Bellevue, WA 98009-3633 U.S.A.
- Phone:
+1 800 676 7568, +1 425 827 3304
- Fax:
+1 425 827 3989
- EMail:
- URL:
- Last modified:
August 4, 1997.
8.4 VariCAD
- Description:
Mechanical CAD system available for Linux and Windows 95 and Windows NT.
The system is equipped with all basic resources necessary both for constructors' and designers' work in engineering. It includes functions for 3D modeling, 2D drawing, editing, transformations, working with user defined objects, block, group and symbol creating capabilities. The whole system is very customizable and widely open.
- Distribution media:
CD-ROM, Internet (WWW).
- Licensing policy:
Free demo version available on our web site.
- OS provisions:
Kernel version 2.0 or higher, XFree86 version 3.1+, RAM 16 MB, harddisk 20 MB, libc 5.4.
- Documentation:
Online help, English.
- Product support:
New version about every three months.
- Extra features and add-ons:
New versions during first year free.
- Available since:
1991.
- Countries with distribution:
World wide.
- Price range:
US$dollar;199-$499.
- Vendor:
VariCAD
931 Greenbriar Avenue Ottawa, ON K2C 0J8 Canada
P. O. Box 38 Liberec 2 460 02 Czech Republic
- Phone:
+1 613 723 5319
- Fax:
+1 613 723 5319
- EMail:
- URL:
- Contact:
Petr Placek
- Last modified:
August 15, 1998.
8.5 VARKON
- Description:
A high level development tool for CAD and Product modeling applications. Interactive parametric modelling in 2D and 3D with object oriented database. High level CAD and modelling language MBS included.
- Distribution media:
Internet (WWW).
- Licensing policy:
Free binary for Linux.
- OS provisions:
Requires X but not Motif. Needs 3 MB of harddisk for basic installation and 3MB of RAM to run.
- Documentation:
400 pages of documentation included in the free version for Linux.
- Product support:
Service with continous updates and free consultation available for US $75/month.
- Extra features and add-ons:
Additional plotterdrivers available free of charge.
- Available since:
July, 1996.
- Countries with distribution:
World wide.
- Price range:
Linux version is free of charge.
- Vendor:
Microform AB
Henningsholmsgatan 4 S-703 69 Orebro Sweden
- Phone:
+46 19314932
- Fax:
+46 19314969
- EMail:
- URL:
- Contact:
Johan Kjellander
- Last modified:
September 30, 1997.
8.6 XVScan
- Description:
Image scanning and manipulation software for HP ScanJet scanners.
- Distribution media:
Internet (EMail and FTP). 4mm DDS2 DAT tape or 3.5 diskettes (additional US$15 in the USA, US$25 international).
- Licensing policy:
XVScan is based on XV and is not available in demo version due to licensing restrictions. Distributed with full source code.
- OS provisions:
Linux, tested with 1.2.x and 2.0.x, requires a recent generic SCSI driver support to be built in (no earlier than 1.1.79). Motif is not required. Any XFree version (X11R5, X11R6).
- Documentation:
Online, WWW, English.
- Product support:
Updates free for first year.
- Extra features and add-ons:
Also available for HP-UX, BSD/OS 2.2 and 3.0, SunOS 4.1.x, Solaris 2.x, and FreeBSD.
- Available since:
May, 1995.
- Countries with distribution:
World wide.
- Price range:
US$50 for FTP or EMail shipping. Additional US$15 for media in the United States, US$15, internationally. Mastercard, Visa and Discover, and American Express Credit Cards accepted.
- Vendor:
tummy.com, ltd.
3506 Stratton Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525-2722 U.S.A.
- Phone:
+1 970 223 8215
- Fax:
+1 408 490 2728
- EMail:
- URL:
- Contact:
Sean Reifschneider <jafo@tummy.com> or Evelyn Mitchell <efm@tummy.com>
- Last modified:
August 4, 1997.
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