GVU Lab Facilities and Usage

The GVU Center includes several facilities which are devoted to general use by GVU faculty and students. The Main GVU Lab is located on the second floor og the College of Computing Building. It houses most of GVU's resources that are not restricted to particular research projects, as well as the Video Lab, the Usability Lab, and the Scientific Visualization Laboratory. Included below are some general usage guidelines and policies.

Macintosh Information.

Macintosh Policy.

Macintosh Etiquette.

The GVU Macintosh computers are not like UNIX workstations. There are no logins or passwords required, and any changes you make to the Macintosh will affect everyone else who uses that computer. Please be considerate of fellow users when you use the machines. Here are some guidelines to remember when using a GVU Macintosh.

  1. Please close and quit all applications when you are done using the Macintosh. If you do not quit the applications, they will simply remain in memory and may cause the system to crash when someone else uses the Mac. Simply closing the windows does NOT cause the program to quit. Usually Command-Q (press the Command key and the Q key together; the Command key is the key next to the space bar with the clover leaf on it) will quit the program. Click and hold on the icon at the top left of the menu bar to see if any other applications are running.

  2. Unlike accounts on UNIX systems, any Control Panel changes you make affect ALL Macintosh users, and not just yourself. If you make any changes to the control panel settings, please be sure to CHANGE THEM BACK when you are done using the Macintosh. Please do not mess with the Control Panel settings unless you are sure you know what you're doing.

  3. DO NOT MAKE CHANGES TO THE SYSTEM FOLDER!! Do not add or remove Control Panels, Extensions, Fonts, Sounds, or Startup Items to the System Folder without consulting the lab technicians first to make sure that your change will not cause problems with the current system. Please contact Don Allison if you want any changes made to the System Folder.

  4. Please delete your files when you are done with them, or transfer them to a floppy disk or your UNIX account. Do not leave files on the hard drive unless you still need them in the immediate future.

  5. Please do not leave your files on the Desktop. This looks sloppy and makes it hard to identify who the files belong to. If you need to keep files on the hard disk, make a folder for yourself in the Users directory and keep all of your files there.

  6. If you install an application program, please put it in the Applications folder on the Hard Drive so that everyone can see it and use it. Make sure that the application you want to use is not already installed before you install it. Please remove the application from the hard drive when you are done using it in order to conserve space.

    If you have any questions, comments, or problems with the GVU Macintoshes, please contact Steve Park at spark@cc.gatech.edu for assistance. Thank you for your cooperation!


    Video Lab.

    The Video Lab (Room 209 CoC) is a video production and editing studio for the for the GVU and SciVis communities. The facility allows you to create and edit SVHS videos of research projects for presentations, conferences, etc. The lab also has audio equipment for dubbing over existing footage and a film recorder to create high-resolution 35mm slides of computer images. The has an SGI O2 equipped with video capture with Adobe Premiere (4.2)software for non-linear editing. The lab has RGB, S-video and Composite patch bays with links to the GVU Lab, Usability Lab and Animation Lab and can scan convert SGIs, Suns, Macs and PCs in real-time to video tape.

    Go to Video Lab Home Page.

    Film Recorder.

    The Focus Graphics film recorder is installed as a SCSI device on spanker.gvu.gatech.edu in the GVU Video Lab. The film recorder is a high resolution, full-color (16 million colors) image recorder which produces photo-realistic hardcopy from graphics workstations. It provides high fidelity image reproduction on virtually an film format, including: 35mm slides, 4x5 Polaroid prints, 8x10 overheads and prints, and 16 and 35 mm Cine for animation. However, we only bought the 35mm slide camera attachment/back. The following film is accepeted:

                        Ekta 100
                        Ektar 25
                        Polachrome 40
                        Fujichrome 50
                        Kodacolor 100
                        T-Max 100
    

    NOTE: You must provide your own film!

    Also NOTE: Due to the nature of computer photography, when processing 35mm print film, instruct the film lab to override the "Auto Correction" control on their processor. This will assure the colors in your images appear correctly in the prints.

    The focus command can be used to send images to the film recorder:

         focus [-d xx] [-D] [-s xx] [-i xx] [-e xx] [-P xx] [-f xx] [-c xx]
               [-R xx] [-x xx] [-y xx] [-G xx] -F filename
    
            USAGE: 
    
             -F filename    Name of the file to shoot. (REQUIRED)
    
            [-d]            SCSI ID. ( default: 6 )
            [-C]            SCSI Controller Number. ( default: 0 )
    
            [-f]            Image Format [Default - SGI RASTER]. 
                                    1  for TIFF 
                                    2  for SGI RASTER [Default] 
                                    3  for SUN RASTER 
                                    4  for ALIAS 
                                    5  for WAVEFRONT 
                                    6  for SOFTIMAGE 
                                    7  for PICT 
    
            [-c]            Number of prints. ( default: 1) 
    
            [-R]            Resize the image. 
                            ( Without the x or y option the image is
                            automatically resized to fit the film) 
    
            [-x]            Width (in pixels) to resize to. 
                            ( Height is automatically determined from aspect
                            ratio of image.  The 'R' parameter should precede
                            this parameter. ) 
    
            [-y]            Height (in pixels) to resize to. 
                            ( Width is automatically determined from aspect
                            ratio of image.  The 'R' parameter should precede
                            this parameter. ) 
    
            NOTE:           Specifying BOTH -x and -y resizes the image
                            to the specific size, over-riding aspect ratio of
                            image. 
    
                            Images larger than 2048 X 1600 are automatically
                            resized to fit the film. 
    
            [-G]            Gamma value ( 1.0, 1.8 or 2.2 )[default 1.8]. 
    

    Usability Lab

    The Usability Lab is a facility for performing human factors studies of computer software or hardware. The Usability Lab can only be used by authorized persons with specific projects. Authorization can be received from GVU Administration.

    This following is an introduction to the use of the GVU Usability Lab. It addresses using the lab "as is". If you have special needs that require changing the lab configuration, you're on your own.

    Scheduling the Usability Lab.

    There are two mechanisms to schedule time to use the Usability Lab: the Now-Up-To-Date calendar on the GVU Lab Macs, and contacting the Usability Lab Coordinator, Margaret Beier.

    The Usability Lab Calendar is accesed via the GVU Lab Macintoshes. To schedule usage, click on the Now-Up-To-Date icon labled "Usability". Enter your name onto the schedule during the time slot that you wish to reserve. Be sure to list your email address so that you can be contacted, if necessary. It is also a good idea to email the GVU Lab Manager Steve) and the Usability Lab coordinator (Margaret ) when you have scheduled a session, so that they can advise you on any particular changes to the schedule or equipment in the Usability Lab.

    Sometimes patrons of the Usability Lab wish to video tape their Usability experiments. Under such cases, the simultaneous use of the Video Lab is required. If your experiment requires the use of the video facilities, you will need to schedule use of the Video Lab as well. This is done in a manner similar to scheduling the Usability Lab: one simply fills in the appropriate time slot in the Video Lab calendar after clicking on the corresponding Now-Up-To-Date icon.

    Lab patrons are encouraged to go to Lab Macs to do their scheduling first. If for some reason you are unable to schedule your time on one of the Macs, or if there is another conflict, please contact Margaret Beier.

    Usability Lab Access.

    Lab access is by means of the combination lock. The combination code an be obtained from either Margaret Beier, one of the GVU Lab Managers in CCB 210, or Joan Morton (in the GVU front office). Always lock the lab when you leave. Furthermore, you are responsible for leaving the lab clean and in the same condition that you found it. The lab is not to be used for work other than experiments.

    Computer Equipment.

    At present, the Usability lab has a Sun Sparc5 and a Sun Sparc20. Both machines are fully networked, and have large 20" color monitors. The Sparc20 is connected such that the video output can be directly videotaped.

    You may bring in other equipment if the existing equipment is not enough for your needs (see section on "Using Your Own Stuff") below.

    Please try not to leave personal files on the lab machines. Also, don't change their configuration permanently without first notifying and getting permission from the GVU Lab Managers.

    Audio/Video Equipment.

    Currently we have in the lab the following audio and video equipment:
    • two closed circuit cameras (not camcorders), on wall mounts.
    • one microphone
    • one intercom unit
    In addition, the Video Lab has the following usability relatedequipment:
    • one microphone
    • one video/audio mixer
    • one stereo audio mixer
    • two video monitors
    • VCRs
    • remote controller for the 2 wall-mounted cameras
    • one clock/timer to insert timestamps on the video signals (in the large blue case)
    If you need additional equipment, you'll have to provide it. Check with the GVU Lab Manager.

    How to Use the Audio/Video Equipment.

    Video signals are first generated by the cameras. Two of the cameras may be connected to the video mixer (note that you can only use two of the three cameras in any one experiment session). The mixer controls how to mix and match the camera signals, and outputs signals to the monitors and VCRs. The signal going to the VCRs and the left monitor is routed through the clock/timer so that it can be timestamped.

    The audio circuit starts in the two microphones (lab and observation area). The lab microphone is the left channel, the observation microphone is the right channel. Both microphones can be mixed using the stereo audio mixer. The output of the audio mixer goes to the VCRs.

    The audio and video equipment is moderately complex, and you should become familiar with it before you try to run sessions. This primer is just that: a primer. Use it as a guide to learn to operate the equipment, not as a cook book reference manual. The manuals for the A/V equipment are kept in the GVU Lab Manager's office (CCB 210). You may check them out from him if you need them.

    To use the video equipment, follow these steps:

    1. Make sure that the cameras that you are going to use are connected to the back of the video mixer. Make sure you have the right two cameras.
    2. Turn on the cameras (little white switch in the back), the video mixer, and the monitors.
    3. If you are using the tripod-mounted camera, place it the room and adjust its position and settings manually. You will find it easier to feed its signals to one of the monitors and then turn the monitor around facing the lab while you adjust things like position, zoom, and focus. The tripod-mounted camera cannot be controlled from the observation area.
    4. Using the remote controller in the observation area, set the wall-mounted cameras. A switch in the remote controller select the left or right camera. You can control camera positions with the joystick on the remote controller.
      The other two functions you will use are zoom (tele/wide) and focus (near/far).
    5. Now you have all your video signals. The left monitor shows the signal that is going into the VCR. The right monitor may show other signals. Exactly how the two monitors can get different signals is beyond this primer. Suffice it to say that the left one gets its signals from the mixer's video output, and the right one gets it from the mixer's preview output. The three buttons that control the output are located at the top right of the video mixer.
    6. With the video mixer you can combine signals. The most frequent combination is picture-in-picture (PIP, or P in P). Look for the PIP button on the video mixer. If you press it once, the mixer will do a PIP with the smaller picture taking up about 1/4 of the screen; if you press it again, the small picture will take only 1/16th of the screen; press it one more time to cancel PIP. When using the PIP feature, the joystick on the video mixer controls the position of the smaller picture. If you want to reverse the pictures in PIP (the small one becomes full screen and vice-versa) move the video mixing slider to the other end.
    7. To timestamp videos, turn on the video timer. There is also a stopwatch, which can be optionally activated by flipping a switch. You can control the stopwatch start/stop using button on the timer. Experiment yourself. It won't bite you.
    8. The bottom VCR is the best one. Use it to record your sessions. The top VCR is mono audio and only gets the left channel.
    To use the audio equipment, decide which microphones you are going to use: none, one, or both. If none, forget about this paragraph. If one or two, turn on the audio mixer, and set it up. Remember: left mike is the lab (L=Left=Lab), the right one is the observation area (R=Right=obseRvation)! If you are using the lab in the observation area, be very careful with feedback. Turn off the volume in both monitors, and use headphones. A headphone can be plugged in to the audio mixer's headphone jack.

    Using Your Own Stuff.

    If the existing equipment is not enough for your needs, you may, in general, bring your own. Always check with one of the GVU Lab Managers. You are responsible for the security of your equipment, and you should lock down any valuable items. You should also try to set up your equipment in the lab in such a way that will not interfere with other projects using the lab.

    Help.

    I'm sure you have lots of questions. We are here to help. The most important piece of advice is to become familiar with the equipment and its operation before you start your experiment. Do not try to improvise during sessions: it generally doesn't work. Come and try out the equipment, and if you have questions ask. Here are some names and email addresses:

    Type of Help                    Who to Ask
    -----------------------------   --------------------------
    Equipment questions             Steve Park      (spark@cc)
    Access to the lab               Margaret Beier  (magbeier@cc)
                                    Steve Park      (spark@cc)
                                    Joan Morton     (joan@cc)
    Policies and regulations        Albert Badre    (badre@cc)
    Scheduling                      Margaret Beier  (magbeier@cc)
    Problems and breakdowns         Steve Park      (spark@cc)
    

    SciVis Lab.

    The SciVis Lab is devoted to research in the area of scientifc visualization. Usage of the SciVis lab facilities is limited to those who are authorized to receive an account. Any person performing scientific visualization research can apply for an account in this lab.