Fostering a community-driven and sustainable HELIOS++ scientific software

激光扫描是在三维空间和时间中捕捉环境及其动态的主要方法，在地球科学和环境科学中得到了广泛的应用。开源科学软件helios++是一个通用框架，用于在计算机模拟中执行真实但虚拟的激光扫描获取，以创建合成激光雷达数据。这种虚拟激光扫描可以完全控制数据创建过程中的采集参数和再现性，以及与数据分析相结合的高度自动化工作流程。helios++的主要优势是1)它可以在一个模拟中模拟大范围的空间尺度和尺度和几何细节的组合；2)它支持多种可扩展的不同平台和扫描仪，这些平台和扫描仪易于交互和交换。由于它的模块化，helios++是一个不断发展的项目，它被许多出版物引用和使用。helios++的主要应用案例有：i)改进采集计划，ii)算法开发，iii)生成机器学习特别是深度学习的训练数据，iv)设计新型未来传感器，v)用作教育平台。该项目的目标有三个：首先，通过a)改进与领先第三方软件的互操作性，b)支持web的helios++数据管理（包括完整调查的DOI存档），c)高级Python API和Jupyter集成，d)科学可用性检查的新工具来验证个人适合helios++的目的，提高可用性和影响。其次，我们将通过以下方式提高质量保证：a)重构c++核心；b)实现专业的代码治理标准（例如代码审查、覆盖报告）；C)提供现代包装和持续交付（例如Conda）。第三，通过直接为用户（例如在线教材和研讨会）和开发人员（例如为开发人员提供专业培训）建立活跃的社区，以及一些间接影响（例如通过python API增加潜在用户/开发人员）来增加用户和开发人员基础，从而促进进一步的可持续发展。这个跨学科项目的一个主要优势是将国际公认的、越来越多使用的激光扫描模拟科学软件紧密和战略性地长期整合到海德堡大学的一个机构科学软件中心（SSC）。这使得共同设计和“共同开发”一个专业的、可持续的、高度改进的科学方法和软件成为可能。

Laser scanning is a leading method to capture the environment and its dynamics in 3D space and time and it is widely used in geosciences and environmental sciences. The open-source scientific software HELIOS++ is a general-purpose framework to perform realistic – but virtual – laser scanning acquisitions in a computer simulation to create synthetic LiDAR data. Such virtual laser scanning enables full control of acquisition parameters and reproducibility in the data creation process, as well as highly automatic workflows coupled with data analysis. Major strengths of HELIOS++ are 1) that it can simulate over a large range of spatial scales and combination of scales and geometric detail in one simulation and 2) that it supports a multitude and extendable number of different platforms and scanners, which are easily inter- and exchangeable. Due to is modularity, HELIOS++ is a growing project and it has been cited and used in many publications. Main application cases of HELIOS++ are i) the improvement of acquisition planning, ii) algorithm development, iii) generation of training data for machine learning and particularly deep learning, iv) design of novel future sensors, and v) use as an education platform. The aims of this project are threefold: First, to increase usability and impact by a) improved interoperability with leading third-party software, b) a web-enabled HELIOS++ data management including DOI archiving of full surveys, c) a high-level Python API and Jupyter integration, d) a novel tool for scientific usability checks to validate individual fitness-for-purpose of HELIOS++. Second, we will increase quality assurance by a) refactoring the C++ core, b) implementing professional code governance standards (e.g. code review, coverage reports) and c) offering modern packing and continuous delivery (e.g. Conda). Third, further sustainable development will be fostered by increasing the user and developer base by direct active community building for users (e.g. online teaching materials and workshops) and developers (e.g. professional onboarding for developers) as well as several indirect effects such as more potential users/developers through the Pythonic API. One main strength of this interdisciplinary project is the tight and strategic long-term integration of an internationally recognized and increasingly used scientific software for laser scanning simulation into an institutional Scientific Software Center (SSC) at Heidelberg University. This enables to co-design and to “co-source” a professional, sustainable and highly improved scientific method and software.