An Illustrative Visualization Framework for 3D Vector Fields

作者:Chen Cheng Kai*; Yan Shi; Yu Hongfeng; Max Nelson; Ma Kwan Liu
来源:Computer Graphics Forum, 2011, 30(7): 1941-1951.
DOI:10.1111/j.1467-8659.2011.02064.x

摘要

Most 3D vector field visualization techniques suffer from the problem of visual clutter, and it remains a challenging task to effectively convey both directional and structural information of 3D vector fields. In this paper, we present a novel visualization framework that combines the advantages of clustering methods and illustrative rendering techniques to generate a concise and informative depiction of complex flow structures. Given a 3D vector field, we first generate a number of streamlines covering the important regions based on an entropy measurement. Then we decompose the streamlines into different groups based on a categorization of vector information, wherein the streamline pattern in each group is ensured to be coherent or nearly coherent. For each group, we select a set of representative streamlines and render them in an illustrative fashion to enhance depth cues and succinctly show local flow characteristics. The results demonstrate that our approach can generate a visualization that is relatively free of visual clutter while facilitating perception of salient information of complex vector fields.

  • 出版日期2011-9