Interactive Volume Rendering Method Using a 3D Texture

Volume rendering is a method for converting scalar fields into images. In the GPU, three-dimensional scalar fields are stored as 3D textures. Recently, WebGL2 has added support for 3D textures, which allows you to implement elegant and fast volume rendering in the browser. In this paper, we propose a method of interactive volume rendering that works completely in the browser, implemented on WebGL2. The method takes into account the absorption and emission of light by the volume, as well as scattering effects. To create a physically realistic image from volume data, the absorption, emission, and scattering of light rays by the medium was simulated. Although modeling the propagation of light through the medium at this level produces spectacular and physically correct results, it is too expensive for interactive rendering, which is the goal of volume visualization. Since a fully physical model with scattering would be too expensive for interactive rendering, the method uses a simplified emission-absorption model. The proposed model does not calculate the cost effects of scattering and their approximation. The model of emission-absorption only is considered.