Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A: State of the Art in Massive Model Visualization Andreas Dietrich Saarland University Saarbrücken, Germany Andreas Dietrich Saarland University Saarbrücken, Germany INFORMATIK Ingo Wald MPI für Informatik Saarbrücken, Germany Ingo Wald MPI für Informatik Saarbrücken, Germany

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A2 The Speakers Ingo Wald ( Ingo Wald ( –Post-doc MPI für Informatik (MPII) Saarbrücken –Main research topics: Realtime ray tracing (core technologies)Realtime ray tracing (core technologies) Parallel/distributed renderingParallel/distributed rendering (Interactive) Global Illumination(Interactive) Global Illumination Andreas Dietrich ( Andreas Dietrich ( –Third-year PhD student, Saarland University –Main research topics: Out-of-core rendering (in particular high-quality OOC rendering)Out-of-core rendering (in particular high-quality OOC rendering) Realtime Ray Tracing in practical applications (VR, SceneGraphs)Realtime Ray Tracing in practical applications (VR, SceneGraphs)

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A3 Agenda Motivation and Introduction [10-15m, Wald] Motivation and Introduction [10-15m, Wald] Part I – Rasterization Based Approaches [1h, Dietrich] Part I – Rasterization Based Approaches [1h, Dietrich] –General techniques and concepts Discussion and classificationDiscussion and classification –Specific rasterization-based massive model rendering systems Break [15m] Break [15m] Part II – Ray Tracing Based Approaches [1h, Wald] Part II – Ray Tracing Based Approaches [1h, Wald] –Why ray tracing for massively complex models ? –Offline systems –Interactive systems Summary and Audience Discussion [open end, audience] Summary and Audience Discussion [open end, audience]

Motivation and Introduction

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A5 Motivation Rendering a model  Visible surface determination Rendering a model  Visible surface determination –Basic problem believed to be be solved –Hidden Surface Removal (HSR) methods of choice: Z-bufferZ-buffer Ray castingRay casting Dramatic improvements in CG hardware Dramatic improvements in CG hardware –Can render many million triangles / second –Widely available even in consumer PCs –Ongoing trend to more and more performance Even faster than Moore’s law: ~2.x performance increase / yearEven faster than Moore’s law: ~2.x performance increase / year

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A6 Motivation Rendering a model  Visible surface determination Rendering a model  Visible surface determination –Basic problem believed to be be solved –Hidden Surface Removal (HSR) methods of choice: Z-bufferZ-buffer Ray castingRay casting Dramatic improvements in CG hardware Dramatic improvements in CG hardware –Can render many million triangles / second –Widely available even in consumer PCs –Ongoing trend to more and more performance Even faster than Moore‘s law: ~2.x performance increase / yearEven faster than Moore‘s law: ~2.x performance increase / year However: Scene complexity rises even faster

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A7 Motivation Quickly rising scene complexity: Quickly rising scene complexity:  Many scenes too large to be rendered by “brute force”  Definition of “massively complex model”: A model that can’t be handled by standard techniques

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A8 Motivation Quickly rising scene complexity: Quickly rising scene complexity:  Many scenes too large to be rendered by “brute force”  Definition of “massively complex model”: A model that can’t be handled by standard techniques Many sources for such models… Many sources for such models… –“Modelling nature” … Real-world complexity –Acquisition/measuring equipment –Scientific computing / simulation datasets –Large-scale engineering projects

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A9 Motivation Example I: Modelling nature “Real world” is excessively complex “Real world” is excessively complex –Trees (leaves), grass, hair/fur, (fractal) surface structure (stone, bark,…) –Interactive apps allow zooming in  would like high complexity –Modelling only „some“ of these effects generates many triangles Landscape scene [Wand] (4*10^8 triangles) (4*10^8 triangles) “Sunflowers” scene (10^9 triangles) (10^9 triangles)

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A10 Motivation Example II: Acquisition of Real-world objects Modelled objects often look “artificial” … Modelled objects often look “artificial” … –Increasing use of “real” objects  Acquisition –Tremendous improvements in measuring equipment (sub-mm accuracy)  Millions to billions of samples / object Eye of “David” (1mm accuracy) Even shows chisel marks “Lucy” – 15M points “Visible Female” images of 2k*2k pixels

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A11 Motivation Example III: Scientific / simulation datasets More and more effects today get simulated More and more effects today get simulated –Atom bombs, jet engine combustion, airflow, drugs/molecules, … Tremendous increase in simulation accuracy Tremendous increase in simulation accuracy  Immensely huge datasets Lawrence-Livermore “Richtmeyer-Meshkov simulation” (single time step only) 270 time 2048x2048x1970 samples  1.5 TeraByte data (sev. years old…)

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A12 Motivation Example III: Scientific / Numerical simulation More and more effects today get simulated More and more effects today get simulated –Atom bombs, jet engine combustion, airflow, drugs/molecules, … Tremendous increase in simulation accuracy Tremendous increase in simulation accuracy  Immensely huge datasets Lawrence-Livermore “Richtmeyer-Meshkov simulation” (single time step only) 270 time 2048x2048x1970 samples  1.5 TeraByte data (sev. years old…)

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A13 Motivation Example IV: Large-scale engineering projects Virtual prototyping / CAD ever more important Virtual prototyping / CAD ever more important –Applied to ever larger engineering projects cars, airplanes, power plants, ships, …cars, airplanes, power plants, ships, … Large scale projects too complex for single designer Large scale projects too complex for single designer  Collaborative engineering Coll.eng.:Many designers, each models individual parts Coll.eng.:Many designers, each models individual parts –Each individual part modelled at full accuracy Steering wheel: 1-2M tris, Safety belt: 1-2M, screw: 1-10k…Steering wheel: 1-2M tris, Safety belt: 1-2M, screw: 1-10k… –CAD uses NURBS: Growing accuracy demands  Each individual part is already at the FGX card‘s limit Combined model (sum of all parts…) far too complex Combined model (sum of all parts…) far too complex –Golf V: ~2,000 parts, 20M triangles –Boeing 777: ~13,000 parts, 350M triangles (sev. years old)

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A14 Motivation Example IV: Large-scale engineering projects “Power Plant” – 12.5M triangles “Double eagle tanker” – 80M triangles “Boeing 777” – 350M triangles

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A15 Geometric Complexity: Boeing Example…

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A16 Geometric Complexity: Boeing Example…

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A17 Geometric Complexity: Boeing Example…

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A18 Geometric Complexity: Boeing Example… Same complexity all over the model…

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A19 Motivation Wrap-up Motivation wrap-up: Three important conclusions

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A20 Motivation Wrap-up Motivation wrap-up: Three important conclusions Complex models ARE important Complex models ARE important –Come from many different fields Acquisition, nature/outdoor, simulation, engineering, …Acquisition, nature/outdoor, simulation, engineering, … –Important for many real-world applications

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A21 Motivation Wrap-up Motivation wrap-up: Three important conclusions Complex models ARE important Complex models ARE important –Come from many different fields Acquisition, nature/outdoor, simulation, engineering, …Acquisition, nature/outdoor, simulation, engineering, … –Important for many real-world applications Rendering performance increases rapidly… … but model size grows even faster Rendering performance increases rapidly… … but model size grows even faster –There will be “massively complex models” even in 10 years…

Nov 3, 2004Afrigraph 2004 Tutorial A22 Motivation Wrap-up Motivation wrap-up: Three important conclusions Complex models ARE important Complex models ARE important –Come from many different fields Acquisition, nature/outdoor, simulation, engineering, …Acquisition, nature/outdoor, simulation, engineering, … –Important for many real-world applications Rendering performance increases rapidly… … but model size grows even faster Rendering performance increases rapidly… … but model size grows even faster –There will be “massively complex models” even in 10 years… It’s important to find techniques for rendering them It’s important to find techniques for rendering them –Todays “complex” models are tomorrows “standard” models