Communication costs for parallel volume-rendering algorithms

Author

Neumann, Ulrich

Author_Institution

Dept. of Comput. Sci., North Carolina Univ., Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Volume

14

Issue

4

fYear

1994

fDate

7/1/1994 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

49

Lastpage

58

Abstract

The computational expense of volume rendering motivates the development of parallel implementations on multicomputers. Parallelism achieves higher frame rates, which provide more natural viewing control and enhanced comprehension of 3D structure. Although many parallel implementations exist, we have no framework to compare their relative merits independent of host hardware. The article attempts to establish that framework by enumerating and classifying parallel volume-rendering algorithms suitable for multicomputers with distributed memory and a communication network. It determined the communication costs for classes of parallel algorithms by considering their inherent communication requirements.<>

Keywords

parallel algorithms; parallel machines; performance evaluation; rendering (computer graphics); 3D structure; communication costs; communication network; computational expense; distributed memory; enhanced comprehension; frame rates; inherent communication requirements; multicomputers; natural viewing control; parallel implementations; parallel volume-rendering algorithms; Algorithm design and analysis; Casting; Concurrent computing; Costs; Hardware; Lattices; Mesh networks; Parallel algorithms; Predictive models; Upper bound;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Computer Graphics and Applications, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0272-1716

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/38.291531

Filename

291531