Web based molecular visualization using procedural shaders in X3D
Feng Liu, Scott Owen, Ying Zhu, Robert W. Harrison, Irene T. Weber · 2005
The introduction of programmable Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and the addition of procedural shaders to the web3D standard X3D provide us with new techniques to develop real-time Web based visualization. In this paper we discuss the applications of these techniques to bioinformatics and chemistry visualization, specifically the visualization of large biomolecules. By using procedural shaders, we are able to produce higher quality visualizations with minimal performance penalty. We have developed methods to automatically convert from the standard bioinformatics PDB format to CML and then to X3D. The procedural shaders are automatically inserted during the CML to X3D conversion. This provides higher quality images and leads to future possibilities of more flexible and enhanced visualizations.