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System and method for performing volume rendering using shadow calculation

  • US 8,698,806 B2
  • Filed: 11/09/2009
  • Issued: 04/15/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for performing a volume rendering of a 3D array of image data using shadow calculation, the method comprising the steps of:

  • receiving the 3D array of image data;

    determining a viewing direction and position of a light source;

    depending on the position of the light source, automatically selecting a shadow-calculation method comprising ray casting or texture-based volume rendering;

    determining a number of slices to use;

    slicing the array of image data into the determined number of slices with the slices either perpendicular to the viewing direction, perpendicular to a bisector between the viewing direction and the direction of light from the source, or perpendicular to a bisector between the mirrored viewing direction and the light direction;

    calculating shadows if the position of the light source moves or if the shadow-calculation method has been changed;

    rendering the slices with ray casting or texture-based volume rendering and incorporating the shadows determined by the latest shadow calculation independent of the rendering method by which they were calculated; and

    displaying the rendered data on a screen of a display device using ray casting and/or texture-based volume rendering.

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