Re: survey: accelerated 3D volumetric rendering

[davidf(at)dfanning.com (David Fanning)]

Rick Towler (rtowler@u.washington.edu) writes:

> David, you are always pushing that software rendering..... :)   I can't wait
> for the day the software renderer is retired.

Well, if nothing else, it's useful for comparing with
hardware rendering. As you well know, if you have done
any object graphics programming at all, you don't get
much feedback sometimes. I've spent hours and hours
trying to figure out what I was doing wrong programmatically,
only to discover there is a bug in my hardware OpenGL
implementation. (Number 9 VooDoo 3D, a hot card in its
day. But of course the company is now in Chapter 11).
I'd buy an NVidia card if I thought I could get it 
installed without causing my computer to go bonkers for
two weeks. :-(
 
> Software rendering is useless for real time rendering of 3d object graphics
> scenes (at least the scenes I work with).  

You and I are obviously rendering different 3D scenes. :-)
I don't find it useless at all. But I can imagine scenarios where
that could be the case.

> Most people probably shy away from volumes but I thought at least a few med
> imaging people would pipe up.

I think those guys have real jobs. Probably don't
have much time to debate on the newsgroups. :-)

Cheers,

David

-- 
David Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting
Phone: 970-221-0438 E-Mail: davidf@dfanning.com
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/
Toll-Free IDL Book Orders: 1-888-461-0155