A scientific visualization renderer

Abstract

While scientific visualization systems share many requirements with other graphical applications, they also have special requirements that make solutions based on standard rendering hardware or software not entirely satisfactory. Those requirements are illustrated by describing the renderer used in a production scientific visualization system, Data Explorer. The requirements for a visualization renderer are discussed. Implementation techniques used to meet the requirements of parallelism, volume rendering of irregular data, clipping, and integration of rendering modalities are described. The renderer described is a software renderer, but it is hoped that the requirements and implementation presented might influence the design of future generations of rendering hardware.<>