ReFlO: an interactive tool for pipe-and-filter domain specification and program generation

ReFlO is a framework and interactive tool to record and systematize domain knowledge used by experts to derive complex pipe-and-filter (PnF) applications. Domain knowledge is encoded as transformations that alter PnF graphs by refinement (adding more details), flattening (removing modular boundaries), and optimization (substituting inefficient PnF graphs with more efficient ones). All three kinds of transformations arise in reverse-engineering legacy PnF applications. We present the conceptual foundation and tool capabilities of ReFlO, illustrate how parallel PnF applications are designed and generated, and how domain-specific libraries of transformations are developed.     

Towards an easy to use authoring tool for interactive non-linear video

With growing bandwidths in the Internet and seemingly unlimited storage capacities on web servers, media became more and more important in the daily use of the World Wide Web. While about ten years ago only text and images with small file sizes (and as a result small resolutions) could be used, it is possible to watch high quality multimedia presentations nowadays. But those rarely exist because of tedious to learn authoring tools. A specialization to one main medium, in our case video, allows creating efficient authoring tools using well known paradigms. This work introduces an authoring tool called SIVA Producer. An iterative process for improving the usability of the authoring tool is described. Furthermore, a distinction of the terms “interactive video”, “annotated video”, “non-linear video” and “hypervideo” is given.     

Gaelic logic simulator: an interactive CAD tool

The use of digital logic simulation in the design of integrated circuits has long been established. In this role, however, simulation in general has remained a non-interactive CAD tool. In an attempt to alter this situation a simulator has been developed which will permit the designer to interact with the circuit, thus making simulation an even more effective design tool particularly in its use for debugging incorrect designs.     

MANIP: an interactive tool for modelling RNA

Large RNA structures can be viewed as assemblies of smaller units or modules that are usually clearly identified (helices, hairpin loops, other recurrent motifs, etc.). We have developed a program, MANIP, which allows the rapid assembly of separate motifs (each with a specified sequence) into a complex three-dimensional architecture. The already determined modules are present in a database from which they can be extracted with the appropriate sequence. Their assembly is performed in real time on the computer screen with buttons and dials that command rotation and translation of any chosen fragment with respect to the chosen pivot, or that generate all possible variations of any torsion angle within a specified segment either in the 5′ or in the 3′ direction. The possible in-built manipulations follow the general stereochemical rules of RNA structure. MANIP automatically recognizes and displays the allowed and nonallowed hydrogen bonds between the residues. The program is interfaced with a rapid and automatic online refinement tool of partial or full assemblies, NUCLIN-NUCLSQ. The refinement protocol incorporates canonical as well as noncanonical base pairing constraints together with restraints imposed by covalent geometry, stereochemistry, and van der Waals contacts. The computer package runs on UNIX Silicon Graphics workstations and is written in C with OpenGL and X11/Motif libraries.     

V-HairStudio: an interactive tool for hair design

Graphical models of natural objects have become increasingly complex and sophisticated. Although researchers have made significant progress in modeling complex objects in the last decade, representing human hair realistically continues to challenge us. It presents problems in all aspects of computer graphics technologies, such as shape modeling, manipulation, rendering, and dynamic simulation. The article introduces a hair-designing system. Based on the cluster hair model, this designing tool provides a rich set of functionality for interactive hairstyle design in two levels of abstraction. The system is more powerful, and at the same time, more convenient and efficient for hair styling and manipulation than previous modeling systems. We can divide existing hair models into two categories: explicit geometric models and volume-density models     

Normalpaint: an interactive tool for painting normal maps

This paper presents a novel 3D painting system that allows interactive painting on normal maps. The process of creating a highly detailed model and later extracting normal maps is slow and prone to artifacts. We propose an interactive framework where the user paints directly on normal maps while visualizing the results as they would appear in the target rendering system.     

Analysis and transformation in an interactive parallel programming tool

The ParaScope Editor is a new kind of interactive parallel programming tool for developing scientific Fortran programs. It assists the knowledgeable user by displaying the results of sophisticated program analyses and by providing editing and a set of powerful interactive transformations. After an edit or parallelism-enhancing transformation, the ParaScope Editor incrementally updates both the analyses and source quickly. This paper describes the underlying implementation of the ParaScope Editor, paying particular attention to the analysis and representation of dependence information and its reconstruction after changes to the program.     

User-centric image segmentation using an interactive parameter adaptation tool

Creating successful machine vision systems often begins a process of developing customised reliable image segmentation algorithms for the detection, and possibly categorisation of regions of interest within images. This can require significant investment of time from both the image processing and the domain experts to set up. Frequently this process is mediated via interviews, or language-based systems which may not fully capture the visual decision-making process of the domain experts. The resulting algorithms can also often be “brittle” in the sense of being highly specialised to the task for which they are tuned, and are consequently sensitive to changes in operating conditions or image specifications.One approach is to use interactive evolution for developing rapidly reconfigurable systems in which the users’ tacit knowledge and requirements can be elicited and used for finding the appropriate parameters to achieve the required segmentation without any need for specialised knowledge of the underlying machine vision systems. This paper presents an interactive tool that can be used to quickly and easily evolve optimal image segmentation parameters from scratch. Building on previous work, the new algorithm reported here incorporates user-guided local search and makes the fitness function more flexible to facilitate the underlying multi-objective decision-making process.One of the key requirements for any interactive system is a high level of usability, both in terms of effectiveness—being able to build accurate models that meet end-user requirements—and efficiency—being able to achieve the required results within a minimal amount of time and undue effort. The system described in this paper has been designed with these considerations in mind to ensure a high level of user-experience of the interaction process. We present results from a series of experiments with a range of users to analyse the effect of the improvements that have been made over the previous system. The efficiency of the tool is also tested with “novice users”, and its usability by “novice users” is analysed.     

Using an entity model to drive physical database design

Logical relational database design, because of its implementation-independent nature, has been successfully formalized. Physical relational database design, because of its implementation-dependent nature, has remained largely unformalized and disconnected, not only from logical design but also from conceptual database design. The paper suggests a model for the physical design process that has proven useful in a number of practical development projects. The model demonstrates that a seamless join between conceptual, logical and physical design work is feasible. It illustrates how the process of annotating a conceptual model with physical detail provides a useful framework for driving the process of physical relational database design.     

The effects of an interactive videodisc training program in classroom observation skills used as a teaching tool and as a learning tool

In higher education, instruction is typically teacher-directed through traditional lecture formats and assignments with predetermined criteria. Through hypermedia-based materials, new ways of learning are possible based on learner control and self-directed instruction; such approaches require personal goal-setting, nonlinear exploration of materials, context-based problem solving, and progress monitoring. For students to learn in new ways, instructors have to teach in new ways. Teachers cannot simply take new hypermedia applications and implement them within existing approaches if higher level outcomes are to be realized. The findings in this study are consistent with previous research studies which demonstrate equal or better learning using hypermedia-based instructional materials when students are allowed learner control. If the learning profile for each student determines the effective use of an application, then hypermedia is best implemented as a learning tool.     

Self-organizing map network as an interactive clustering tool — An application to group technology

The Self-Organizing Map (SOM) network, a variation of neural computing networks, is a categorization network developed by Kohonen. The theory of the SOM network is motivated by the observation of the operation of the brain. This paper presents the technique of SOM and shows how it may be applied as a clustering tool to group technology. A computer program for implementing the SOM neural networks is developed and the results are compared with other clustering approaches used in group technology. The study demonstrates the potential of using the Self-Organizing Map as the clustering tool for part family formation in group technology.     

Behaviour model control for cascaded processes: Application to an electrical drive

Behaviour model control (BMC) is known to increase the robustness of a process control. It has already been applied to electrical drives for single-loop controls. This paper introduces the BMC among others model control strategies and extends its single-loop structure to more complex controls, which need several loops. This extension is applied to a double loop control of a DC machine drive. Simulations and experimental results show that the suggested double-loop BMC yields better results than a classical control, increasing robustness against parameter variations and external disturbances.     

MPGS: an interactive tool for the specification and generation ofmultimedia presentations

Multimedia presentations are composed of objects belonging to different data types such as video, audio, text and image. An important aspect is that, quite often, the user defining a presentation needs to express sophisticated temporal and spatial constraints among the objects composing the presentation. We present a system (called MPGS-Multimedia Presentation Generator System) which supports the specification of constraints among multimedia objects and the generation of multimedia presentations according to the specified constraints. The constraint model provided by MPGS is very flexible and powerful in terms of the kinds of object constraints it can represent. A large number of innovative features are supported including: asynchronous and simultaneous spatial constraints; components of interest and priority levels; motion functions. Obviously, the flexibility provided to the users requires the development of nontrivial techniques to check constraint consistency and to generate a presentation satisfying the specified constraints. We illustrate the solutions we have devised in the framework of MPGS     

Algebraic model of an interactive man—Machine environment

An algebraic model of the interactive man—machine environment is developed in the language of the theory of many-base universal algebra. The features of this approach are demonstrated by some examples from the theory of data types. Some directions of further research are suggested.Deceased.Translated from Kibernetika, No. 2, pp. 23–25, March–April, 1990.     

An interactive visualisation tool applied to the simulation of glass pressing

An interactive numerical simulation approach to the process of glass pressing is presented. Glass is modelled as a strongly viscous Newtonian fluid whose deformation under pressure is described by a Stokes equation. Modelling the evolution of the glass free boundary in time poses a particular problem which is dealt with by a special integration technique. Next, we present how we integrate the numerical simulation with an interactive visualisation and computational steering tool. The resulting application allows for interactive simulation control and result monitoring. The presented software integration technique does not require any changes to the numerical simulation code and can be thus used to couple other similar computational engines with a steering and visualisation front-end. Received: 29 November 1999 / Accepted: 7 June 2001     

ToolDAy: a tool for domain analysis

Domain analysis is the process of identifying and documenting common and variable characteristics of systems in a specific domain. This process is a large and complex one, involving many interrelated activities, making it essential to have a tool support for aiding the process. We present a domain analysis tool called ToolDAy that has the purpose of making the process semi-automatic. The requirements definition presented were based on the results of a systematic review that analyzed several existing tools. Furthermore, this article describes the tool architecture, implementation and its evaluations (two as a controlled experiment and one as an industrial case study) with three different domains. The results of these evaluations indicate that the tool can aid the domain analyst to achieve systematic reuse in an effective way.