Components of the Dynamic Scene Generator

The Dynamic Scene Generator lets people play with 3-D scenes of anatomy on the web. At the moment, there are four key components that need to be in place to make the DSG work:

  1. the Foundational Model of Anatomy (FMA) server
  2. the 3D model database
  3. the DSG server
  4. the DSG interfaces

The Foundational Model of Anatomy (FMA) server

This server provides access to all of the anatomical knowledge in the Foundational Model of Anatomy. This should already be up and running. At the moment, the DSG works with the "old" FMA server, running on port 2322 on tela.biostr.washington.edu. This server accesses a very out-of-date version of the FA knowledge base, but it still works for the DSG. Work is being done to provide access to a more up-to-date knowledge base.

The 3D model database

The "model database" is really just a collection of files that give correspondences between FMA concepts and locations for their 3D models. These files, and the Lisp code for accessing them, are in the Skandha module for the DSG server (described next). The main correspondence files now are corr-skull.txt and corr-thorax.txt.

The DSG server

The DSG server is the core of the Dynamic Scene Generator. Given a client request like "show me the heart and all of its parts," the DSG server assembles the proper 3D models into a scene and sends a rendered snapshot back to the client. This server is written as a skandha4 module called "xdada".

The DSG interfaces

The DSG interfaces provide the front-ends that will be seen by people using the DSG system. These are CGI scripts that talk to the DSG server. Of these, only the Scene Builder is in good working order. The other two, the Scene Manager and the Scene Explorer, both need some repairs before anybody will want to use them.

Return to the DSG project page.


Last modified: Wed Feb 5 10:26:10 PST 2003 by Kevin Hinshaw (khinshaw (at) u.washington.edu)