Title :
Communication costs for parallel volume-rendering algorithms
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Comput. Sci., North Carolina Univ., Chapel Hill, NC, USA
fDate :
7/1/1994 12:00:00 AM
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;
Journal_Title :
Computer Graphics and Applications, IEEE
