Abstract

Visualization of three dimensional flow has to overcome a lot of problems to be effective. Among them are occlusion of distant details, lack of directional and depth hints and cluttering. In this paper we present methods which address these problems for realtime graphic representations applicable in virtual environments. We use animated, opacity-mapped streamlines as visualization icon for 3D flow visualization. We present a texture mapping technique to keep the level of texture detail along a streamline nearly constant even when the velocity of the flow varies considerably. An algorithm is described which distributes the dashtubes evenly in space. We apply magic lenses and magic boxes as interaction techniques for investigating densly filled areas without overwhelming the observer with visual detail. Implementation details of these methods and their integration in our virtual environment conclude the paper. CR Categories and Subject Descriptors: I.3.3 [Computer Graphics ]: Picture/Ima...

Citations