Progressive volume rendering of large unstructured grids

IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph. 2006 Sep-Oct;12(5):1307-14. doi: 10.1109/tvcg.2006.171.

Abstract

We describe a new progressive technique that allows real-time rendering of extremely large tetrahedral meshes. Our approach uses a client-server architecture to incrementally stream portions of the mesh from a server to a client which refines the quality of the approximate rendering until it converges to a full quality rendering. The results of previous steps are re-used in each subsequent refinement, thus leading to an efficient rendering. Our novel approach keeps very little geometry on the client and works by refining a set of rendered images at each step. Our interactive representation of the dataset is efficient, light-weight, and high quality. We present a framework for the exploration of large datasets stored on a remote server with a thin client that is capable of rendering and managing full quality volume visualizations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Computer Graphics*
  • Computing Methodologies*
  • Database Management Systems*
  • Databases, Factual*
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / instrumentation
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Information Storage and Retrieval / methods*
  • User-Computer Interface