Volume Visualisation Via Variable-Detail Non-Photorealistic Illustration

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of 3D volume data, including MRI and CT scans, is prompting the search within computer graphics for more effective volume visualisation techniques. Partially because of the traditional association with medical subjects, concepts borrowed from the domain of scientific illustration show great promise for enriching volume visualisation. This thesis describes the first general system dedicated to creating user-directed, variable-detail, scientific illustrations directly from volume data. In particular, using volume segmentation for explicit abstraction in non-photorealistic volume renderings is a new concept. The unique challenges and opportunities of volume data require rethinking many non-photorealistic algorithms that traditionally operate on polygonal meshes. The resulting 2D images are qualitatively different from but complementary to those normally seen in computer graphics, and inspire an analysis of the various artistic implications of volume models for scientific illustration.