GROUPING VOLUME RENDERERS FOR ENHANCED VISUALIZATION IN COMPUTATIONALFLUID-DYNAMICS

This paper advocates the use of a group of renderers rather than any s pecific rendering method. We describe a bundle containing four alterna tive approaches to visualizing volume data. One new approach uses real istic volumetric gas rendering techniques to produce photo-realistic i mages and animations. The second uses ray casting that is based on a s impler illumination model and is mainly centered around a versatile ne w tool for the design of transfer functions. The third method employs a simple illumination model and rapid rendering mechanisms to provide efficient preview capabilities. The last one reduces data magnitude by displaying the most visible components and exploits rendering hardwar e to provide real time browsing capabilities. We show that each render ing teal provides a unique service and demonstrate the combined utilit y of our group of volume renderers in computational fluid dynamic: (CF D) visualization. While one tool allows the explorer to render rapidly for navigation through the data, another tool allows one to emphasize data features (e.g., shock waves), and yet another tool allows one to realistically render the data. We believe that only through the deplo yment of groups of renderers will the scientist be well served and equ ipped to form numerous perspectives of the same dataset, each providin g different insights into the data.