users at workstations in the lab

The Modeling Lab: A Summary

The ATS Modeling Lab is an interdisciplinary computing facility available to UCLA graduate students, staff, researchers, and faculty researching new technologies for digital scholarship. Past projects have focused on three-dimensional computer modeling, GIS and digital cultural mapping, scientific visualization, and historic reconstruction.

Students, researchers and faculty who wish to use the lab must propose a project and have it reviewed by faculty advisors from the Experiential Technologies Center or from the Institute For Digital Research and Education, depending upon the nature of the project. Historic reconstruction projects would be vetted by the ETC, scientific visualizations, computational simulations and GIS projects by IDRE. General computing project ideas would be reviewed by both ETC and IDRE. If you are interested in using the lab please go to gaining access to the lab, Gaining Access to the Modeling Lab.

Modeling lab projects and clients can benefit greatly from the resources offered by the ATS environment. The lab offers a full palette of resources to create and promote projects in a well- equipped production environment. A wide variety of modeling, GIS, graphics, and archiving applications are maintained on up to date workstations with specialized graphics cards. ATS staff can also provide consultation on project management, software analysis, project promotion and dissemination, and technical project support.

The lab hosts a community of modelers working on a variety of projects assisting one another with the challenges of digital scholarship. ATS strives to facilitate collaboration between lab users and encourages them to assist and consult with one another whenever possible.

What The Lab Offers

  • Identical Workstations

    The Modeling Lab’s Windows workstations are identically configured with access to a variety of printers and auxiliary scanners and peripheral equipment. For a more detailed description of the hardware available go to Hardware And Other Resources.

  • Suite of Applications

    A wide variety of three-dimensional computer modeling, graphics, rendering, GIS, and archiving applications are maintained on all workstations in the Modeling Lab. A partial list of a pplications includes Multigen Creator, 3DSMax, Rhino, Maya, Autocad, SketchUp, Maxwell, Mental Ray, V-Ray, ArcMap, Google Earth Pro, ERDAS Imagine, Arc2Earth, ACDSee, Picasa, and Expression Media. For more detailed descriptions of the software in the Modeling Lab go to Supported Applications.

  • Network Storage

    All registered lab users are issued work space on remote large-capacity file systems accessed through gigabit network connections. This work space is made available to researchers for the duration of their project, be it months or years. These remote file systems are fast, monitored, backed up regularly, and kept in good working order.

  • Lab Maintenance

    The lab hardware and software are regularly maintained and updated. Staff will respond quickly to remedy any problems that are reported. There is a full-time staff member available to offer support during regular work hours, and other support structures are in place to handle any extraordinary problems.

  • Work Space, Storage Space, and Security

    The lab has been designed to provide a work space that will facilitate the activities of it s users 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This includes ample desktop , storage , meeting, and display space, all within a secure and locked facility .

  • Display Venues

    Projects created in the Modeling Lab result in a wide range of outputs. For example, three-dimensional computer models can be used in an interactive real-time environment, or as the basis for rendered animations or static images for publication, or exported for use on the web. Tuning and editing models for specific display environments is as critical as building them, and is well supported by the lab. Staff will also assist in the creation of edited movies, DVD s, videotapes, animations, metadata, web VR objects, and images.

  • Modeling Instruction, Assistance, and Consulting

    The lab does not provide regular scheduled classes in the use of the applications it supports, however, staff conducts workshops several times a year in the use of GIS and modeling applications for lab users. Staff is also available to consult on software, modeling and GIS practices, and to provide modeling- and GIS- related services.

For information on how to apply to use the Lab go to Gaining Access to The Modeling Lab.