Exploration of porous structures with illustrative visualizations

The analysis of porous structures from CT images is emerging as a new computer graphics application that is useful in diverse scientific fields such as BioCAD and geology. These structures are very complex and difficult to analyze visually when they are presented with traditional rendering techniques. In this paper, we describe a visualization application based on illustrative techniques for rendering porous structures. We provide various interactive pore selection mechanisms and visualization styles that allow users to better perceive the connectivity between pores and how they are distributed by radii throughout the structure. The application also shows simulations of fluid intrusion or extrusion through the structure, and it allows users to navigate inside. We describe our application and discuss the experimental results with phantom models, BioCAD scaffolds, implants and rock samples. Graphical AbstractWe describe a porous structures visualization application based on illustrative techniques. It provides pore selection mechanisms, different visualization styles, simulations of fluid intrusion, and navigations inside. Display Omitted Research Highlights? The analysis of porous structures can be enhanced using a graphical model. ? A volume model of the structure alone is difficult to explore. ? The combination of a graph connectivity and a volume model provides tools to efficiently explore pore structures. ? The use of illustrative techniques such as cut-away, ghosting, edge enhancement and colormaps provides clues on the pore size and the topological distances between pores.

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