Display of Density Volumes

The advent of inexpensive, high-speed processing and storage has fueled interest in new ways to process and display 3D images. This new discipline of 3D imaging promises to produce a wealth of exciting applications in many fields. For three years, engineers at Linkoping University have experimented with algorithms and methods to display 3D images obtained from a variety of sources, including computer-aided tomography, transmission electron microscopy, and laser microscopy. This article reviews the applicability of different display methods for different types of volumes, the advantages and disadvantages of different techniques, and the results of experiments when image processing techniques were applied before the images were displayed.