User AVS Modules					   city scape


NAME
     city scape - 3D bar chart block diagram, with averaged statistics
                  on side shadow panels, and annotation. A transparent
                  theshold sheet is superimposed on city.

AUTHOR: Ian Curington, Advanced Visual Systems, Staines, UK

SUMMARY
     Name	   city_scape

     Type	   mapper

     Inputs	   field 2D scalar float uniform
		   colormap 

     Outputs	   geometry

     Parameters	   Name		   Type		  Default	 Min	   Max
		   Z scale	   float	  1.0		 none	   none
                   width           float          .6             0.        1.
                   offset          float          .1             0.        1.
                   threshold       float          1.             none      none
                   tic scale       float          1.             none      none


DESCRIPTION
     The city scape module converts a two-dimensional floating point
     field into group of 3D blocks, represented as a GEOM-format mesh.
     Each element of the field is mapped to a "building".
     The height of each block above each point is proportional to the scalar
     value of the field. This is my attempt at "Business Graphics",
     for a multi-dimensional telecommunications statistics data
     application, except in interactive 3D.

     Side panels show the Min, Max and Average along each row and column
     in the 2D data.

     A threshold transparent sheet can be moved through the city to
     highlight specific values, where only values above the threshold
     will stick up beyond the sheet.

     Line tic marks and text labels show the row and column numbers,
     and the vertical scale

     The blocks don't have bottoms, so you can look inside!

     This module does no normalization of the Z-height, while the
     x-y plane is approx 0.0 to 1.0 on each side.
     Use the dials to get your data range under control.
     The dials are unbounded to allow any data range.
     but will be over-sensitive for small numbers.
     Try flying over the city in perspective.

INPUTS

     Data Field (required; field 2D scalar uniform float)
     The input data must be a 2D field with a scalar data value at
     each element.

     Colormap 
     Colors each block building in the city a specific color,
     according to the data value at that point.

PARAMETERS

     Z scale    height scale for whole city

     width      relative width of each block, or narrowness of streets

     offset     how far away the average shadow planes are from city

     threshold  height of threshold sheet in city

     tic scale  vertical scale tic mark pitch control

OUTPUTS

     Geometry
	  The output is	an AVS geometry.

EXAMPLE

     see the city_scape.net in this directory.