A scientific visualization synthesizer

Methods for displaying scientific data using textures and raster operations rather than geometric techniques are described. The flexibility and simplicity of raster operations allow a greater choice of visualization techniques with only a small set of basic operations. In addition, texture mapping techniques that allow the representation of several variables simultaneously, without a high degree of clutter, are shown. The combination of traditional geometric techniques, image composition techniques, and image rendering techniques can be integrated into a single framework for the display of scientific data. A system for generating and operating on textures and images for the purposes of scientific visualization is presented. To illustrate its advantage, the development of bump maps for vector filters and contour lines is demonstrated