Interactive display of molecular models using a microcomputer system

Area of Science:

• Computer Graphics
• Scientific Visualization
• Molecular Modeling

Background:

• Interactive graphics display systems (IGDS) are crucial for visualizing complex data.
• Existing systems may lack cost-effectiveness or specific applications like molecular modeling.
• Microprocessor-driven displays offer potential for accessible scientific visualization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel interactive graphics display system (IGDS) for generating perspective views of wire frame models.
• To highlight the system's applicability for molecular models.
• To detail the hardware and software components of the IGDS.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a microprocessor-driven TERAK 8510a system with a 320x240 grid resolution.
• Developed graphics software in UCSD PASCAL, implementing traditional computer graphics algorithms.
• Designed a data structure for minimal disk storage, allowing local or remote data file construction.

Main Results:

• The system can generate perspective views of any wire frame model, with an emphasis on molecular models.
• The software is user-friendly, interactive, and capable of handling models up to 200 points.
• Despite software-based matrix operations leading to slowness, the system's low cost is noted.

Conclusions:

• The developed IGDS presents a cost-effective solution for interactive visualization of wire frame and molecular models.
• The system's ease of use and general applicability make it suitable for various scientific applications.
• Further development could address performance limitations through hardware acceleration.