Apples guide to “Mac’s for 3D Molecular Visualization”
Well being a bit of a computer geek I found this one particularly interesting but my girlfriend the science geek would love it so I just had to write about it.
Check out her blog here www.aschoonerofscience.com
Advanced visualization plays an essential role in the study of macromolecular structure leading to drug discovery and design. With the latest developments in active 3D stereo graphics, scientists can substantially enhance their understanding of molecular function.
The Mac for 3D Molecular Visualization
The powerful combination of the Mac Pro workstation and technologies by NVIDIA and REAL D StereoGraphics allows you to view scientific phenomena in active 3D stereoscope. Graphics take on a new level of realism with the latest PCI Express graphics cards in Mac Pro. With the NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600, the industry’s fastest workstation graphics card, Mac Pro is the ideal solution for scientific stereo-in-a-window viewing.
Third party software applications such as OpenEye Scientific’s VIDA and Delano Scientific’s PyMOL allow visualization of compounds and proteins in a dynamic stereo 3D environment, which you can seamlessly incorporate into your 2D scientific and productivity applications.
The built-in features of Apple’s UNIX-based operating system, Mac OS X, makes it easy prepare high-quality images from these applications to share with colleagues or to use in scientific publications and presentations.
3D Workflow: Setting up your workspace
| CPU | Graphics Card | Stereo-Viewing Components |
Display | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
 |
 |
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Mac Pro
Mac Pro features Quad-Core Intel processors, a modern PCI Express architecture, and superfast workstation graphics capabilities, making it the ideal workstation for 3D stereoscopic viewing. Eight DIMM slots hold up to 32 GB of fast 800 MHz ECC fully buffered DIMM memory, allowing the system to contain a complex 3D model, massive digital images, or a scientific simulation entirely in RAM.
NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 Graphics Card
One of the most advanced graphics cards available, NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 features an integrated stereo 3D port: This means that with stereo goggles, you get stereo-in-a-window visualization. The Quadro card accommodates both a CRT and LCD display at the same time, allowing you to easily switch back and forth from your 3D molecular viewing to your productivity and 2D applications on the LCD display.
REAL D StereoGraphics CrystalEyes
Activated by an infrared emitter that connects to the your workstation, CrystalEyes is a lightweight, wireless set of liquid crystal shutter eyewear for active 3D stereoscopic viewing in engineering and scientific applications.
Displays
One computer workstation, two displays — it’s that simple. The NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 graphics card is designed to run both a CRT and LCD display at the same time, which allows you to optimize your workflow setup. For active 3D stereoscopic viewing, you’ll need a CRT display monitor. For all your other tasks, use a flat-panel Apple Cinema Display for the highest quality 2D viewing. The format and resolution of the Apple Cinema Displays is optimized for viewing high-resolution images, sophisticated type treatments, or just plain email.
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If anyone’s interested in the science-aspect of 3D molecular visualisation, I posted about it at a Schooner of Science here.
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