Scaling computer graphics

Years ago plastic scale models were fabricated for each plant under construction, providing excellent three-dimensional representations of the actual facilities. Today, in the age of the microcomputer, it is quicker, easier, and much cheaper to generate models by means of computer graphics. 

Some of the advantages of computer graphics modelling compared with actual scale models are ... 

Horowitz, J., Hullender, W.C. Computer Graphics and Scale Models, Chemical Engineering Progress, June 1972, p. 45. 

Applications of Large-Scale Computers and Computer Graphics... 

Picture transformations (e.g. rotation, translation, scaling, perspective etc) in interactive computer graphics lend themselves naturally to representation in matrix notation, and implementation of the various algorithms on a vector processor is obviously straightforward and very worthwhile (particularly if moving pictures are required.). For this reason graphical applications of the MVP-9500 will not be discussed here and the interested reader is referred to one of the standard texts in this area (7). 

The availability of microprocessor-based interactive computer graphics devices and rapid access disk storage has provided the CAMSEQ/M system with many of the features of the NIH-EPA-CIS (on a smaller scale, of course) and in addition, provides "no-cost", local computational facilities. 

Author and artist worked side by side and employed the most advanced computer-graphic software to provide accurate molecular-scale models and vivid scenes. 

Computer graphics are a big improvement over architectural scale models. They can readily portray a variety of alternative plans without incurring large costs. 

Figure 20. Molecular dynamics simulations of the positional arrangement of fully hydrolyzed oiganosilane molecules on an FeOOH substrate, obtained using the Cerius- Sorption package (a) glycidoxypropyl trimethoxysilane the silane head is at the right-hand end of the molecule (b) y-aminopropyl tri-ethoxysilane the silane head is at the left-hand end of the molecule (c) vinyl-triethoxy silane the silane head of the molecule is adjacent to the FeOOH surface. The scale bar is 0.2 nm. This figure was produced using the original (color) computer graphics files obtained by Davis 1146).

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