GraXML - Modular Geometric Modeler

TL;DR

GraXML is a modular toolkit that models, visualizes, and interfaces with 3D geometric data from various sources, primarily designed for high-energy physics applications, leveraging Java3D technology for flexible geometric processing.

Contribution

It introduces a modular geometric modeling toolkit that effectively integrates Java3D for visualization and can interface with multiple data sources, including C++ frameworks.

Findings

Successfully tested with ATLAS and ALICE detector data

Supports multiple geometric data formats like GDML

Enables transparent interfacing with non-Java frameworks

Abstract

Many entities managed by HEP Software Frameworks represent spatial (3-dimensional) real objects. Effective definition, manipulation and visualization of such objects is an indispensable functionality. GraXML is a modular Geometric Modeling toolkit capable of processing geometric data of various kinds (detector geometry, event geometry) from different sources and delivering them in ways suitable for further use. Geometric data are first modeled in one of the Generic Models. Those Models are then used to populate powerful Geometric Model based on the Java3D technology. While Java3D has been originally created just to provide visualization of 3D objects, its light weight and high functionality allow an effective reuse as a general geometric component. This is possible also thanks to a large overlap between graphical and general geometric functionality and modular design of Java3D itself. Its graphical functionalities also allow a natural visualization of all manipulated elements. All these techniques have been developed primarily (or only) for the Java environment. It is, however, possible to interface them transparently to Frameworks built in other languages, like for example C++. The GraXML toolkit has been tested with data from several sources, as for example ATLAS and ALICE detector description and ATLAS event data. Prototypes for other sources, like Geometry Description Markup Language (GDML) exist too and interface to any other source is easy to add.