Patent ID: 6304266
Filing Date: 2001-10-16
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
In volume rendering wherein data comprising a plurality of voxels are recorded, each voxel comprising an opacity-adjusted value representative of a value of a parameter at a location within the volume adjusted by applying an opacity curve to the value, and wherein a computer is used that is adapted to process such data, an article of manufacture comprising:a medium that is readable by the computer and that carries instructions for the computer to perform a process comprising:partitioning the plurality of voxels among a plurality of slices, each slice corresponding to a respective region of the volume;for each slice, apportioning the plurality of voxels associated with that slice among a plurality of cells associated with that slice, each cell corresponding to a respective sub-region of the region associated with that slice;for each cell, determining that the cell is nontransparent if more than a predetermined number of the voxels associated with that cell have an opacity-adjusted value greater than a predetermined value and otherwise determining that the cell is transparent;storing a texture value for each voxel for only nontransparent cells; andrendering the stored texture values.