Solving the occlusion problem for three-dimensional distortion-oriented displays

Recent research into distortion-oriented display (DODs) and non-linear magnification techniques has considered extending their application to large three-dimensional datasets. Inherent properties of three-dimensional datasets introduce some difficulties that do not occur in 2D environments. This paper considers the Occlusion Problem-that of context data hiding, or occluding, some or all of the data within an area of focus. A novel solution to this problem is proposed, namely the use of non-geometric distortions combined with geometric distortions, producing a three-dimensional distortion-oriented display that reduces obfuscation of data within the area of focus. An implementation of these techniques is developed, and its application to a small number of 3D datasets is examined as proof of concept.