This raw data can then be sent over the network to the central application.
This will be the subject of another Lab Lesson
=== Visualizing Data
To visualize the data, we've put together a basic **Processing** sketch that loads a 3D model and renders it using the data generated by the AHRS sketch.
==== The tools, languages, and frameworks
===== Processing
Processing is an open-source graphical library and integrated development environment (IDE) built for the electronic arts, new media art, and visual design communities with the purpose of teaching non-programmers the fundamentals of computer programming in a visual context.
Processing uses the Java language, with additional simplifications such as additional classes and aliased mathematical functions and operations. It also provides a graphical user interface for simplifying the compilation and execution stage.
The Processing language and IDE were the precursor to other projects including Arduino, Wiring and p5.js.
===== p5.js
In 2013, Lauren McCarthy created p5.js, a native JavaScript alternative to Processing.js that has the official support of the Processing Foundation.
===== Processing.py
Python Mode for Processing, or Processing.py is a Python interface to the underlying Java toolkit. It was chiefly developed by Jonathan Feinberg starting in 2010, with contributions from James Gilles and Ben Alkov
===== Three.js
Three.js is a cross-browser JavaScript library and Application Programming Interface (API) used to create and display animated 3D computer graphics in a web browser. Three.js uses WebGL.
[NOTE]
====
**ThreeJS** is a wrapper around the browser’s native WebGL API. It’s the de facto standard 3D library — there are others, like BabylonJS, but Three is just miles more popular. The native browser APIs are… painful to work with, you can think of ThreeJS kinda like a jQuery for in-browser 3D graphics. Doesn’t give you anything that’s not already there, it just wraps it all into a user-friendly API
**P5** is not a 3d graphics library, it’s an API for doing creative coding: things like procedural generation, natural simulations etc. It has some 3D features because it wraps the native WebGL API, but that’s not it’s core purpose. It is a artistic and teaching tool — it is occasionally used in production outside of artistic audio/visual stuff, but not often. It’s basically the JS version of Processing.
====
https://www.slideshare.net/victorporof/processingjs-vs-threejs[More: Processing.js vs. three.js]
==== Requirements
- https://processing.org/[Processing 2.x]
- https://code.google.com/archive/p/saitoobjloader/#Download[OBJ Loader library for Processing]
- http://www.lagers.org.uk/g4p/[G4P GUI library for Processing]
[NOTE]
====
The OBJ library is required to load 3D models. It isn't strictly necessary and you could also render a boring cube in Processing, but why play with cubes when you have rabbits?!
====
==== Write the Processing Sketch
.Processing Sketch
[source,c]
----
import processing.serial.*;
import java.awt.datatransfer.*;
import java.awt.Toolkit;
import processing.opengl.*;
import saito.objloader.*;
import g4p_controls.*;
float roll = 0.0F;
float pitch = 0.0F;
float yaw = 0.0F;
float temp = 0.0F;
float alt = 0.0F;
OBJModel model;
// Serial port state.
Serial port;
String buffer = "";
final String serialConfigFile = "serialconfig.txt";
boolean printSerial = false;
// UI controls.
GPanel configPanel;
GDropList serialList;
GLabel serialLabel;
GCheckbox printSerialCheckbox;
void setup()
{
size(400, 500, OPENGL);
frameRate(30);
model = new OBJModel(this);
model.load("bunny.obj");
model.scale(20);
// Serial port setup.
// Grab list of serial ports and choose one that was persisted earlier or default to the first port.