Data Visualisation and Analysis Tool
Andy Heath
Department of Earth & Ocean Sciences
University of Liverpool
Seismic Data eXplorer
SDX is a (Qt-based) application being developed at Liverpool
Conceptually split into 2 parts:
i) GUI (controls and visualisation)
ii) Processing framework (processing done by plugins)
… plugins created by scientist – scientist prescribes analysis …
•  Could the SDX idea offer a way of visualising and analysing
seismic waveforms on the fly within the portal?
•  Offer the ability to browse and quality control waveform data
before committing time and resources to downloading the data?
Visualisation (2D)
Visualisation (3D)
•  Visualise many waveforms simultaneously
•  Selection of waveforms and picking possible
•  Straight-forward to incorporate other information in 3D scene
Processing framework: plugin execution
• 
Plugin name selected from menu
•  Framework automatically generates dialog box for parameter input
•  Only selected waveforms are processed by plugin
•  If plugin generates new waveforms, these are added to the display
Plugin creation and building
Plugin editor part of GUI:
•  User source code is currently C or C++
•  Simple API to access waveforms
•  Add runtime parameters (default value)
•  “Build” button generates binary plugin
User’s source code
+
Runtime parameter information
+
Support code (i.e. plugin template)
“Build”
Dynamic library
(plugin binary file)
Plugin file is self-contained: runtime parameters, default values, etc are
stored within file. Using this information the plugin execution dialog is
generated on the fly by framework
Workflows
Workflow editor part of GUI:
•  Simple text script
•  Execute plugins non-interactively
•  Execute multiple plugins sequentially
•  Assign plugin parameter values within workflow script
•  Pass parameter values between plugins
Assign parameter constant
Execute plugin
Pass parameter value
between plugins
SDX within the portal?
Controls
Graphics
Editors
Plugin building
Plugin validation
Processing framework
PORTLET
WEB SERVICE
•  Waveform data requested directly by framework – user request or cart
•  Plugin and workflow script files stored using cart mechanism
•  Library of common plugins/workflows available via a shared cart?
•  Parse plugins to validate – disallow some statements/calls (e.g. some i/o)
Liverpool University Computer Services Department are
willing to provide the processing and storage facilities
required to host the webservice and portlet(s)
Could the processing framework/plugin concept be applied
to other portal applications?
A demonstration of the current version of SDX is available here!