GNNViz: Immersive and collaborative visualization for landscapes

1. GNNViz:Immersive and collaborative visualization for landscapes Matt Gregory1, Janet Ohmann2 and Tim Holt1 1Department of Forest Science, Oregon State University 2PNW Research Station, USFS

2. Project Impetus Users want to better understand complex spatial datasets for large landscapes, plus interact with others using the same datasets Tool to aid communication among researchers, land managers, the public, and other “stakeholders” DRY – don’t repeat yourself Existing computer game technology is an effective tool from which to develop visualization tools for complex spatial datasets

3. Technical Specifications Free and open source gaming engine (Delta3D) with multiplayer capability Based on Gradient Nearest Neighbor (GNN) predictive vegetation model every pixel contains a stand of trees that can be rendered Content shown based on XML file (can be extended to other landscape data) Closely tied to GIS data formats – easy import of spatial data

4. Future Enhancements Couple with other models (e.g. climate), for dynamic viewing of alternative futures Improve communication tools in the game Display spatial uncertainty Incorporate vector reference data (roads, cities, streams, etc.) Create interaction with game objects (‘picking’) to get detailed information about object attributes

5. For more information / downloads Email Matt Gregory: matt.gregory@oregonstate.edu Janet Ohmann: janet.ohmann@oregonstate.edu Website http://www.fsl.orst.edu/lemma/gnnviz/ GNN Method http://www.fsl.orst.edu/lemma/method/