VisPartDEM: grid visualization tool for particle systems

Abstract

The distributed visualization engine of VisPartDEM is based on VTK [3]. Assembling the visualization network is performed interactively by using a GUI. The resulting visualization network is described using the XML language according to the developed schema. Valid XML documents are automatically generated on a client and transferred to the computing element by means of gLite. The data parallel model of VTK is implemented for visualization of large particle systems. MPI is employed for the necessary inter-processor communication. GLSL shaders supported by VTK are implemented in VisPartDEM to improve the performance of the visualization and to exploit the increasing parallelism provided by graphics processors. Visualization of poly-dispersed particle systems of different sizes is considered for performance analysis of VisPartDEM. The benchmark was performed on the BalticGrid [4] testbed based on the multi-core architecture. HDF5 files are transferred from the storage element to working nodes by using LFC. Each process of VisPartDEM transfers its data file independently, in asynchronous fashion. It saves about 11-13% of the time. GLSL particle shader significantly outperforms parallel visualization and rendering of polygonal meshes. The performance analysis reveales that developed VisPartDEM software is well designed for distributed visualization of considered datasets in the real grid environment.