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A method for converting high energy physics detector description into a Unity visualization

Tianzi Song, Yumei Zhang, Zhengyun You

TL;DR

Problem: existing HEP detector descriptions are not readily portable to industrial 3D tools. Approach: an automated interface, based on the HSF Geometry Writer, converts Geant4, ROOT, GDML, and DD4hep descriptions into FBX for Unity. Contributions: a single-step, cross-format conversion with preserved geometry; validated on four detectors (JUNO, EicC, BESIII, CEPC). Impact: enables Unity-based detector visualization, design verification, event display development, and public outreach using open-source tools.

Abstract

Detector visualization plays a vital role in high energy physics (HEP) experiments, yet existing detector descriptions, such as GDML, lack compatibility with industrial 3D tools. We present an automated conversion framework that transforms four major HEP detector descriptions, including GDML, Geant4, ROOT and DD4hep, into standardized FBX models compatible with a industrial 3D platform called Unity. This solution enables HEP detectors to be directly visualized in the professional 3D ecosystem, which is of great help for detector design verification, event display development, and public participation.

A method for converting high energy physics detector description into a Unity visualization

TL;DR

Problem: existing HEP detector descriptions are not readily portable to industrial 3D tools. Approach: an automated interface, based on the HSF Geometry Writer, converts Geant4, ROOT, GDML, and DD4hep descriptions into FBX for Unity. Contributions: a single-step, cross-format conversion with preserved geometry; validated on four detectors (JUNO, EicC, BESIII, CEPC). Impact: enables Unity-based detector visualization, design verification, event display development, and public outreach using open-source tools.

Abstract

Detector visualization plays a vital role in high energy physics (HEP) experiments, yet existing detector descriptions, such as GDML, lack compatibility with industrial 3D tools. We present an automated conversion framework that transforms four major HEP detector descriptions, including GDML, Geant4, ROOT and DD4hep, into standardized FBX models compatible with a industrial 3D platform called Unity. This solution enables HEP detectors to be directly visualized in the professional 3D ecosystem, which is of great help for detector design verification, event display development, and public participation.
Paper Structure (9 sections, 2 figures)

This paper contains 9 sections, 2 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Detector descriptions
  3. Methodologies
  4. Visualization in Unity
  5. From Geant4 to Unity with JUNO detector
  6. From ROOT to Unity with EicC detector
  7. From GDML to Unity with BESIII detector
  8. From DDD4hep to Unity with CEPC detector
  9. Summary

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: JUNO and EicC detector display in Unity. A life-sized human model in (b) serves as a scale reference for EicC detector.
  • Figure 2: BESIII and CEPC detector display in Unity.