[x3d-public] Feng Liu, "Platform Independent Real-Time X3D Shaders and their Applications in Bioinformatics Visualization"

[Don Brutzman]

Here is a tremendous work whose contributions include protein/CML conversion and visualization, Shader Language Converter, and a multi-user visualization exemplar.  Credit goes to Nicholas Polys for identifying this resource.

Feng Liu, "Platform Independent Real-Time X3D Shaders and their Applications in Bioinformatics Visualization," Ph.D. Dissertation, Georgia State University, 1-12-2007.
https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cs_diss/24

Abstract. Since the introduction of programmable Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and procedural shaders, hardware vendors have each developed their own individual real-time shading language standard. None of these shading languages is fully platform independent. Although this real-time programmable shader technology could be developed into 3D application on a single system, this platform dependent limitation keeps the shader technology away from 3D Internet applications. The primary purpose of this dissertation is to design a framework for translating different shader formats to platform independent shaders and embed them into the eXtensible 3D (X3D) scene for 3D web applications. This framework includes a back-end core shader converter, which translates shaders among different shading languages with a middle XML layer. Also included is a shader library containing a basic set of shaders that developers can load and add shaders to. This framework will then be applied to some applications in Biomolecular Visualization.

Image excerpts available on Twitter:

	Valuable research includes #X3D protein visualization and shader interoperability.
	Feng Liu, "Platform Independent Real-Time X3D Shaders and their Applications in Bioinformatics Visualization,"
	Ph.D. Dissertation, Georgia State University, 1-12-2007. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cs_diss/24
	https://twitter.com/Web3DConsortium/status/965277445631836161

Excellent insight and multiple areas of work might proceed from the accomplishments here.  Thanks for your important efforts Feng Liu.

all the best, Don
-- 
Don Brutzman  Naval Postgraduate School, Code USW/Br       brutzman at nps.edu
Watkins 270,  MOVES Institute, Monterey CA 93943-5000 USA   +1.831.656.2149
X3D graphics, virtual worlds, navy robotics http://faculty.nps.edu/brutzman