Are voxels an appropriate addition to VRML? They are indubitably an essential
type of 3-dimensional data for scientific and medical research, but my feeling
is that voxel data is a closer cousin to image types like GIF and JPG than to
geometry types such as VRML:
a) Voxels can benefit highly from fourier (or wavelet) encodings such as jpg.
b) Voxels can (and should) be viewed with a variety of associated
transparency
and colormaps, ideally manipulable on the fly.
c) Manipulable planar and spherical slices through voxel space are another
useful analysis tool.
None of these concepts or techniques fit comfortably in VRML, but should be de
rigeur for a robust voxel viewer.
On the other hand, the most convincing argument for their inclusion is the
potential for combining geometry (VRML) with fields (voxels) in a single scene.
(BTW, brief introductions: I am a graduating Masters' student in Computer
Science at Stanford, and I've been lurking on the digest for a while now. In
July I begin full-time work as a visual effects technical director, so my
status on this list will probably remain lurker at best, but I had a few
moments this week to pitch in my 2 cents and a grain of salt.)
----Dan Goldman [email protected] (MIME) [email protected] (415) 497-9716 (until July 18) (510) 559-8785 (after July 18)