Game on, science - how video game technology may help biologists tackle visualization challenges.

The video games industry develops ever more advanced technologies to improve rendering, image quality, ergonomics and user experience of their creations providing very simple to use tools to design new games. In the molecular sciences, only a small number of experts with specialized know-how are abl...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Zhihan Lv, Alex Tek, Franck Da Silva, Charly Empereur-mot, Matthieu Chavent, Marc Baaden
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/d798df13246443a8aaabb628a48cd8a9
Etiquetas:	Agregar Etiqueta Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!

id	oai:doaj.org-article:d798df13246443a8aaabb628a48cd8a9
record_format	dspace
spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:d798df13246443a8aaabb628a48cd8a92021-11-18T07:54:38ZGame on, science - how video game technology may help biologists tackle visualization challenges.1932-620310.1371/journal.pone.0057990https://doaj.org/article/d798df13246443a8aaabb628a48cd8a92013-01-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/23483961/?tool=EBIhttps://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203The video games industry develops ever more advanced technologies to improve rendering, image quality, ergonomics and user experience of their creations providing very simple to use tools to design new games. In the molecular sciences, only a small number of experts with specialized know-how are able to design interactive visualization applications, typically static computer programs that cannot easily be modified. Are there lessons to be learned from video games? Could their technology help us explore new molecular graphics ideas and render graphics developments accessible to non-specialists? This approach points to an extension of open computer programs, not only providing access to the source code, but also delivering an easily modifiable and extensible scientific research tool. In this work, we will explore these questions using the Unity3D game engine to develop and prototype a biological network and molecular visualization application for subsequent use in research or education. We have compared several routines to represent spheres and links between them, using either built-in Unity3D features or our own implementation. These developments resulted in a stand-alone viewer capable of displaying molecular structures, surfaces, animated electrostatic field lines and biological networks with powerful, artistic and illustrative rendering methods. We consider this work as a proof of principle demonstrating that the functionalities of classical viewers and more advanced novel features could be implemented in substantially less time and with less development effort. Our prototype is easily modifiable and extensible and may serve others as starting point and platform for their developments. A webserver example, standalone versions for MacOS X, Linux and Windows, source code, screen shots, videos and documentation are available at the address: http://unitymol.sourceforge.net/.Zhihan LvAlex TekFranck Da SilvaCharly Empereur-motMatthieu ChaventMarc BaadenPublic Library of Science (PLoS)articleMedicineRScienceQENPLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 3, p e57990 (2013)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Zhihan Lv Alex Tek Franck Da Silva Charly Empereur-mot Matthieu Chavent Marc Baaden Game on, science - how video game technology may help biologists tackle visualization challenges.
description	The video games industry develops ever more advanced technologies to improve rendering, image quality, ergonomics and user experience of their creations providing very simple to use tools to design new games. In the molecular sciences, only a small number of experts with specialized know-how are able to design interactive visualization applications, typically static computer programs that cannot easily be modified. Are there lessons to be learned from video games? Could their technology help us explore new molecular graphics ideas and render graphics developments accessible to non-specialists? This approach points to an extension of open computer programs, not only providing access to the source code, but also delivering an easily modifiable and extensible scientific research tool. In this work, we will explore these questions using the Unity3D game engine to develop and prototype a biological network and molecular visualization application for subsequent use in research or education. We have compared several routines to represent spheres and links between them, using either built-in Unity3D features or our own implementation. These developments resulted in a stand-alone viewer capable of displaying molecular structures, surfaces, animated electrostatic field lines and biological networks with powerful, artistic and illustrative rendering methods. We consider this work as a proof of principle demonstrating that the functionalities of classical viewers and more advanced novel features could be implemented in substantially less time and with less development effort. Our prototype is easily modifiable and extensible and may serve others as starting point and platform for their developments. A webserver example, standalone versions for MacOS X, Linux and Windows, source code, screen shots, videos and documentation are available at the address: http://unitymol.sourceforge.net/.
format	article
author	Zhihan Lv Alex Tek Franck Da Silva Charly Empereur-mot Matthieu Chavent Marc Baaden
author_facet	Zhihan Lv Alex Tek Franck Da Silva Charly Empereur-mot Matthieu Chavent Marc Baaden
author_sort	Zhihan Lv
title	Game on, science - how video game technology may help biologists tackle visualization challenges.
title_short	Game on, science - how video game technology may help biologists tackle visualization challenges.
title_full	Game on, science - how video game technology may help biologists tackle visualization challenges.
title_fullStr	Game on, science - how video game technology may help biologists tackle visualization challenges.
title_full_unstemmed	Game on, science - how video game technology may help biologists tackle visualization challenges.
title_sort	game on, science - how video game technology may help biologists tackle visualization challenges.
publisher	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
publishDate	2013
url	https://doaj.org/article/d798df13246443a8aaabb628a48cd8a9
work_keys_str_mv	AT zhihanlv gameonsciencehowvideogametechnologymayhelpbiologiststacklevisualizationchallenges AT alextek gameonsciencehowvideogametechnologymayhelpbiologiststacklevisualizationchallenges AT franckdasilva gameonsciencehowvideogametechnologymayhelpbiologiststacklevisualizationchallenges AT charlyempereurmot gameonsciencehowvideogametechnologymayhelpbiologiststacklevisualizationchallenges AT matthieuchavent gameonsciencehowvideogametechnologymayhelpbiologiststacklevisualizationchallenges AT marcbaaden gameonsciencehowvideogametechnologymayhelpbiologiststacklevisualizationchallenges
_version_	1718422798105313280

Game on, science - how video game technology may help biologists tackle visualization challenges.

Ejemplares similares