About This Software

VIRTUE (Virtual Interactive Reality Toolkit for Understanding the EIC) is a standalone particle physics event display application for desktop and virtual reality. It was developed to visualize detector geometries and particle collision data, with an emphasis on the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

The application includes simplified and engineering models of the ePIC detector, together with simulated electron–proton collision events. Users can explore detector systems, examine particle trajectories and detector responses, and view collision events in either desktop or VR mode. Users can also take a guided tour through the detector, progressing from the innermost to the outermost detector systems while learning about the purpose and operation of each component.

VIRTUE also supports user-supplied content. Detector geometries can be imported from FBX or JSON files, while simulated collision data, detector-response data, and guided tours can be loaded from JSON files. This allows the application to be adapted for new detector concepts, experiments, educational demonstrations, and outreach activities beyond the EIC.

Navigation and animation tools allow users to move freely through the detector environment or create automated camera paths and event playback sequences for presentations, demonstrations, and recorded videos. The software is intended for education, outreach, and introductory exploration of particle physics detectors and collider experiments.