A Framework for the Interactive Handling of High-Dimensional Simulation Data in Complex Geometries

Flow simulations around building infrastructure models involve large scale complex geometries, which when discretized in adequate detail entail high computational cost. Moreover, tasks such as simulation insight by steering or optimization require many such costly simulations. In this paper, we illustrate the whole pipeline of an integrated solution for interactive computational steering, developed for complex flow simulation scenarios that depend on a moderate number of both geometric and physical parameters. A mesh generator takes building information model input data and outputs a valid cartesian discretization. A sparse-grids-based surrogate model—a less costly substitute for the parameterized simulation—uses precomputed data to deliver approximated simulation results at interactive rates. Furthermore, a distributed multi-display visualization environment shows building infrastructure together with flow data. The focus is set on scalability and intuitive user interaction.