Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Visibility Computations – Scanline Algorithms and Techniques

  • Conference paper
Computational Science and Its Applications – ICCSA 2007 (ICCSA 2007)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNTCS,volume 4706))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 2023 Accesses

Abstract

Visibility computations, exhibiting a quadratic growth rate, are the bottleneck of high quality, real-time rendering of 3D models. In order to speed up visibility computations parallel or distributed-computing techniques can be used. Recent research demonstrates that scanline algorithms are suitable for balancing the workload and reducing the communication overhead of multiprocessor architectures. This paper summarizes known scanline algorithms and proposes a new one that takes time proportional to N log2 N and storage space proportional to N in the worst case, where N is the number of input line segments. The advantages of the proposed algorithm include that it can take real values obtained by the intersection of a 3D scene with the plane of the scanline as input and that it is optimal under several models of computation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Angel, E.: Interactive Computer Graphics: A Top-Down Approach Using OpenGL, 4th edn. Addison-Wesley, Reading (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Atallah, M.J., Cole, R., Goodrich, M.T.: Cascading divide-and-conquer - a technique for designing parallel algorithms. SIAM Journal on Computing 18(3), 499–532 (1989)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  3. Bittner, J., Wonka, P.: Visibility in Computer Graphics. Center for Applied Cybernetics Czech Technical University in Prague, TR-186-2-03-03 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Catmull, E.: Computer display of curved surfaces. In: Proc. IEEE Conference Computer Graphics Pattern Recognition Data Structure, vol. 11 (May 1975)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Cohen-or, D., Chrysanthou, Y., Silva, C.T., Durand, F.: A survey of visibility walkthrough applications. In: IEEE Transactions on Visualisation and Computer Graphics. IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Dalal, S., Rahman, M.M.: An efficient scanline-based System for the visualisation of large data sets. In: Proc. International Conference on Computer Graphics, Imaging and Vision 2005 (CGIV05), Beijing, China, July 26-29, 2005 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Dalal, S., Dévai, F., Rahman, M.M.: High-performance rendering on clusters of workstations. In: Proc. International Conference on Geometric Modeling & Imaging 2006 (GMAI06), London, July 4–7 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Dévai, F.: Complexity of two-dimensional visibility computations. In: MICAD’84. Proc. 3rd European Conference on CAD/CAM and Computer Graphics, Paris, France, vol. 3, pp. 827–841 (1984)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Dévai, F.: An O(log N) parallel time exact hidden-line algorithm. In: Kuijk, A.A.M., Strasser, W. (eds.) Advances in Graphics Hardware II, pp. 65–73. Spring, Germany (1988)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Dévai, F.: Approximation algorithms for high-resolution display. In: Péroche, B. (ed.) Proc. PIXIM’88, First International Conference on Computer Graphics in Paris, France, pp. 121–130 (1988)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Dévai, F.: An optimal parallel algorithm for the visualization of solid models. In: Applications of Supercomputers in Engineering III, pp. 199–210. Elsevier Applied Science, London (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Dévai, F.: On the computational requirements of virtual reality systems. In: State of the art Reports, Eurographics’97, Budapest, Hungary, pp. 59–92 (September 1997)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Durand, F.: 3D visibility: analytical study and applications. PhD Thesis, University of Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Foley, J.D., vam Dam, A., Feiner, S.K., Hughes, J.F.: Computer Graphics Principles and Practice, 2nd edn. Addison-Wesley, Reading (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Fuchs, H., Kedem, Z.M., Naylor, B.: On visible surface generation by priory tree structures. Comput. Graph. 14(3), 124–133 (1980)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Gordon, D., Chen, S.: Front-to-back display of BSP trees. IEEE Comput. Graph Appl. 11, 79–85 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Grant, C.W.: Visibility Algorithms in Image Synthesis. PhD Thesis, University of California, Davis (1992)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Knittel, G., Schilling, A., Strasser, W.: GRAMMY: High performance graphics using graphics memories. In: Chen, M., Townsend, P., Vince, J.A. (eds.) High-Performance Computing for Computer Graphics and Visualisation, pp. 33–48. Spring, London (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Ma, K., Painter, J.S., Hansen, C.D., Krogh, M.F.: Parallel volume rendering using binary-swap image composition. IEEE GG&A (July 1994)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Molnar, S., Eyles, J., Poulton, J.: PixelFlow: High-speed rendering using image composition. Computer Graphics. In: Proc. SIGGRAPH 92, vol. 26(2), pp. 231–240 (July 1992)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Molnar, S., et al.: A sorting classification of parallel rendering. In: IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, pp. 23–32. IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Preparata, F.P., Shamos, M.I.: Computational Geometry, An Introduction, p. 390. Springer, Heidelberg (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rahman, M.M.: A scanline-based distributed system for the visualisation of large data sets. In: Geometric Modeling and Computing, Seattle, vol. 2003, pp. 469–480 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Rogers, D.F.: Procedural Elements for Computer Graphics, pp. 284–292. McGraw-Hill, New York (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Sutherland, I.E., Sproull, R.F., Schumacker, R.A.: A Characterization of Ten Hidden-Surface Algorithms. ACM Computing Surveys 6, 1–55 (1974)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  26. Tóth, C.D.: A note on binary plane partitions. In: Discrete and Computational Geometry, vol. 30, pp. 3–16. Springer, New York (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Wang, Q.: Networked Visual Reality. Master Thesis, University of Alberta (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Warnock, J.E.: A hidden-surface algorithm for computer generated half tone pictures. University of Utah Computer Science Dept. Rep., pp. 4–15 (June 1969)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Zhang, H.: Effective Occlusion Culling for the Interactive Display of Arbitrary Models. Ph.D. thesis, Department of Computer Science, UNC, Chapel Hill (1998)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. London South Bank University, UK

    Md Mizanur Rahman

Authors
  1. Md Mizanur Rahman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Osvaldo Gervasi Marina L. Gavrilova

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Rahman, M.M. (2007). Visibility Computations – Scanline Algorithms and Techniques. In: Gervasi, O., Gavrilova, M.L. (eds) Computational Science and Its Applications – ICCSA 2007. ICCSA 2007. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 4706. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74477-1_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74477-1_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-74475-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-74477-1

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation