To:		Norm Goldstein
From:		Wes Bethel
Subject:	Progress Report on ACTI project:
			Advanced Flux Visualization ....
Date:		3 Jan 1996

Progress: Technical

	A new visualization prototype was built.  Using an idea generated
	by the industrial partners, geometric icons are created from both
	flux and scalar data.  The geometric icon created by the prototype
	software at each simulation node is a "generalized ellipsoid."
	The orientation and size of the ellipsoid is a function of the
	flux data.  The scalar data is used to control the ratio of the
	major and minor axes in the ellipsoid, producing a continuum
	ranging from a perfect sphere to a severely prolated ellipsoid.

	The goal of this technique is to quickly draw the eye to areas
	of the reservoir which meet certain criteria, such as areas of low 
	flux and high oil saturation.

	Western Atlas is working toward its annual January software
	release.  The release for this year will include visualization
	techniques identified as useful by this project - flux cones.
	Western has hired on additional contract help to assist in
	coding and testing.

	Stabilized the VR tracker code so that it works reliably.
	Construction of prototype AVS networks which integrates a
	head mounted display into the visualization environment as
	a display device.  
	

Progress: Administrative

	Demonstration of flux visualization and virtual reality interface
	techniques at Supercomputing 1995 in San Diego, CA.

	A demonstration of the flux visualization techniques and our 
	virtual reality	interfaces was given to representatives of 
	ELF Aquatine.

	The Memorandum of Understanding was sent to the industrial
	partners for review.  Overall, they were found the proposed 
	agreement to be satisfactory.  Both BP and Western objected
	to particular paragraph in the MOU.  Efforts are currently
	underway to remove the objectionable parapgraph from the
	MOU.  This paragraph pertains to the rights of each party to the
	MOU to negotiate with third-partieses, the enforcability
	of the Agreement, or lack thereof, and so forth.



Plans for Next Month

	Explore the use of texture mapping to represent flux.  The intent
	is to reduce the volumnous amounts of geometry produced by the
	visualization prototypes when viewing the entire reservoir model.
	Using a two dimensional projection of a three dimensional icon
	can theoretically reduce the amount of geometry to be processed by 
	an order of magnitude.  


Problem Areas

	None.