Installation Week Training

1
Installation Week Training
Last updated May 2008
2
Training Sessions

• Session 1 Projector Alignment
• Session 2 Operation and System
  Administration
• Session 3 Overview and Basic System Use
• Session 4 Presenter Training and Dataset
  Overview
• Session 5 Content Creation

3
Session 1 Projector Alignment

• What is projector alignment?
• Alignment Software
• Projector Alignment with the Red Ball and Red
  Grid
• Vertex Tweaking with the Red Grid

4
What is Projector Alignment?

• The SOS system uses four projectors positioned
  around the sphere, 90 apart, to display data
  onto the surface of the sphere
• Light from adjacent projectors overlaps and makes
  edges
• These edges need to align very closely to achieve
  a single unified, global sphere image
• The edges are also called the blending area
• The process of creating a seamless edge blend is
  project alignment

5
Example of Bad Alignment
Notice that there are two Floridas. This is
because the projectors are not aligned properly
6
Aligning the Sphere

• Before starting the SOS Stream GUI needs to be
  opened
• Open the Wii remote software by clicking the
  Wiimote icon and connect the remote by pressing
  1 and 2 on the remote, if the remote is not
  already connected
• Select the tab on the right labeled Alignment
• To start alignment press the button labeled
  Start Alignment

7
Alignment Tool
8
Alignment Tool

• The Save Alignment button saves all of the
  changes that you make
• Its suggested to press Save Alignment at every
  step along the way so that all of your changes
  are saved
• The Load last saved alignment button will load
  the settings from the last time they were saved
• When alignment is complete, save it one last time
  and press Stop Alignment to return the remote to
  Play Mode

Note Press Reset to factory defaults with
caution as it resets all of the projectors to
their original alignment
9
Modes of Aligning

• There are two modes of aligning the sphere
• Projector Alignment when the projectors have
  just been installed or are really out of
  alignment
• Vertex Tweaking tweaking the alignment to make
  it perfect

10
The Red Ball

• Turn the Red Ball on/off by pressing the 1
  button for each projector
• This is what you should see
• The goal is to have the red cover the surface of
  the sphere with no overshooting
• Also, there should be no cyan showing

The Red Ball image is a red ball on a cyan
background
11
Adjusting the Red Ball

• The projectors can be toggled on and off using
  the A button
• Use the and - buttons to select the
  projector, the lights at the bottom of remote
  indicate each projector, 1 through 4
• The position and size of the red ball can be
  adjusted using the remote

12
Aligning with the Remote
13
Translation Mode

• The Wii Nunchuk is needed for aligning the sphere
• In translation mode the red ball can be moved
  left, right, up and down
• Use the joystick on the nunchuk to move the image
• You want the red ball to be centered on the
  sphere

14
Scale Mode

• To adjust in scale mode, hold Z on the nunchuk
  while using the joystick
• In scale mode, up on the joystick makes the image
  taller, down on the joystick arrow makes the
  image squatter, right on the joystick makes the
  image wider, and left on the joystick the image
  thinner
• You want the red ball to just cover the sphere
  without overshooting

15
Overshooting
The wall behind the projector should show no red.
The presence of red indicates that image that
should be projected on the sphere is either not
centered or too large we call this overshooting.
16
Rotation Mode

• Holding the C button on the nunchuk while using
  the joystick allows you to rotate the image
• The image should be as level as possible, with
  the equator parallel to the floor

17
Notes about the Red Ball

• Turn all of the projectors off except the one
  that you are working with so that you can see the
  edges of the image
• When working with the Red Ball, dont stay in one
  place you need to walk around and see both
  sides of the sphere because you want everything
  to be uniform
• It is helpful to make the Red Ball small, center
  it on the sphere, then expand it to fit the sphere

18
Red Ball Example

• This is an example of the red ball when its
  pretty well aligned. The edge of cyan should be
  as small as possible

Note The red ball is just the first pass at
aligning the sphere, so it doesnt have to be
absolutely perfect.
19
Completing the Red Ball

• Once you are satisfied with the Red Ball on all
  four projectors, change the Display to Red Grid
  (coarse)
• Its probably a good idea to press Save
  Alignment at this point to save all of the
  changes that you have made so far

20
The Red Grid

• With the Red Grid (coarse) on the sphere,
  adjust the image so that the grid lines match up
  between projectors
• The controls for adjusting the Red Grid are the
  same as those used with the Red Ball
• When using the Red Grid you need to have all of
  the projectors on so that you can match up the
  lines

21
Red Grid
Bad Red Grid
Good Red Grid
22
The Red Grid

• It is suggested that you get the lines as close
  as you can before moving on to the next step, but
  Projector Alignment is not the final step, so the
  lines dont have to be perfect
• When you are satisfied with the Red Grid, save
  your changes

23
Vertex Tweaking

• For the first round of Vertex Tweaking use the
  Red Grid (coarse)
• To turn on vertex tweaking press the B button
  on the Wii remote
• The goal in Vertex Tweaking is to have the grid
  on the sphere line up seamlessly
• Think of vertex tweaking as the fine tuning for
  alignment

24
Tweaking the Red Grid

• You will want all of the projectors on when using
  the Red Grid
• To select a projector to adjust use the and
  -
• Each projector is represented by the one of the
  four lights at the bottom of the remote
• A grid should appear on the quadrant of the
  sphere that you are adjusting
• Use the D-pad on the Wii Remote to move around
  the grid, the highlighted number is the one that
  can be adjusted

25
Adjusting the Red Grid

• In this picture 3 is selected. Using the
  joystick you can stretch that part of the image
  up, down, left and right

• Image will only stretch near the selected number
• It is helpful to toggle adjacent projectors on
  and off if you are getting the overlapping lines
  confused

26
Notes for the Red Grid

• If two lines are separated that shouldnt be, it
  is good to move each of them half way and have
  them meet in the middle rather than moving one
  line all the way to the other
• Once you are satisfied with the alignment of the
  coarse Red Grid , you can open fine Red Grid and
  see how the alignment looks in higher resolution
• Make sure to press Save Alignment when you are
  finished aligning all of the projectors

27
Finalizing the Alignment

• When you are all done aligning the sphere, load a
  normal dataset, such as the Blue Marble, and see
  how it looks
• If overshooting is occurring, go back to Vertex
  Tweaking and adjust it
• Press Save Alignment for a final time and then
  Stop Alignment when you are all done
• You should check the alignment of the sphere
  frequently and adjust it as necessary

28
Session 2 Operation and System Administration

• Overview
• System Specifications
• Network
• File Serving
• Backups
• System Maintenance
• User Accounts

29
Overview

• The system consists of a sphere surrounded by
  four video projectors
• Each video projector is connected and driven by a
  display computer
• Each computer/projector pair is responsible for
  its own quadrant of the sphere
• There is an additional computer to control them
  all

30
Computer/Projector Pairs

• The projectors are numbered 1 4 and each
  computer is named for the projector that it
  controls with a name like sitename1, sitename2
• Each display computer
• Pulls in content
• Renders it to an Earth projection
• Subsets it
• Displays the image onto the sphere upon command

31
Network Controller

• The fifth computer is the network controller for
  the SOS computing cluster
• Its named sitename-nc and is referred to as
  nc
• The nc computer is responsible for
• Running the main user interface for the system
• Synchronization of the display nodes
• NFS file sharing for content
• Real time data collection
• Router/gateway to the SOS system
• Interface to the automation control protocol

32
Overview Details

• All of the computers are Linux based (currently
  Redhat 4 and Redhat5)
• Most sites buy a hot spare that is used in the
  case of a single computer failure
• All of the software that drives and controls the
  SOS system is written and maintained by NOAA

33
System Specifications

• Each node is a standard computer with mid to
  high-end graphics hardware
• The nodes are generally identical from a hardware
  perspective to allow for easy swapping of
  components
• The projectors are classified as board room
  projectors, which can be left on extended periods
  of time
• They are also specified to produce a high light
  output (Lumens), typically 3500 to 5000 Lumens

34
Network

• Computers are connected via gigabit network to
  enable high speed communication and data
  transport
• SOS cluster mostly resides in a private,
  non-routable network space (usually in the
  10.x.x.x range)
• The display nodes are isolated from the network
  because of their special purpose
• The nc host usually sits on the border between
  the private SOS network and the local intranet

35
Firewall

• nc runs a kernel based firewall package to
  protect against undesirable traffic
• Firewall filters are designed to drop every
  incoming connection except for secure shell
  access
• nc sits on the border of the network to enable
  outside access for
• Remote systems administration
• Software updates
• Real time data downloads

Note While the local, private SOS network is
gigabit, the external connection can be whatever
the local site supports in their network
infrastructure
36
File Serving

• nc is the file server for the cluster
• The display nodes rely on nc to provide access
  to the SOS display software and data
• When starting the system, nc should be started
  first
• When turning the system off, nc should be shut
  off last

37
Backups

• No data is backed up by default
• All of the data that comes with the system is
  retrievable from NOAA
• Site specific data should be periodically backed
  up
• Custom playlist data
• Alignment configuration files
• Datasets developed by the site

Note The playlist and alignment data are a few
megabytes (usually much less). However, the data
developed by the site can sometimes be many
gigabytes
38
Power Down Schedule

• It is recommended that the entire SOS cluster
  remains powered up all of the time if the site is
  receiving real time data
• Projectors only need to be on during operation
• Turning the projectors off when not in use will
  save lamp life
• If the system must be powered down, close the SOS
  software, turn off each display node, and turn
  off the nc node last

Note A single press of the power button on the
computers starts a graceful, clean shutdown
39
System Maintenance

• Projector alignment should be checked daily to
  maximize the spheres appearance
• Typically system only gets out of alignment if
  there is a disturbance to the projectors
• The computers are typically maintenance free, but
  patches for Redhat, especially those dealing with
  security issues, should be applied as they are
  released

Note If NOAA comes across an operating system
patch that adversely affects system operation,
users will be alerted through the SOS Forum
40
Projector Maintenance

• A typical projector lamp lasts anywhere from 1500
  to 3000 hours
• As lamps age, they will start to dim or show
  discolor and then, in most cases, suddenly go out
• When one lamp is replaced, all of the lamps
  should be replaced to make the sphere image look
  uniform
• It is recommended to keep one spare lamp on site

41
Projector Maintenance

• Projector filters should be checked monthly to
  ensure proper airflow
• In sites that are particularly dusty, filters
  should be cleaned more often
• Dirty filters reduce the cooling capacity and
  shorten projector lamp life

Note This is probably the most important of the
maintenance tasks to perform
42
User Accounts

• In Linux, every process that is run must have a
  user id
• The SOS System has two user ids
• sos used for day to day operations and running
  the SOS software
• sosrt run in the background by the processes
  that manage and transfer real time data feeds

43
Administrators

• Administrators of Linux sometimes need access to
  the super user account called root (equivalent
  to the Windows administrator priviledges)
• The password for root is set at machine
  installation and can be changed locally at the
  site
• It is recommended to not use root directly, but
  rather use the sudo command that temporarily
  raises a normal users privilege to root for the
  duration of a single command

44
Session 3 Overview and Basic System Use

• Turning the system on/off
• Starting SOS software
• Using the SOS software
• Data Organization
• Creating playlists
• Giving presentations

45
Turning the System On

• The system turns on like any other computer,
  simply press the power button
• Make sure to turn on the control computer before
  turning on all the other computers
• Turn on all of the projectors using the provided
  remote control
• Log into the desired user account
• The system will automatically log into a preset
  account

46
Turning the System Off

• There are several ways to shut down the
  computers
• Press the power button on each of the computers
  (recommended method)
• Click Actions from the upper panel and select Log
  out. This will give you the choices of Log out,
  Shut down, or Restart
• Type "sudo shutdown -h now" to shutdown or "sudo
  reboot" to reboot in a terminal
• As a last resort only, you can press and hold the
  power button for 5 seconds to cut the power
• Make sure that the control computer is the last
  one that you shut down

47
Starting SOS

• Once the control computer is up, find the SOS
  Start icon on the desktop
• Double-clicking this will start SOS Stream GUI
• A generic playlist called normal-demo.sos is
  automatically loaded when the program is started

48
Starting the SOS Software
This is what your screen should look like after
youve opened the SOS software. Dont close the
terminal because it will close SOS Stream GUI as
well. You can minimize/iconize the terminal if
it is a nuisance visually.
49
SOS Stream GUI

• The interface used to run the SOS system is the
  SOS Stream GUI.
• This is what you will use to open playlists and
  run presentations.
• The buttons across the top of the interface work
  just like those on a standard VCR or DVD player.
  

50
Opening a Playlist

• normal-demo.sos will automatically load when the
  SOS software is started
• To change playlists click Open Playlist under
  the File menu
• All playlists are stored in the /home/sos/sosrc
  directory (/home/sosdemo/sosrc for some sites)
• If a playlist is edited while its open, you must
  refresh the playlist by clicking Reload current
  playlist

51
Notes about using a Playlist

• Once a playlist is opened in SOS Stream GUI,
  click on a dataset to make the system load it on
  the sphere
• The current dataset is colored to indicate if it
  is loading, loaded or has an error

Loading
Loaded
Error

• The remote can be used interact with the playlist
  regardless of the active window
• In order to navigate through the playlist with
  the keyboard or mouse, the SOS Stream GUI must be
  the active window

52
Using a Playlist

• There are three main ways to go through a
  playlist manually
• The controls in the SOS Stream GUI
• The keyboard
• The remote control
• All of the main functions that are available
  through the Stream GUI are available with the
  remote
• To go through a playlist automatically use Auto
  Run under the File menu

53
Controls in SOS Stream GUI

• The SOS Stream GUI allows you to control a
  playlist by
• Using the options in the Controls menu
• Using the VCR-like buttons across the top of the
  window.
• If you want to reorient the image, then you must
  use the options in the Controls menu

Note Play Back and Play Fwd/Back options are
broken in the Controls menu
54
Controls for the Keyboard

• Many of the keyboard commands are listed under
  the Controls menu
• Others commands
• Next dataset down arrow
• Previous dataset up arrow

55
Controls on the Remote
Note The nunchuk is not necessary for Play Mode
56
Using the Wii Remote

• The remote must be connected to the system in
  order to work
• The remote is connected when there is one
  stationary light at the bottom of the remote on
• If the remote is disconnected or unresponsive,
  press 1 and 2 simultaneously on remote to
  connect it
• If the remote wont connect, close the SOS Stream
  GUI, reopen it and try to connect again
• From the Wiimote software, under the Remotes
  tab, make sure that the remote is in the locked
  position
• this prevents other Wii remotes from interacting
  with the system

57
Layout of the Wii Remote

• It is also possible to edit the layout of the
  functions on the Wii remote using the Wiimote
  software.
• Click on the middle tab at the top of the Wiimote
  window labeled Layouts.
• The functions described above are the built-in
  layout and not editable, but you can make a copy
  of the built-in layout, which is editable.
• Once you have a layout that you like, you can set
  it as the default. Make sure that all presenters
  are aware of any changes that are made to the
  remotes layout.

58
Editing the Remote Layout
59
About Editing the Remote

• A few notes about editing the remote layout
• You can drag buttons and gestures from the legend
  onto the bindings you can also drag the little
  button and gesture icons on each binding around.
• Drag icons back onto the legend to remove them
  from a binding.
• On the legend side of the page, if you go over to
  Actions, you'll see a list of all available
  actions. You can drag actions over to the "New
  Binding" area to create a new binding with that
  action.

60
About Editing the Remote

• More notes about editing the remote layout
• An X appears next to each binding. Clicking on
  it removes that binding.
• Not all gestures are allowed on all actions. If
  you can't drop a particular gesture on a
  particular action, it's the wrong type (i.e.
  trying to drop a joystick axis on an action
  that's expecting a button won't work).
• If the layout you're editing is set as the
  default layout (click "set as default" next to
  the layouts dropdown), any changes you make are
  immediately reflected in the remote's behavior.

61
Organization of Datasets

• The datasets are put into one of five categories
• Astronomy
• Atmosphere
• Land
• Models and Simulations
• Oceans
• There is also an Extras category that has
  assorted clips and movies

All of the datasets are put into just one
category even if they could fit into multiple
categories.
62
Organization of Datasets

• This organization scheme matches the Data Catalog
  found online at

63
Organization of Datasets
The datasets can also be viewed in their
categories in the Library of the SOS Stream GUI
Note The real-time data is not handled like the
other data and does not show up in the Library
64
Dataset Folders

• Every category has a directory that contains a
  folder for each dataset in that category. The
  folders contain (if available)
• P1, P2, P3, P4
• Texture file (if still image)
• Folder with raw images
• Data in equatorial cylindrical equidistant video
  (.mp4)
• Text file labeled labels.txt
• Text file labeled playlist.sos
• Color bars and other supporting images
• Media folder with thumbnails, videos, and
  supporting documents

Note Folders of related datasets are grouped
together
65
Dataset Folders

• The P1 4 folders are only for older datasets
  and are becoming obsolete
• Texture files are for datasets that have just one
  image, such as Mars or the Moon. These images
  are named for their size
• Raw images are for time series. The collection
  of images are put into a folder named for the
  size of the images.
• The raw images are converted to an MPEG4 file and
  named for the dataset name and the size of the
  .mp4
• Labels are used for time series datasets
  typically. They are simple text files that have
  one line for each image.

66
playlist.sos

• playlist.sos is a text file that specifies how
  the dataset is shown on the sphere
• In it you set parameters such as rotation rate,
  tilt, start frame, audio, labels, pip
• There is a fairly strict format that must be
  followed in the playlist.sos file

67
Example playlist.sos files
name Blue Marble (23 degree tilt) data
4096.jpg fps 40 tiltx 23.5 category
land creator NASA publisher NOAA
The name is what the SOS Stream GUI shows when
the playlist is loaded
Texture
name 2005 Hurricane WV with SST data
wvsst_2048.mp4 fps 10 lastdwell
1000 firstdwell 2000 label labels.txt category
atmosphere creator SSEC publisher NOAA
Because the data is stored in the same location
as the playlist.sos file, you dont need to
include the path to the data
Time Series
Full details at http//sos.noaa.gov/support/playl
ist_edit.html
68
Making Playlists

• A playlist is an ordered list of datasets, much
  like an iTunes playlist is a list of songs
• The playlists use all of the information that is
  stored in the individual playlist.sos files
• The playlists can be saved and used repeatedly
• Different playlists can be generated for
  different topics or different presenters
• All playlist have to end with the extension .sos
  and are stored in the /home/sos/sosrc directory

69
Format for Playlists
The basic format of a playlist is a file that
points to all of the playlist.sos files that are
in the dataset folder. For example, here is a
playlist that includes three datasets include
/shared/sos/media/oceans/indian_tsunami/playlist.s
osinclude /shared/sos/media/astronomy/xray_sun/
playlist.sosinclude /shared/sos/media/models/ip
cc_temp/gfdl/playlist.sos Each include
is used to point to a different dataset. This
example playlist includes the Indian Ocean
Tsunami, the X-Ray Sun and the GFDL Temperature
Change Model. All of the information about the
labels, color bars and timing is saved in each of
the separate playlist.sos files.
70
Personalizing Playlist

• The nice thing about this format is that
  everyone's playlists will be using the same
  versions of the data.
• However, if you do want to edit some of the
  options for a dataset, within only your personal
  playlist, you can do that.
• Simply include the changes in your demo playlist
  under the include like this
• include /shared/sos/media/oceans/indian_tsunami/
  playlist.soslastdwell 7000include
  /shared/sos/media/astronomy/xray_sun/playlist.sos
  fps 50include /shared/sos/media/models/ipcc_t
  emp/gfdl/playlist.sos

71
Making a Playlist

• There are two ways to make a playlist
• Manually type out the playlist
• Can do this in any text editor
• File needs to end with .sos
• Must know the locations of the playlist.sos files
  that you want to include
• Use the playlist editor
• Drop and drag
• program
• Has an interface,
• so you dont need
• to know the file
• locations

72
Auto Run Presentations

• Auto run automatically cycles through a playlist,
  displaying each dataset for 180 seconds if not
  otherwise specified
• This is a good option when a docent is not
  available
• It is helpful to have audio or supporting slides
  to clarify what the audience is looking at

73
Docent Led Presentations

• Typically, docents will use the remote control to
  lead groups through a playlist
• The length of a presentation can vary depending
  on topic and audience
• A standard presentation at the Planet Theater at
  NOAA in Boulder, CO is 30 45 minutes and
  includes 10 datasets on average.
• This format allows the audience to interact and
  ask questions

74
Presentation Notes

• Many sites give live presentations with the
  sphere throughout the day, and in between
  presentations leave the sphere on auto run
• Presentations can be broad and include datasets
  from all of the categories, or narrowly focused
  on a topic such as climate change or the solar
  system.
• One thing to consider is if the audience will sit
  or stand during the presentation
• All datasets are documented in the on-line data
  catalog

75
SOS Users Group

• The SOS Users Group works together to share
  ideas, ask questions, and brainstorm
• It is currently organized as a Yahoo Group,
  noaasos
• If members of your site would like to be added to
  the group, please provide your email addresses
• There is also a yearly Users Group Meeting

76
QUESTIONS?
77
Session 4 Presenter Training and Dataset Overview

• Opening the SOS Software
• Making a Playlist
• Giving a Presentation
• Overview of Datasets

This session covers many of the same topics as
the Overview and Basic System Use, but at a level
appropriate for presenters and docents
78
Starting SOS

• Once the control computer is up, find the SOS
  Start icon on the desktop
• Double-clicking this will start SOS Stream GUI
• A generic playlist called normal-demo.sos is
  automatically loaded when the program is started

79
Opening a Playlist

• normal-demo.sos will automatically load when the
  SOS software is started
• To change playlists click Open Playlist under
  the File menu
• All playlists are stored in the /home/sos/sosrc
  directory (/home/sosdemo/sosrc for some sites)
• If a playlist is edited while its open, you must
  refresh the playlist by clicking Reload current
  playlist

80
Using a Playlist

• There are three main ways to go through a
  playlist manually
• The controls in the SOS Stream GUI
• The keyboard
• The remote control
• All of the main functions that are available
  through the Stream GUI are available with the
  remote
• To go through a playlist automatically use Auto
  Run under the File menu

81
Controls in SOS Stream GUI

• The SOS Stream GUI allows you to control a
  playlist by
• Using the options in the Controls menu
• Using the VCR-like buttons across the top of the
  window.
• If you want to reorient the image, then you must
  use the options in the Controls menu

Note Play Back and Play Fwd/Back options are
broken in the Controls menu
82
Controls for the Keyboard

• Many of the keyboard commands are listed under
  the Controls menu
• Others commands
• Next dataset down arrow
• Previous dataset up arrow

83
Controls on the Remote
Note The nunchuk is not necessary for Play Mode
84
Using the Wii Remote

• The remote must be connected to the system in
  order to work
• The remote is connected when there is one
  stationary light at the bottom of the remote on
• If the remote is disconnected or unresponsive,
  press 1 and 2 simultaneously on remote to
  connect it
• If the remote wont connect, close the SOS Stream
  GUI, reopen it and try to connect again

85
Making Playlists

• A playlist is an ordered list of datasets, much
  like an iTunes playlist is a list of songs
• The playlists use all of the information that is
  stored in the individual playlist.sos files
• The playlists can be saved and used repeatedly
• Different playlists can be generated for
  different topics or different presenters
• All playlist have to end with the extension .sos
  and are stored in the /home/sos/sosrc directory

86
Making a Playlist

• There are two ways to make a playlist
• Manually type out the playlist
• Can do this in any text editor
• File needs to end with .sos
• Must know the locations of the playlist.sos files
  that you want to include
• Use the playlist editor
• Drop and drag
• program
• Has an interface,
• so you dont need
• to know the file
• locations

87
Organization of Datasets

• The datasets are put into one of five categories
• Astronomy
• Atmosphere
• Land
• Models and Simulations
• Oceans
• There is also an Extras category that has
  assorted clips and movies

All of the datasets are put into just one
category even if they could fit into multiple
categories.
88
Organization of Datasets
The datasets can also be viewed in their
categories in the Library of the SOS Stream GUI
Note The real-time data is not handled like the
other data and does not show up in the Library
89
Giving Presentations

• Typically guided presentations can last anywhere
  from 15 60 minutes depending on your audience
• A normal presentation will cover about 10
  different datasets
• The presentation can either be a broad overview
  of datasets, or can focus on specific topic
• It is important for presenters to be
  knowledgeable about the topics and be able to
  answer questions

90
QUESTIONS?
91
Session 5 Content Creation

• Data Organization
• Best Data Formats for SOS
• Animation Options in Playlist.sos
• Picture in a Picture
• Labels and color bars
• Adding New Datasets
• Sharing Datasets

92
Data Organization

• You can create more directories than just the
  five main ones
• Astronomy, Atmosphere, Land, Models and
  Simulations, Oceans
• We recommend creating a proto or prototype
  directory where you can store new and
  experimental datasets
• This is helpful so that you dont have multiple
  versions of the same dataset in your main
  directories

93
Data Organization

• Datasets are organized in folders
• A dataset folder contains all of the information
  required to play the visualization on the sphere
• ECE images or MP4 files
• playlist.sos
• PIPs, audio files, labels and more
• A minimal dataset folder will contain
• ECE images of MP4 files
• playlist.sos
• The other pieces are optional, but can add
  valuable information if available

94
Types of Displayable Data

• Textures
• Single, static image that can rotate on the
  sphere (PNG, JPG, TIF )
• Rotation rate is adjustable by setting the frames
  per second (fps) in the playlist.sos file
• Time Series
• Series of images with no limit on the number of
  images (can also be MPEG4)
• When making a time series, keep the frame rate in
  mind to ensure that you make enough images
• The frame rate is can be limited by the pixel
  resolution of the data and the type of data

95
Best Data Formats

• The SOS software can support most common images
  files such as GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIF, etc.
• We prefer JPEG or PNG, though if you are layering
  the data you must use PNG
• MPEG4 is our preferred format for times series
  animations
• MPEG4 gives the best playback performance and
  generally the smallest file size
• In order for the data to wrap properly around the
  sphere it is imperative that you follow the
  specifications for the data closely.

96
ECE Projection

• All of the images and videos must be in
  Equatorial Cylindrical Equidistant (ECE)
  projection
• This is also known as the lat/lon grid
• ECE is a standard cartographic map projection
  where the dimensions of the image are a rectangle
  that is twice as wide as it is tall
• Images in any projection will project, but they
  will not necessarily wrap correctly on the sphere
  or look good
• People have done some creative things with
  photos and other videos

97
ECE Projection

• The data must fill the entire ECE image, there
  can be no borders or edges in the image.
• The borders and edges cause seams to appear on
  the sphere with spots at the poles
• Images should at a minimum be 2048x1024 and
  preferably 4096x2048

98
Frame Rate

• The optimal playback speed is chosen based on the
  number of animation frames and the degree of
  change between each frame in the sequence
• To get smooth animations the changes between each
  frame should be small and the playback speed high
• We typically try to create data so that they look
  smooth and animate well at 30 fps
• If a dataset is coarse, then they might look
  better animated at a lower rates (10 15 fps)

99
Layering Data

• A great way to save disk space when creating a
  time series is to use layered data
• You must use PNGs in order to use layered data
  because they allow for images to have
  transparency
• All you need is one background image and then a
  series of transparent images that contain just
  the data

100
Layering Data
This is an image of the sea ice concentration
with a transparent background. Without the
background image, this is a small file that is
easy to use and share with other sites. We have
a whole time series of images like this.
101
Layering Data
This is the background image that we can overlay
the sea ice data on top of. We only need one
copy of this image for the entire times series.
Any ECE map of the world would work.
102
Layering Data
This is the combined image. In the playlist.sos
file you can specify the desired background image
and then simply animate the transparent images on
top of that background.
103
File Name Conventions

• Single images for textures are named for their
  size, such as 4096.jpg
• Series of images are all kept in one folder named
  for the size of the images
• The images in a time series should sort in
  ascending order from earliest to latest
• To do this, we usually embed a frame number in
  the image file name with a sufficient number of
  leading zeros to sort correctly

104
System Interactions with Data

• When a dataset is projected on the sphere you are
  really looking at four images that have been
  merged together seamlessly around the sphere
• The SOS software splits the ECE images into four
  disk images
• This happens automatically every time you load an
  image on the sphere using the SOS Stream GUI
• You dont need to do anything but create
  playlists to point to the data that you want to
  use

105
Tools to Create Datasets

• Because Science On a Sphere uses common image
  formats, you can use many tools to create and
  edit datasets such as
• Photoshop
• ImageMagick
• GIMP
• FinalCut Pro
• Tools like IDL, AWIPS, McIDAS, and other image
  analysis applications are typically used to
  create imagery from scientific datasets
• 3D modeling applications, such as 3D Studio, can
  be used to create advanced visualizations

106
Animation Options in the Playlist

• You can optimize how a dataset is displayed by
  understanding all of the options that are
  available in the playlist.sos files
• The available playlist options can be found at
  http//sos.noaa.gov/support/playlist_edit.html
• Now we are going to go over how to best use the
  playlist options

107
Animation Options

• When the dataset is initially loaded it can
  immediately start to animate or stay stationary
  until play is pressed
• animate 0 (rotate when play is pressed)
• animate 1 (rotate immediately)
• The default is for the dataset to start animating
  immediately
• If you have the playlist running in auto run,
  then the dataset will start to animate
  immediately regardless of what is set

108
Setting the Tilt

• You can set the tilt of the dataset along the x,
  y, and z axes.
• We have many of our Earth textures set to load at
  a 23.5 tilt to resemble the actual Earth tilt
• This is also a helpful function if you are
  viewing a dataset with information about the
  poles, which are hard to see without tilting the
  sphere
• Simply set tiltx, tilty, and tiltz to the
  degrees that you want them tilted
• The tilt can be positive or negative
• The default is no tilt

109
Animation Options for a Time Series

• All of the animation options mentioned so far
  work for both textures and time series
• There are many more options for time series
• The rest of the options that we are going to
  cover can only be used with a time series

110
Dwelling on Frames

• If there is a docent leading a presentation and
  they need some time to provide background
  information to an audience about what they are
  seeing then animate 0 is the best option
• But if they just want a brief pause at the
  beginning of the dataset, then firstdwell is a
  good option
• The default is for a dataset to start animating
  immediately
• firstdwell allows you to define an amount of
  time (in milliseconds) that the system will stay
  on the first frame before animating
• firstdwell 4000 (dwell on first frame for 4 sec.

111
Dwelling on Frames

• It is also good to dwell on frames so the
  audience has time to absorb what they are looking
  at
• In addition to firstdwell, there is also
  lastdwell, which dwells on the last frame
• Datasets automatically loop, so its nice to set
  lastdwell so that there is a pause before the
  dataset goes back to the beginning.

Note When the system is on firstdwell or
lastdwell it basically goes into sleep mode and
none of the other controls will work during that
time. For instance, you cant pause a dataset or
move onto the next dataset while its dwelling
112
Stopping the Animation

• To stop an animation you can simply press the A
  button on the remote
• But if you want to stop on an exact frame, then
  you should use stopframe in the playlist
• This lets you set an exact frame that you want
  the animation to stop on and start animating
  again after you press play
• This is a good feature to use with model data
  when you want to look at a particular year

113
Shortening a Dataset

• If you only want to show a piece of a dataset you
  can adjust the frames that the dataset starts and
  stops on.
• For instance, if we only want to show Hurricane
  Katrina and not the whole hurricane season, we
  set the startframe and endframe to be the
  frames that contain Katrina
• The endframe can be a negative number that
  counts back from the end
• Another way to shorten a dataset is to use
  skip, which allows you set a skip factor
• When skip 1 then every other image is
  skipped, when skip 2 every third image is
  skipped,

114
Rotating and Animating

• By setting zrotationenable 1 you can not only
  have a dataset animate, but also rotate
• When zrotationenable 1 then you can also set
  the zfps and zrotationangle to control the
  rotational rate and angle
• Make sure that you set a zfps that gives your
  audience plenty of time to grasp what is
  happening before it rotates out of view

Note For especially busy animations it can be
overwhelming for the audience to see both
animation and rotation
115
Auto Run

• Auto run mode cycles through the datasets in a
  playlist automatically, showing each dataset for
  a specific amount of time
• If not specified, each dataset is shown for 180
  seconds
• You can change this by setting timer in the
  playlist.sos file
• Its important to set the timer if you are using
  audio tracks that are synced to the datasets

116
Audio with SOS

• Audio tracks are nice to have when the sphere is
  on auto run so that the audience can hear about
  what they are looking at
• The NOAA library has a limited number of audio
  tracks available.
• The audio tracks can be in any format that is
  compatible with the Linux MPlayer such as
• .mp3, .mp4, .wav or .ogg
• Use the audio keyword in the playlist to point
  to the location of the audio file

Note The audio is set up so that if you pause or
stop a dataset, the audio track will stop as well
and start again when you restart the animation
117
Picture in a Picture

• Picture in a picture (pip) allows you to display
  pictures or videos (mpeg4 only) on top of any
  dataset
• This feature is commonly used to display color
  bars, charts, graphs, and supplemental images for
  a dataset
• It can also be set to display a logo or any other
  image you want

118
PIP Information

• You can have multiple pips in a dataset that
  either appear all at once, or play like a slide
  show
• The pictures that you are going to be used as
  pips can be stored in the same folder as the
  dataset
• When you include a pip there are several options
  that you have to set

119
Basic PIP Example
name NOAA Logo Over EC data ec.jpg pip
NOAA-Transparent-Logo.png pipalpha 0.6 piptimer
0 pipwidth 60 pipheight 60 category extras
From this playlist file the NOAA logo appears
over a rotating Earth image. The pip is slightly
transparent and is displayed for the duration of
the clip

• pip defines the picture or movie to be used as
  the pip
• pipalpha sets the transparency of the pip.
  When it is partially transparent you can still
  see the rotation of the dataset below the pip
• piptimer is how long the pip will be displayed,
  when set to 0 the pip is displayed for the
  duration of the clip
• pipwidth and pipheight define the height and
  width of the image in degrees of latitude and
  longitude. It is important to know the
  proportions of the pip so that you can make sure
  its the right size on the sphere

120
Multiple Pip Example
name Venus with Landing Sites datadir
2048.jpg pip venera13.jpg pipfadein
2.5 piptimer 10 pipfadeout 2.5 pipalpha
0.95 pipwidth 70 pipheight 30 pip
venera14.jpg pipdelay 15 pipfadein
2.5 piptimer 10 pipfadeout 2.5 pipwidth
70 pipheight 30 pipalpha 0.95 fps 30

• This is a playlist with two pips that play like a
  slide show
• pipfadein and pipfadeout are the number of
  seconds it take the image to fade in and out of
  view. Default is 0
• The time set in piptimer excludes the fade in
  and out time
• pipdelay delays the appearance of the pip by
  the specified time in seconds

121
PIP Options

• The default is for the pip to appear in the
  center of each projector view (pip appears four
  times)
• If you want to adjust the position of the pip,
  use piphorizontal and pipvertical
• Both of these are specified by degrees where east
  of the projector and north of the equator are
  positive
• Be careful not to move an image to far north or
  south as warping become more apparent close to
  the poles

122
Color Bars and Labels

• While color bars and labels can be added directly
  to the images that you create, it is not
  recommended
• You can externally add the color bars and labels,
  which adds flexibility and convenience
• If they are part of the image, then make sure
  that they are sized appropriately for the sphere
  and positioned so that they dont warp too much

123
Color Bars

• Color bars are added as pips
• We typically save them as color_bar.jpg in order
  to keep them separate from other images

name Ocean Acidification data
acidification_2048.mp4 label labels.txt labelCol
or black firstdwell 2000 lastdwell 4000 pip
color_bar.png piptimer 0 pipalpha
1.0 piphorizontal -10 pipvertical
-10 pipwidth 5
The color bar in this dataset appears for the
duration of the clip and is positioned south of
the equator and west of the projector
124
Color Bars

• Make sure that color bars are big enough that
  they appear clear on the sphere
• If you include units, those need to legible on
  the sphere
• We prefer vertical color bars, but its up to
  your site how you make your colorbars

125
Labels

• Labels are just a simple text file that we name
  labels.txt
• In the text file, there is one line for each
  image in the time series
• Labels typically include the date and maybe a
  name or model run
• You can make the labels using any text editor
  that you prefer

07/24/2004 0645 07/24/2004 0715 07/24/2004
0745 07/24/2004 0815 07/24/2004
0845 07/24/2004 0915 07/24/2004
0945 07/24/2004 1015
SSEC 08/31/2005 Katrina SSEC 08/31/2005
Katrina SSEC 08/31/2005 Katrina SSEC 08/31/2005
Katrina SSEC 08/31/2005 Maria,Katrina SSEC
09/01/2005 Maria SSEC 09/01/2005 Maria SSEC
09/01/2005 Maria
126
Label Position

• The default position of the labels is
• (-0.3, -0.5)
• The position of the labels can be changed by
  using labelposition, which is set by the x and
  y position as a pair of coordinates (x,y)
• X and Y can vary from -1 to 1
• Negative is south of the equator and west of the
  projector

127
Label Options

• The default color of the labels is white, but
  that can be changed using labelcolor
• labelcolor can be R, G, B, Alpha, or the
  symbolic names white, black, red, green, blue
• If label default then the image file names
  are used as the labels

128
Labels and Titles

• Titles can be included as part of the labels
• If you want more font, color and size options
  then you can include the title as a pip
• Here is an example of a title image for a dataset

129
Adding New Datasets

• Find a place to store the new dataset on the
  control computer and make a folder
• Put all of the data related to the dataset into
  the folder, at very least you need the images and
  a playlist.sos file
• Make sure that the playlist.sos file is written
  correctly because this is what the SOS Stream GUI
  uses to load the dataset on the sphere
• List the category of the new dataset in the
  playlist.sos file. This tag is used to populate
  the library in the SOS Stream GUI
• To view the dataset either create a playlist that
  contains it, or update the library and find it in
  there

130
Sharing Datasets

• As sites make new datasets, it is our hope that
  they will share them with NOAA so that we can
  distribute them to all of the SOS sites
• In addition, the NOAA library is constantly
  growing as more scientists provide us with data
• Collaboration between sites to make new datasets
  together is encouraged and recommended
• Existing SOS sites
• http//sos.noaa.gov/news/sos_sites.html

131
QUESTIONS?