Prototype exploration for GSoC 2026 Project 1: Real-time MD dashboard (IMDv3 + MDAnalysis)

[PeterWayne12]

Hi everyone,

I’m Pranoy, and I’m very interested in GSoC 2026 Project 1: Dashboard for tracking MD simulation progress.

To better understand the streaming and visualization aspects of the project, I built a small prototype that simulates a streaming backend using FastAPI and visualizes live frame progression in the browser using Chart.js.

Repository:
https://github.com/PeterWayne12/md-dashboard-prototype

The current prototype:

Simulates a continuously increasing frame stream

Exposes a streaming endpoint

Displays live progress and updates a real-time graph in the browser

I’m now exploring:

Replacing HTTP polling with WebSocket-based streaming

Integrating MDAnalysis observables instead of simulated data

Designing a clean architecture to support buffered, time-dependent analyses

I would really appreciate feedback on:

Whether this architectural direction aligns with the intended scope

Suggested next milestones (e.g., IMDv3 integration vs. analysis layer first)

Any recommended design patterns for handling live analysis with MDAnalysis

Thank you for your time and I’m looking forward to contributing.

[amruthesht]

Hello Pranoy,

GSoC does not encourage any work on the projects, prior to acceptance and actual start of GSoC's coding period, and thus we are not supposed to provide any feedback on prototypes. I would rather encourage you to engage with the community, and brainstorm more ideas related to the project and its implementation.

[PeterWayne12]

Thank you for the clarification

I'll focus on engaging more with the community and discussing ideas around the architecture and implementation of the dashboard.

I'm currently reading through the IMDv3 and MDAnalysis documentation to better understand how the streaming interface works, and I look forward to contributing to discussions around possible approaches for the real-time dashboard.

Thanks again!