3D Scientific Visualization with Blender

Dr. Brian R. Kent is a scientist with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, Virginia. His publications and studies in astrophysics and computing include scientific visualizations of a variety of theoretical and observational phenomena. He is interested in visualizing data for scientific analysis as well as reaching a broad audience with the stunning visuals that modern 3D graphics can provide. Dr. Kent received his Ph.D. in Astronomy and Space Sciences from Cornell University. His website is: http: //cv.nrao.edu/ bkent/. You can also see several of his animations and visualizations on YouTube at: https: //youtube.com/user/VisualizeAstronomy.

This is the first book written on using Blender (an open source visualization suite widely used in the entertainment and gaming industries) for scientific visualization. It is a practical and interesting introduction to Blender for understanding key parts of 3D rendering and animation that pertain to the sciences via step- by-step guided tutorials. 3D Scientific Visualization with Blender takes you through an understanding of 3D graphics and modeling for different visualization scenarios in the physical sciences. This includes guides and tutorials for: - Understanding and manipulating the interface - Generating 3D models - Understanding lighting, animation, and camera control - Scripting data import with the Python API The agility of Blender and its well organized Python API make it an exciting and unique visualization suite every modern scientific/engineering workbench should include. Blender provides multiple scientific visualizations including: solid models/surfaces/rigid body simulations; data cubes/transparent/translucent rendering; 3D catalogs; N-body simulations; soft body simulations; surface/terrain maps; and phenomenological models. The possibilities for generating visualizations are considerable via this ever growing software package replete with a vast community of users providing support and ideas.