This paper presents a parallel scheme for three dimensional data visualization at interactive rates. The scheme is particularly suitable for multiprocessor systems with distributed frame buffers and is currently implemented on an AT&T Pixel Machine, a parallel computer based on mesh connected digital signal processors with a distributed frame buffer. Nearly linear performance increase with the number of processors in the mesh is obtained by partitioning the original three dimensional data into sub-blocks and processing each sub-block in parallel. The approach is very flexible in implementing a variety of visualization techniques, such as volume compositing (translucent models), binary-class and percentage mixtures and surface based volume rendering.

Date Published: 1 August 1990
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 1259, Extracting Meaning from Complex Data: Processing, Display, Interaction, (1 August 1990); doi: 10.1117/12.19968

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1259:
Extracting Meaning from Complex Data: Processing, Display, Interaction
Edward J. Farrell, Editor(s)