Serious Game: IT Network Visualization

[codesmythe]

I interfaced the Blender Game Engine with a system and network monitoring package. The attached screenshot show a computer downloading a file from the internet. The model is an autolayout of the actual system components, except for the CPU utilization bars. I gratuitously replicated the machine's single CPU, to have something more to look at. The little yellow cubes represent blocks of data transiting to/from the network interface, and to/from the disks. The frame rate is very good, as one might expect for this example having so few moving parts.

The monitoring package used is Performance Co-Pilot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance_Co-Pilot
http://oss.sgi.com/projects/pcp

An external process does the actual live data collection, so the BGE never waits on network latency. The activity measurements are pickled and passed into the BGE using System V Messages. The incoming messages are then decomposed by a hierarchy of receiver objects/scripts, and individual metric measurements are handed off to the objects that represent them.

The artwork is lame because I'm an engineer. Or, I'm an engineer because the artwork is lame - whichever you prefer.

[austen]

I'm confused, but this looks cool. I'm a CS student but this looks a little over my head.

[codesmythe]

Austen - what part can I explain for you?

[coonerboy]

So the point is that when you download something this will pop up and you will be able to see your data transfering in 3D? If so, thats neat!

[codesmythe]

coonerboy - It's similar to what you describe.
The blender app runs continuously, reading activity measurements from some computer(s) on your network that it has been told to monitor. Those activity measurements get translated into moving/wiggling objects in the game engine. So, one can continuously watch the innards of the computer(s) operate, and watch the interactions, much like watching some mechanical machines in a factory.

[Rorkimaru]

Originally Posted by codesmythe coonerboy - It's similar to what you describe. The blender app runs continuously, reading activity measurements from some computer(s) on your network that it has been told to monitor. Those activity measurements get translated into moving/wiggling objects in the game engine. So, one can continuously watch the innards of the computer(s) operate, and watch the interactions, much like watching some mechanical machines in a factory.

That's rather cool! it's an interesting prospect

[codesmythe]

Thank you all for the compliments.

[KidVegas]

Planning on releasing your code?

[codesmythe]

Originally Posted by KidVegas Planning on releasing your code?

Yes, after a respin. The current rev is a messy late-night hack job.

[e_dantes]

Can you describe real quick what the different elements do in your pic? Change size, move up/down, color, etc? Sorta hard to visualize it without seeing it move.

[codesmythe]

Best if I post a video later.

[coonerboy]

Once it is finished what will you do with it. Sell it? Free download? Eventualy you should get some better models or ask someone to make them for you. Anyway sounds neat and if it works i might even want it.

[yournamehere]

That's a great project Codesmythe--probably one of the coolest apps to come out of blender. I don't know; however, if blender is the program for the job. It's not the most flexible program when it comes to windowed and/or moveable apps. :|

peace,
-nick

[Olm-Z]

I've seen it slashdotted !! : http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/05...mance-Co-Pilot ha !

[codesmythe]

Originally Posted by coonerboy Once it is finished what will you do with it. Sell it? Free download? Eventualy you should get some better models or ask someone to make them for you. Anyway sounds neat and if it works i might even want it.

I plan on posting the .blend, after I clean up and rewire a few things.

[codesmythe]

Originally Posted by yournamehere That's a great project Codesmythe--probably one of the coolest apps to come out of blender. I don't know; however, if blender is the program for the job. It's not the most flexible program when it comes to windowed and/or moveable apps. :| peace, -nick

Thanks for the compliment. That is uncomfortably high praise, considering the level of talent
in the blender community.

What do you find troublesome about working with windowed/movable apps in blender?
What program do you think would be better suited?

[deltaray]

Still plan on releasing the code? I'm very interested in this because I wanted to do something like this as well. Basically I was wanting to make a blender game that would read tcpdump output and visualize it. Probably would need to use libpcap.

[Fake]

That looks cool. Can't wait for the blend.Probably wouldn't keep it running all the time, but the input from another program is immensely interesting to me.

[codesmythe]

Deltaray & Fake - The short answer is yes. I wanted to circle back around and clean up the code before releasing it, but clearly it's been pushed far down the stack. It was my first blender program, hacked up over a week. So, you can imagine the state of it. I'll endeavor to revisit it this coming week, lay aside any pretension of craftsmanship, and post you some happiness. Recently I've been working on a new rev of the Performance Co-Pilot python libraries, which this relies upon. But, that is still several weeks from being done.