title: Quick-VDR: out-of-core view-dependent rendering of gigantic models.
abstract: We present a novel approach for interactive view-dependent rendering of massive models. Our algorithm combines view-dependent simplification, occlusion culling, and out-of-core rendering. We represent the model as a clustered hierarchy of progressive meshes (CHPM). We use the cluster hierarchy for coarse-grained selective refinement and progressive meshes for fine-grained local refinement. We present an out-of-core algorithm for computation of a CHPM that includes cluster decomposition, hierarchy generation, and simplification. We introduce novel cluster dependencies in the preprocess to generate crack-free, drastic simplifications at runtime. The clusters are used for LOD selection, occlusion culling, and out-of-core rendering. We add a frame of latency to the rendering pipeline to fetch newly visible clusters from the disk and avoid stalls. The CHPM reduces the refinement cost of view-dependent rendering by more than an order of magnitude as compared to a vertex hierarchy. We have implemented our algorithm on a desktop PC. We can render massive CAD, isosurface, and scanned models, consisting of tens or a few hundred million triangles at 15-35 frames per second with little loss in image quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, Campus Box 3175, Sitterson Hall, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. sungeui@cs.unc.edu
authors.forename: Sung-Eui
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Salomon
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gayle
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Manocha
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003196:Computer Graphics; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003628:Database Management Systems; D016208:Databases, Factual; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009716:Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; D009862:Online Systems; D014584:User-Computer Interface