We present a platform independent, generic and extensible framework for information visualization called ObVis. It allows reusing and customizing existing components (e.g., layout algorithms), supports a variety of data sources (e.g., data base system, files and Web documents) and allows integrating external applications and services. It is decomposed in five different component hierarchies. Recombining and adding components and utilizing the framework enables a rapid development of visual-based applications and visualization tools.

Real-time visualization of particle traces in virtual environments can aid in the exploration and analysis of complex three dimensional vector fields. This paper introduces a scalable method suitable for the interactive visualization of large time-varying vector fields on commodity hardware. A real-time data streaming and visualization approach and its out-of-core scheme for the pre-processing and rendering of data are described. The presented approach yields low-latency application start-up times and small memory footprints. A proof of concept systems was implemented on a low-cost Linux workstation equipped with spatial tracking hardware, data gloves and shutter glasses. The system was used to implement a virtual wind tunnel in which a volumetric particle injector can introduce up to 60000 particles into the flow field while an interactive rendering performance of 60 frames per second is maintained.

Virtual Environments (VEs) have the potential to revolutionize traditional product design by enabling the transition from conventional CAD to fully digital product development. The presented prototype system targets closing the **digital gap'' as introduced by the need for physical models such as clay models or mockups in the traditional product design and evaluation cycle. We describe a design environment that provides an intuitive human-machine interface for the creation and manipulation of three-dimensional (3D) models in a semi-immersive design space, focussing on ease of use and increased productivity for both designer and CAD engineers.