Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 22:12:39 GMT
Server: NCSA/1.5
Content-type: text/html
Last-modified: Fri, 09 Feb 1996 12:49:54 GMT
Content-length: 4446
CS418 Lab 0
CS 418: Laboratory 0
Getting started with DataExplorer.
These instructions will introduce you to
DataExplorer (DX)
and the lab facilities in the Cornell University
Computer Science department
and in the
Cornell Theory Center.
DX is a software package intended to
be used for scientific visualization. At the start of the semester we will use it as a
rendering/viewing platform for various computer graphics procedures. Machines to
run DX are located in room 335 in Upson and in room 471 in the
E&TC building.
There are several sections:
- Basic Information
- Further Information
-
Submitting Still images and animation for the course Web pages.
-
Creating MPEG animation files.
- There are some DX techniques outlined in the
DX Repository
which may be useful later in the semester.
You may also want to look at some
student programming projects using DX.
- Disk Space:
We have set up a temporary 1.7 Gbyte partition for CS 418 use at
/afs/theory/tc/courses/cs418/tmp
You should consider it scratch space for MPEG compression. Materials are
subject to deletion after 24 hours.
To use it:
- Make sure (on the HP machines) that
/usr/local/afsws/bin
is in your
path. On the IBM machines, skip this step.
- Issue the command
klog
,
then enter your IBM system password.
On the IBM machines, skip this step.
- Issue a cd command to
/afs/theory/tc/courses/cs418/tmp
- Make a directory for your materials
Your First DX session.
To get started, login to one of the
machines (HP700 or IBM RS6000).
- On the IBM machines
you will need to start x-windows using the
'xinit'
command.
- On the HP machines
x-windows starts automatically.
The first time you login you will need to load a few files and
modify your .cshrc file. If you don't know how to do this in UNIX
ask a consultant or check ou the
UNIX intro page.
- Click
here
to download some utilities you will need. When the dialog box appears,
save the file as "macros.tar" in your home directory.
- Execute the command
tar -xvf macros.tar
This will put the utilities in a new
directory called .DXmacros.
- Add the line
setenv DXMACROS
~myid/.DXmacros
to your .cshrc
file.
Note that "myid" is a placeholder for your user id.
- Execute the command
source .cshrc
This will cause the macros to become available to DX when it starts up.
This command is executed automatically whenever you login or open a new window.
Anytime you start a session,
make sure you have a c-shell running (type csh
) then start DX by typing 'dx'
.
At the end
of a session,
- On the IBM machines kill x-windows by typing
cntl-Alt-backspace
.
Then logout
.
- On the HP machines logout from the desktop.
DX has extensive on-line help, including tutorials and a complete manual which you
can look at by clicking the Help menu in the upper right of the editor window. You
can also click the middle button over any object (module, menu) to get context
sensitive help.
Back to Main Page
Go to Lab 1
Last modified, 1/23/96 B. Land.
Copyright Statement