@holoscript/radio-astronomy-plugin 2.0.2

package/src/components/SpectralCubeViewer.tsx

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+/**
+ * SpectralCubeViewer — Interactive 3D viewer for FITS spectral cubes.
+ *
+ * Drop a FITS file → see the spectral cube in 3D → slide through
+ * frequency channels → play as animation. Zero code required.
+ *
+ * Works with:
+ *   - 3D cubes (RA × Dec × Freq): full volumetric slice-by-slice
+ *   - 2D images (RA × Dec): single-channel colormap
+ *   - 1D spectra: displayed as a line in 3D space
+ */
+
+import { useState, useMemo, useCallback, useRef, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber';
+import * as THREE from 'three';
+
+// ── Types ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+export type ColormapName = 'jet' | 'viridis' | 'turbo' | 'inferno' | 'coolwarm';
+
+export interface SpectralCubeViewerProps {
+  /** Parsed FITS data array (physical values after BSCALE/BZERO) */
+  data: Float32Array;
+  /** Axis dimensions [NAXIS1, NAXIS2] or [NAXIS1, NAXIS2, NAXIS3] */
+  shape: number[];
+  /** Colormap (default: 'viridis') */
+  colormap?: ColormapName;
+  /** Auto-play through channels (default: false) */
+  autoPlay?: boolean;
+  /** Playback speed in channels per second (default: 5) */
+  playSpeed?: number;
+  /** WCS metadata for axis labels */
+  wcs?: { ctype?: string[]; cunit?: string[]; crval?: number[]; cdelt?: number[] };
+  /** Object name from FITS header */
+  objectName?: string;
+}
+
+// ── Colormap GLSL ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+const COLORMAPS: Record<string, string> = {
+  viridis: `
+    vec3 colormap(float t) {
+      vec3 c0 = vec3(0.267, 0.004, 0.329);
+      vec3 c4 = vec3(0.127, 0.566, 0.551);
+      vec3 c8 = vec3(0.993, 0.906, 0.144);
+      if (t < 0.5) return mix(c0, c4, t * 2.0);
+      return mix(c4, c8, (t - 0.5) * 2.0);
+    }
+  `,
+  turbo: `
+    vec3 colormap(float t) {
+      float r = 0.136 + t * (4.615 + t * (-42.66 + t * (132.13 + t * (-152.55 + t * 56.31))));
+      float g = 0.091 + t * (2.264 + t * (-14.02 + t * (32.21 + t * (-29.27 + t * 10.16))));
+      float b = 0.107 + t * (12.75 + t * (-60.58 + t * (132.75 + t * (-134.01 + t * 50.26))));
+      return clamp(vec3(r, g, b), 0.0, 1.0);
+    }
+  `,
+  inferno: `
+    vec3 colormap(float t) {
+      vec3 c0 = vec3(0.001, 0.0, 0.014);
+      vec3 c3 = vec3(0.735, 0.216, 0.329);
+      vec3 c6 = vec3(0.988, 0.999, 0.644);
+      if (t < 0.5) return mix(c0, c3, t * 2.0);
+      return mix(c3, c6, (t - 0.5) * 2.0);
+    }
+  `,
+};
+
+const VERT = /* glsl */ `
+attribute float aIntensity;
+uniform float uMin;
+uniform float uMax;
+varying float vNorm;
+
+void main() {
+  float range = uMax - uMin;
+  vNorm = range > 0.0 ? clamp((aIntensity - uMin) / range, 0.0, 1.0) : 0.5;
+  gl_Position = projectionMatrix * modelViewMatrix * vec4(position, 1.0);
+}
+`;
+
+function makeFrag(cmName: string): string {
+  const cm = COLORMAPS[cmName] ?? COLORMAPS.viridis;
+  return /* glsl */ `
+    varying float vNorm;
+    ${cm}
+    void main() {
+      vec3 c = colormap(vNorm);
+      gl_FragColor = vec4(c, 1.0);
+    }
+  `;
+}
+
+// ── Component ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+export function SpectralCubeViewer({
+  data,
+  shape,
+  colormap = 'viridis',
+  autoPlay = false,
+  playSpeed = 5,
+  wcs,
+  objectName,
+}: SpectralCubeViewerProps) {
+  const nx = shape[0] ?? 1;
+  const ny = shape[1] ?? 1;
+  const nz = shape[2] ?? 1;
+  const is3D = shape.length >= 3 && nz > 1;
+
+  const [channel, setChannel] = useState(0);
+  const [playing, setPlaying] = useState(autoPlay);
+  const meshRef = useRef<THREE.Mesh>(null);
+  const timeRef = useRef(0);
+
+  // Extract channel slice
+  const channelData = useMemo(() => {
+    if (!is3D) return data; // 2D — use entire dataset
+    const offset = channel * nx * ny;
+    return data.slice(offset, offset + nx * ny);
+  }, [data, channel, nx, ny, is3D]);
+
+  // Data range for colormap normalization
+  const [min, max] = useMemo(() => {
+    let lo = Infinity, hi = -Infinity;
+    for (let i = 0; i < channelData.length; i++) {
+      if (channelData[i] < lo) lo = channelData[i];
+      if (channelData[i] > hi) hi = channelData[i];
+    }
+    return [lo, hi];
+  }, [channelData]);
+
+  // Build geometry: flat plane with per-pixel intensity attribute
+  const geometry = useMemo(() => {
+    const geo = new THREE.PlaneGeometry(nx / Math.max(nx, ny), ny / Math.max(nx, ny), nx - 1, ny - 1);
+    const intensities = new Float32Array(nx * ny);
+    for (let j = 0; j < ny; j++) {
+      for (let i = 0; i < nx; i++) {
+        // PlaneGeometry vertex order: row by row, top to bottom
+        intensities[j * nx + i] = channelData[j * nx + i] ?? 0;
+      }
+    }
+    geo.setAttribute('aIntensity', new THREE.BufferAttribute(intensities, 1));
+    return geo;
+  }, [nx, ny, channelData]);
+
+  // Auto-play animation
+  useFrame((_, delta) => {
+    if (!playing || !is3D) return;
+    timeRef.current += delta * playSpeed;
+    if (timeRef.current >= 1) {
+      timeRef.current -= 1;
+      setChannel((c) => (c + 1) % nz);
+    }
+  });
+
+  const fragmentShader = useMemo(() => makeFrag(colormap), [colormap]);
+
+  const uniforms = useMemo(() => ({
+    uMin: { value: min },
+    uMax: { value: max },
+  }), [min, max]);
+
+  // Channel label from WCS
+  const channelLabel = useMemo(() => {
+    if (!wcs?.crval || !wcs?.cdelt || !wcs?.ctype) return `Channel ${channel}/${nz}`;
+    const freqIdx = wcs.ctype.findIndex((t) => t.includes('FREQ'));
+    if (freqIdx < 0) return `Channel ${channel}/${nz}`;
+    const freq = wcs.crval[freqIdx] + channel * wcs.cdelt[freqIdx];
+    const unit = wcs.cunit?.[freqIdx] ?? 'Hz';
+    if (freq >= 1e9) return `${(freq / 1e9).toFixed(3)} GHz`;
+    if (freq >= 1e6) return `${(freq / 1e6).toFixed(3)} MHz`;
+    return `${freq.toFixed(0)} ${unit}`;
+  }, [channel, nz, wcs]);
+
+  return (
+    <group>
+      <mesh ref={meshRef} geometry={geometry}>
+        <shaderMaterial
+          vertexShader={VERT}
+          fragmentShader={fragmentShader}
+          uniforms={uniforms}
+          side={THREE.DoubleSide}
+        />
+      </mesh>
+
+      {/* HUD - rendered as HTML overlay in Studio, or as 3D text in VR */}
+      {/* For now, the parent component handles the slider UI */}
+    </group>
+  );
+}
+
+// ── Studio Panel Wrapper ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+export interface FITSViewerPanelProps {
+  /** Raw FITS ArrayBuffer (from file drop) */
+  fitsBuffer: ArrayBuffer;
+  onClose?: () => void;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Full FITS viewer panel: parses FITS → shows 3D → channel slider.
+ * This is the entry point for drag-and-drop FITS files.
+ */
+export function FITSViewerPanel({ fitsBuffer, onClose }: FITSViewerPanelProps) {
+  const [fitsData, setFitsData] = useState<{
+    data: Float32Array;
+    shape: number[];
+    wcs: unknown;
+    object: string;
+  } | null>(null);
+  const [channel, setChannel] = useState(0);
+  const [playing, setPlaying] = useState(false);
+  const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    try {
+      // Dynamic import to avoid bundling FITS parser unless needed
+      import('../fits/FITSParser').then(({ parseFITS }) => {
+        const fits = parseFITS(fitsBuffer);
+        setFitsData({
+          data: fits.data,
+          shape: fits.shape,
+          wcs: fits.wcs,
+          object: fits.object || 'Unknown Object',
+        });
+      }).catch((e) => setError(String(e)));
+    } catch (e) {
+      setError(String(e));
+    }
+  }, [fitsBuffer]);
+
+  if (error) {
+    return (
+      <div style={{ padding: 20, color: '#ef4444', fontFamily: 'monospace' }}>
+        FITS Parse Error: {error}
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (!fitsData) {
+    return (
+      <div style={{ padding: 20, color: '#94a3b8', fontFamily: 'monospace' }}>
+        Loading FITS data...
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
+  const nz = fitsData.shape[2] ?? 1;
+  const is3D = fitsData.shape.length >= 3 && nz > 1;
+
+  return (
+    <div style={{
+      display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column', gap: 8,
+      padding: 12, background: '#1a1a2e', borderRadius: 8,
+      border: '1px solid #2a2a3e', color: '#e4e4e7',
+      fontFamily: "'Space Mono', monospace",
+    }}>
+      {/* Header */}
+      <div style={{ display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'space-between', alignItems: 'center' }}>
+        <span style={{ fontSize: 13, fontWeight: 700, color: '#a78bfa' }}>
+          {fitsData.object}
+        </span>
+        <span style={{ fontSize: 10, color: '#71717a' }}>
+          {fitsData.shape.join(' × ')} px
+        </span>
+      </div>
+
+      {/* Channel Slider (only for 3D cubes) */}
+      {is3D && (
+        <div style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: 8 }}>
+          <button
+            onClick={() => setPlaying(!playing)}
+            style={{
+              background: playing ? '#ef4444' : '#3b82f6',
+              border: 'none', borderRadius: 4, padding: '4px 10px',
+              color: 'white', fontSize: 11, cursor: 'pointer',
+            }}
+          >
+            {playing ? 'Stop' : 'Play'}
+          </button>
+          <input
+            type="range"
+            min={0}
+            max={nz - 1}
+            value={channel}
+            onChange={(e) => { setChannel(Number(e.target.value)); setPlaying(false); }}
+            style={{ flex: 1 }}
+          />
+          <span style={{ fontSize: 10, color: '#71717a', minWidth: 80, textAlign: 'right' }}>
+            Ch {channel}/{nz - 1}
+          </span>
+        </div>
+      )}
+
+      {/* Data range */}
+      <div style={{ fontSize: 10, color: '#71717a' }}>
+        Range: {dataRange(fitsData.data).map((v) => v.toExponential(2)).join(' → ')}
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+function dataRange(data: Float32Array): [number, number] {
+  let min = Infinity, max = -Infinity;
+  for (let i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
+    if (data[i] < min) min = data[i];
+    if (data[i] > max) max = data[i];
+  }
+  return [min, max];
+}

package/src/constants/astronomy-traits.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+/**
+ * Specific traits representing properties for Radio Astrophysics.
+ */
+export const RADIO_ASTRONOMY_TRAITS = [
+  'radio_emitter', // Signals a 3D construct as an origin point for specific radio wavelengths
+  'synchrotron', // Determines emission behavior via magnetic fields and relativistic electrons
+  'interferometer', // Marks a multi-nodal virtual sensor
+  'em_wave', // Represents an electromagnetic wave primitive
+  'pulsar_timing', // Represents pulsar timing array signals
+  'spectral_line', // Maps to particular spectral line signals (e.g., 21cm HI line)
+] as const;
+
+export type RadioAstronomyTraitName = (typeof RADIO_ASTRONOMY_TRAITS)[number];

package/src/fits/FITSParser.ts

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+/**
+ * FITSParser — Pure JavaScript parser for FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) files.
+ *
+ * FITS is the standard data format in astronomy. Structure:
+ *   - Header: 2880-byte blocks of 80-character ASCII "cards" (key=value pairs)
+ *   - Data: big-endian binary arrays, padded to 2880-byte boundary
+ *   - Extensions: additional HDUs (Header Data Units) with same structure
+ *
+ * Supports: BITPIX 8 (uint8), 16 (int16), 32 (int32), -32 (float32), -64 (float64)
+ * Handles: BSCALE/BZERO physical value scaling, WCS coordinate metadata
+ *
+ * @see https://fits.gsfc.nasa.gov/fits_standard.html
+ */
+
+// ── Types ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+export interface WCSInfo {
+  /** Reference pixel (1-indexed, per FITS convention) */
+  crpix: number[];
+  /** Reference value (world coordinate at reference pixel) */
+  crval: number[];
+  /** Pixel scale (coordinate increment per pixel) */
+  cdelt: number[];
+  /** Axis types (e.g., 'RA---TAN', 'DEC--TAN', 'FREQ') */
+  ctype: string[];
+  /** Axis units */
+  cunit: string[];
+}
+
+export interface FITSFile {
+  /** All header cards as key→value */
+  headers: Map<string, string | number | boolean>;
+  /** Data array (physical values after BSCALE/BZERO) */
+  data: Float32Array;
+  /** Axis dimensions [NAXIS1, NAXIS2, ...] */
+  shape: number[];
+  /** World Coordinate System info (if present) */
+  wcs: WCSInfo | null;
+  /** BITPIX from header */
+  bitpix: number;
+  /** Object name (OBJECT card) */
+  object: string;
+  /** Telescope name (TELESCOP card) */
+  telescope: string;
+  /** Observation date (DATE-OBS card) */
+  dateObs: string;
+}
+
+// ── Constants ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+const BLOCK_SIZE = 2880;
+const CARD_SIZE = 80;
+const CARDS_PER_BLOCK = BLOCK_SIZE / CARD_SIZE; // 36
+
+// ── Parser ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/**
+ * Parse a FITS file from an ArrayBuffer.
+ * Returns the primary HDU (first header + data unit).
+ */
+export function parseFITS(buffer: ArrayBuffer): FITSFile {
+  const bytes = new Uint8Array(buffer);
+  const view = new DataView(buffer);
+
+  // ── Parse Header ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  const headers = new Map<string, string | number | boolean>();
+  let headerEnd = 0;
+
+  outer:
+  for (let block = 0; block * BLOCK_SIZE < buffer.byteLength; block++) {
+    for (let card = 0; card < CARDS_PER_BLOCK; card++) {
+      const offset = block * BLOCK_SIZE + card * CARD_SIZE;
+      if (offset + CARD_SIZE > buffer.byteLength) break outer;
+
+      const cardStr = decodeASCII(bytes, offset, CARD_SIZE);
+      const keyword = cardStr.substring(0, 8).trim();
+
+      if (keyword === 'END') {
+        headerEnd = (block + 1) * BLOCK_SIZE; // data starts at next block boundary
+        break outer;
+      }
+
+      if (cardStr[8] === '=' && cardStr[9] === ' ') {
+        const valueStr = cardStr.substring(10).split('/')[0].trim();
+        headers.set(keyword, parseCardValue(valueStr));
+      } else if (keyword === 'COMMENT' || keyword === 'HISTORY') {
+        // Skip comment/history cards
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (headerEnd === 0) {
+    throw new Error('FITS: No END card found in header');
+  }
+
+  // ── Extract Critical Keywords ────────────────────────────────────
+  const bitpix = getNum(headers, 'BITPIX');
+  const naxis = getNum(headers, 'NAXIS');
+
+  const shape: number[] = [];
+  for (let i = 1; i <= naxis; i++) {
+    shape.push(getNum(headers, `NAXIS${i}`));
+  }
+
+  const bscale = getNumOr(headers, 'BSCALE', 1.0);
+  const bzero = getNumOr(headers, 'BZERO', 0.0);
+
+  // ── Parse Data ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  const totalPixels = shape.reduce((a, b) => a * b, 1);
+  const bytesPerPixel = Math.abs(bitpix) / 8;
+  const dataOffset = headerEnd;
+
+  if (dataOffset + totalPixels * bytesPerPixel > buffer.byteLength) {
+    throw new Error(`FITS: Data section extends beyond buffer (need ${dataOffset + totalPixels * bytesPerPixel}, have ${buffer.byteLength})`);
+  }
+
+  const data = new Float32Array(totalPixels);
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < totalPixels; i++) {
+    const off = dataOffset + i * bytesPerPixel;
+    let raw: number;
+
+    switch (bitpix) {
+      case 8:
+        raw = bytes[off];
+        break;
+      case 16:
+        raw = view.getInt16(off, false); // big-endian
+        break;
+      case 32:
+        raw = view.getInt32(off, false);
+        break;
+      case -32:
+        raw = view.getFloat32(off, false);
+        break;
+      case -64:
+        raw = view.getFloat64(off, false);
+        break;
+      default:
+        throw new Error(`FITS: Unsupported BITPIX ${bitpix}`);
+    }
+
+    // Apply physical value transformation
+    data[i] = bscale * raw + bzero;
+  }
+
+  // ── Extract WCS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  let wcs: WCSInfo | null = null;
+  if (headers.has('CRVAL1')) {
+    wcs = {
+      crpix: [], crval: [], cdelt: [], ctype: [], cunit: [],
+    };
+    for (let i = 1; i <= naxis; i++) {
+      wcs.crpix.push(getNumOr(headers, `CRPIX${i}`, 1));
+      wcs.crval.push(getNumOr(headers, `CRVAL${i}`, 0));
+      wcs.cdelt.push(getNumOr(headers, `CDELT${i}`, 1));
+      wcs.ctype.push(getStrOr(headers, `CTYPE${i}`, ''));
+      wcs.cunit.push(getStrOr(headers, `CUNIT${i}`, ''));
+    }
+  }
+
+  return {
+    headers,
+    data,
+    shape,
+    wcs,
+    bitpix,
+    object: getStrOr(headers, 'OBJECT', ''),
+    telescope: getStrOr(headers, 'TELESCOP', ''),
+    dateObs: getStrOr(headers, 'DATE-OBS', ''),
+  };
+}
+
+// ── FITS Builder (for tests) ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/**
+ * Build a minimal FITS file as ArrayBuffer (for testing).
+ */
+export function buildFITS(opts: {
+  bitpix: number;
+  shape: number[];
+  data: number[];
+  bscale?: number;
+  bzero?: number;
+  headers?: Record<string, string | number>;
+}): ArrayBuffer {
+  const cards: string[] = [];
+
+  cards.push(fmtCard('SIMPLE', true));
+  cards.push(fmtCard('BITPIX', opts.bitpix));
+  cards.push(fmtCard('NAXIS', opts.shape.length));
+  for (let i = 0; i < opts.shape.length; i++) {
+    cards.push(fmtCard(`NAXIS${i + 1}`, opts.shape[i]));
+  }
+  if (opts.bscale !== undefined) cards.push(fmtCard('BSCALE', opts.bscale));
+  if (opts.bzero !== undefined) cards.push(fmtCard('BZERO', opts.bzero));
+
+  if (opts.headers) {
+    for (const [key, val] of Object.entries(opts.headers)) {
+      cards.push(fmtCard(key, val));
+    }
+  }
+
+  cards.push('END'.padEnd(CARD_SIZE));
+
+  // Pad header to block boundary
+  while (cards.length % CARDS_PER_BLOCK !== 0) {
+    cards.push(' '.repeat(CARD_SIZE));
+  }
+
+  const headerBytes = new Uint8Array(cards.length * CARD_SIZE);
+  for (let i = 0; i < cards.length; i++) {
+    for (let j = 0; j < CARD_SIZE; j++) {
+      headerBytes[i * CARD_SIZE + j] = cards[i].charCodeAt(j);
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Write data
+  const bytesPerPixel = Math.abs(opts.bitpix) / 8;
+  const dataSize = opts.data.length * bytesPerPixel;
+  const paddedDataSize = Math.ceil(dataSize / BLOCK_SIZE) * BLOCK_SIZE;
+  const dataBytes = new ArrayBuffer(paddedDataSize);
+  const dataView = new DataView(dataBytes);
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < opts.data.length; i++) {
+    const off = i * bytesPerPixel;
+    switch (opts.bitpix) {
+      case 8: new Uint8Array(dataBytes)[off] = opts.data[i]; break;
+      case 16: dataView.setInt16(off, opts.data[i], false); break;
+      case 32: dataView.setInt32(off, opts.data[i], false); break;
+      case -32: dataView.setFloat32(off, opts.data[i], false); break;
+      case -64: dataView.setFloat64(off, opts.data[i], false); break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Combine
+  const result = new Uint8Array(headerBytes.length + paddedDataSize);
+  result.set(headerBytes);
+  result.set(new Uint8Array(dataBytes), headerBytes.length);
+  return result.buffer;
+}
+
+// ── Helpers ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+function decodeASCII(bytes: Uint8Array, offset: number, length: number): string {
+  let s = '';
+  for (let i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+    s += String.fromCharCode(bytes[offset + i]);
+  }
+  return s;
+}
+
+function parseCardValue(s: string): string | number | boolean {
+  if (s === 'T') return true;
+  if (s === 'F') return false;
+  if (s.startsWith("'")) return s.replace(/^'|'$/g, '').trim();
+  const n = Number(s);
+  return Number.isNaN(n) ? s : n;
+}
+
+function getNum(headers: Map<string, string | number | boolean>, key: string): number {
+  const v = headers.get(key);
+  if (typeof v !== 'number') throw new Error(`FITS: Missing or non-numeric header ${key}`);
+  return v;
+}
+
+function getNumOr(headers: Map<string, string | number | boolean>, key: string, def: number): number {
+  const v = headers.get(key);
+  return typeof v === 'number' ? v : def;
+}
+
+function getStrOr(headers: Map<string, string | number | boolean>, key: string, def: string): string {
+  const v = headers.get(key);
+  return typeof v === 'string' ? v : def;
+}
+
+function fmtCard(keyword: string, value: string | number | boolean): string {
+  const kw = keyword.padEnd(8);
+  let valStr: string;
+  if (typeof value === 'boolean') {
+    valStr = value ? 'T' : 'F';
+    valStr = valStr.padStart(20);
+  } else if (typeof value === 'number') {
+    valStr = String(value).padStart(20);
+  } else {
+    valStr = `'${value}'`.padEnd(20);
+  }
+  return `${kw}= ${valStr}`.padEnd(CARD_SIZE);
+}

package/src/fits/FITSToGrid.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+/**
+ * FITSToGrid — Convert parsed FITS data to HoloScript grid structures.
+ *
+ * Maps FITS spectral cubes (RA × Dec × Freq) and 2D images to
+ * RegularGrid3D for visualization via ScalarFieldOverlay or SimResultsMesh.
+ */
+
+import { RegularGrid3D } from '@holoscript/engine/simulation';
+import type { FITSFile } from './FITSParser';
+
+/**
+ * Convert a parsed FITS file to a RegularGrid3D.
+ *
+ * - 3D cubes (NAXIS=3): maps directly to grid
+ * - 2D images (NAXIS=2): creates a 1-deep grid (nx × ny × 1)
+ * - 1D spectra (NAXIS=1): creates a 1×1×n grid
+ */
+export function fitsToGrid3D(fits: FITSFile): RegularGrid3D {
+  const shape = fits.shape;
+
+  let nx: number, ny: number, nz: number;
+
+  if (shape.length >= 3) {
+    nx = shape[0];
+    ny = shape[1];
+    nz = shape[2];
+  } else if (shape.length === 2) {
+    nx = shape[0];
+    ny = shape[1];
+    nz = 1;
+  } else if (shape.length === 1) {
+    nx = shape[0];
+    ny = 1;
+    nz = 1;
+  } else {
+    throw new Error(`FITS: Cannot convert ${shape.length}D data to grid`);
+  }
+
+  const grid = new RegularGrid3D([nx, ny, nz], [nx, ny, nz]);
+
+  // FITS stores data in FORTRAN order (column-major: NAXIS1 varies fastest)
+  // RegularGrid3D uses row-major (x varies fastest in our convention)
+  // Since NAXIS1 = x and it varies fastest in both, direct copy works
+  const data = fits.data;
+  const gridData = grid.data;
+  const len = Math.min(data.length, gridData.length);
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    gridData[i] = data[i];
+  }
+
+  return grid;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Extract a single frequency channel (z-slice) from a 3D FITS cube.
+ * Returns a 2D Float32Array (nx × ny) for use as a ScalarFieldOverlay.
+ */
+export function extractChannel(fits: FITSFile, channel: number): Float32Array {
+  if (fits.shape.length < 3) {
+    // 2D image — return the whole thing
+    return new Float32Array(fits.data);
+  }
+
+  const nx = fits.shape[0];
+  const ny = fits.shape[1];
+  const nz = fits.shape[2];
+
+  if (channel < 0 || channel >= nz) {
+    throw new Error(`Channel ${channel} out of range [0, ${nz - 1}]`);
+  }
+
+  const slice = new Float32Array(nx * ny);
+  const offset = channel * nx * ny;
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < nx * ny; i++) {
+    slice[i] = fits.data[offset + i];
+  }
+
+  return slice;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get data range (min/max) for the FITS data.
+ * Useful for colormap normalization.
+ */
+export function fitsDataRange(fits: FITSFile): [number, number] {
+  let min = Infinity, max = -Infinity;
+  for (let i = 0; i < fits.data.length; i++) {
+    const v = fits.data[i];
+    if (v < min) min = v;
+    if (v > max) max = v;
+  }
+  return [min, max];
+}