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SimBrowser

SimBrowser with X-31 model performing a nodding motion

The SimBrowser (Simulation Browser) is a software to describe and visualise complex motions of physical objects. Flap movement on airplane wings, robotic arms, motions of satellites and much more can be defined by manual input as well as with imported real-time operating data. The resulting motion possibilities are superior to any animations, as real physical attributes are considered.
The SimBrowser was developed by the Simulation and Software Technology.

The SimBrowser has an open software architecture and uses open-source libraries. Thus it can be utilised in a vast field of application for the visualisation of real and simulated processes in both industry and science. According to the powerful potential of the graphics library, extensive functionalities for navigation and displaying inside the three-dimensional space can be used (e.g. stereo-display for 3D-glasses).

With the mesh library developed by EADS Military Air Systems , several volume meshes (e.g. from airplanes) of different file formats can be imported, reduced to surface meshes and visualised. A splitting of the meshes into parts (face sets) is also possible. The SimBrowser is used for the preprocessing of aerodynamic simulations in the project SikMa. Input files for various other simulation tools can be produced from previously created motion parameters.

SimBrowser demonstrating the microsatellite BIRD using textures

The main aspects of the SimBrowser are:

• Any three-dimensional objects (e.g. robot arms, complete helicopters and even sun orbiting planets) can be imported or manually defined through a text file using the Open Inventor format.
• All imported objects are hierarchically arranged on a separate window area. From this hierarchy tree all position dependencies are apparent and modifiable at any time.
• The graphical visualisation and other attributes (color, position, rotation axis) of every node of the hierarchy tree can be changed.
• For every node in the hierarchy tree a complex motion can be manually defined or imported via a text file.
• The motion of a single object or of all objects can be replayed considering a real-time factor.
• The hierarchy tree and the motion data can be saved as a text file, which can be used in other simulation tools as input.