Visualization is largely understood and used as an excellent communication tool by researchers. This narrow view often keeps scientists from fully using and developing their visualization skillset. This tutorial will provide a “from the ground up” understanding of visualization and its utility in error diagnostic and exploration of data for scientific insight. When used effectively visualization can provide a complementary and effective toolset for data analysis, which is one of the most challenging problems in computational domains. In this tutorial we plan to bridge these gaps by providing end users with fundamental visualization concepts, execution tools, customization and usage examples.

The tutorial will comprise of three closely related sessions as follows:

1. Visualization fundamentals: Lecture – Assay of standard techniques and their utility (45 min)
2. Hands on Visualization with VisIt software on your computer/laptop (80 mins).
3. Remote visualization with VisIt software on Comet cluster at SDSC. We will provide training accounts. (30 mins)

Instructor: Amit Chourasia, Visualization Group Leader, SDSC

In-person seats: 50 (Venue: SDSC Auditorium)
Web cast seats: 50 (Webcast information is provided in confirmation email)

Registration closes: Jun 3, 2019

Tutorial Level: Beginner

Targeted audience: The tutorial is relevant for all segments of attendees including students, researchers, faculty, etc.

Prerequisites

1. Computer, mouse with scroll wheel (tablets are not sufficient for this tutorial)
2. VisIt software installed on your computer (version 2.12.3) - This is subject to change.
3. Download Sample Data

Tutorial goals
Bulk of this tutorial is hands on, thus attendees must be prepared to follow along to make most of this tutorial.

1. Gain understanding of common visualization techniques for Mesh (Grid) based data
2. Learn about sample use case scenarios and success stories
3. Learn to use VisIt software for visualization and try out the standard visualization techniques discussed in 1. VisIt is one the powerful, popular and open source software for visualization on HPC resources (Hands on)
4. Perform remote visualization with HPC clusters (Hands on)

Tutorial outline
Session 1 (Lecture): Visualization Fundamentals
In this session we will provide a rapid introduction to fundamental visualization concepts. We will provide an assay of visualization techniques available accompanied by example application scenarios. We will also discuss best practices and shortcomings of visualization techniques. These fundamentals will help attendees to apply and innovate existing techniques for their own research.
• Introduction to Visualization
• Perception overview with eye color sensitivity
• Visualization Techniques
• Application Examples
• Best Practices

Session 2 (Hands on): Visualization with VisIt
This session will provide a quick over view of VisIt and bulk of the session will be devoted to enable users to get a hands on experience with VisIt application. The attendees will create several visualizations on their laptops by following instructor’s guidance.
• VisIt Introduction
• VisIt basics (how VisIt works, one plot & 2 operators)
• Visit plot survey
• Expressions
• Commands and Scripting
• Moviemaking

Session 3 (Hands on): Remote Interactive Visualization
This session will provide a instructions on how to create system host profile and connect to XSEDE host like Comet cluster as SDSC and perform remote interactive visualization.
• Remote Visualization