Project Title:
Adaptive Ray-Tracing of Time-Dependent Flows on Massively Parallel Computers
07.02-1400
911832
Adaptive Ray-Tracing of Time-Dependent Flows on Massively Parallel Computers
Vigyan, Inc.
30 Research Drive
Hampton
VA
23666-1325
P.
Sundaram
804-865-1400
GSFC
NAS5-31919
120
07.02-1400
911832
Abstract:
Adaptive Ray-Tracing of Time-Dependent Flows on Massively Parallel Computers
A robust and adaptive ray-tracing algorithm for visualizing the volumetric data obtained
from time-varying numerical or experimental simulation will be developed. The ray
tracer will be adapted based on a neighborhood model of a suitable function for color
and opacity determination. The algorithm is attractive for a massively parallel computer.
The method is voxel-based and suitable for arbitrarily shaped lattices. In this method
the rendering pipeline is divided into two independent shading and classificate segments
in order to eliminate the inaccuracies in opacities that adversely influence the
color, and vice versa. The voxel value of color and opacity are approximated in a
trilinear fashion to obtain these values inside the lattice along the ray's path.
Phong shading and empirical illumination models are also incorporated into the method.
The adaptive ray tracer will be implemented on the SIMD-architecture MarPar's MP-1
computer. An unsteady Navier-Stokes solver will be used to yield the temporal change
of the data to test the present adaptive visualization algorithm. The actual task
of integrating the time-accurate numerical computation and the visualization on the
MPC will be attempted during Phase I and implemented in Phase II.
Commercial applications would be a very powerful software that is applicable for
state-of-the-art parallel computers and vital for research involving time-dependent
simulation.
ray tracer, parallel algorithm, adaptive algorithm, Navier-Stokes solver, volume
visualization