NOMAD VR: Multiplatform virtual reality viewer for chemistry simulations
Description
We describe a suite of open source virtual reality programs which can be used to visualize the results of chemical simulations of various types (including access to NOMAD, the largest database of materials science compounds). The programs target virtual reality environments at different price points (M€ CAVE-like systems, commercial products such as the ~500€ HTC Vive, ~100€ Samsung GearVR, to ~10€ Google Cardboards) in order to let final users select the device which best suits their needs. We provide a coherent interface, with graceful degradation of features for less capable devices. Tests with final users in the domains of materials science, theoretical chemistry, biochemistry and biological sciences show that the program can be used to solve certain problems much more easily and intuitively than with previous tools. Users in other fields (fluid dynamics, or climate research) were also interested in adopting the system. Applications to teaching, dissemination, outreach and marketing have also been successful. The system is currently implanted in several universities and enterprises. Additionally, outreach materials in the form of stereoscopic (panoramic) videos can be easily prepared from the viewer’s output or the visualization pipeline. We describe the design and implementation of the system, and mention some caveats about using standard graphic optimization techniques in virtual reality environments.