Computational Visualization Graphics, Abstraction and Interactivity

A unified and coherent introduction to the notion of abstraction in interactive computer graphics is provided by this book. Abstraction entails refinement of images based on geometric models so as to reflect the importance of the features of the model for the dialog context and the visualization goal. This may require leaving out irrelevant details or accentuating significant features by adding details or enlarging or deforming parts. Such modifications are routine by hand but are at the leading edge of research in 2D and 3D computer graphics. The authors see the abstraction process as an interactive exploration of complex information spaces, and report especially on zooming and rendering techniques. Benefits are discussed for applications in medical illustration and technical documentation.

I Introduction.- 1 New Challenges for Computer Visualization.- 2 Exploration of Complex Information Spaces.- 3 Enrichment and Reuse of Geometric Models.- II Controlling Detail.- 4 Rendering Line Drawings for Illustrative Purposes.- 5 Rendering Line Drawings of Curved Surfaces.- 6 Pixel-Oriented Rendering of Line Drawings.- 7 Measuring and Highlighting in Graphics.- III Adaptive Zooming and Distorting Graphics.- 8 Distortions and Displacements in 2D.- 9 Zooming in 1, 2, arid 3 Dimensions.- 10 Zoom Navigation.- IV Textual Methods of Abstraction.- 11 From Graphics to Pure Text.- 12 Figure Captions in Visual Interfaces.- 13 Interactive 3D Illustrations with Images and Text.- V Abstraction in Time.- 14 Animating Non-photorealistic Computer Graphics.- 15 Interaction Facilities and High-Level Support for Animation Design.- VI Abstractions in Interactive Systems.- 16 Zoom Navigation in User Interfaces.- 17 Interactive Medical Illustrations.- 18 Rendering Gestural Expressions.- 19 Animation Design for Simulation.- VII Abstraction for Specialized Output.- 20 Tactile Maps for Blind People.- 21 Synthetic Holography.- VIII Epilog.- 22 Abstraction Versus Realism: Not the Real Question.- 23 Integrating Spatial and Nonspatial Data.- Copyrights.- Index of Names.- Contributors.