Direct volume rendering of multiple scalar fields

Rendering of volume data without forming geometric objects is often termed direct volume rendering. Most of the previously developed methods for this purpose are restricted to display of one scalar variable. This paper presents methods for direct volume rendering of several scalar variables defined at discrete points in three-dimensional space. Typical requirements for the rendering of such data are proposed and then used as a basis for the derivation of a computational model. The proposed model uses a classification technique to composite specific types of information from different scalar fields. The visual display of the composite information is controlled through a set of rendering parameters.