Interactive visualization methods for four dimensions

  • Authors:
  • Andrew J. Hanson;Robert A. Cross

  • Affiliations:
  • Indiana University, Bloomington, IN;Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

  • Venue:
  • VIS '93 Proceedings of the 4th conference on Visualization '93
  • Year:
  • 1993

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Abstract

Making accurate computer graphics representations of surfaces and volumes (2-manifolds and 3-manifolds) embedded in four-dimensional space typically involves complex and time-consuming computations. In order to make simulated worlds that help develop human intuition about the fourth dimension, we need techniques that permit real-time, interactive manipulation of the most sophisticated depictions available. We propose the following new methods that bring us significantly closer to this goal: an approach to high-speed 4D illuminated surface rendering incorporating 4D shading and occlusion coding; a procedure for rapidly generating 2D screen images of tessellated 3-manifolds illuminated by 4D light. These methods are orders of magnitude faster than previous approaches, enabling the real-time manipulation of high-resolution 4D images on commercial graphics hardware.