A Parallel Rendering Algorithm For Mimd Architectures

Applications such as animation and scientific visualization demand high performance rendering of complex three dimensional scenes. To deliver the necessary rendering rates, highly parallel hardware architectures are required. The challenge is then to design algorithms and software which effectively use the hardware parallelism. A rendering algorithm targeted to distributed memory MIMD architectures is described. For maximum performance, the algorithm exploits both object-level and pixel-level parallelism. The behavior of the algorithm is examined both analytically and experimentally. Its performance for large numbers of processors is found to be limited primarily by communication overheads. An experimental implementation for the Intel iPSC/860 shows increasing performance from 1 to 128 processors across a wide range of scene complexities. It is shown that minimal modifications to the algorithm will adapt it for use on shared memory architectures as well. Crockett, Thomas W. and Orloff, Tobias Unspecified Center NAS1-18605; RTOP 505-90-52-01...

Applications such as animation and scientific visualization demand high performance rendering of complex three dimensional scenes. To deliver the necessary rendering rates, highly parallel hardware architectures are required. The challenge is then to design algorithms and software which effectively use the hardware parallelism. A rendering algorithm targeted to distributed memory MIMD architectures is described. For maximum performance, the algorithm exploits both object-level and pixel-level parallelism. The behavior of the algorithm is examined both analytically and experimentally. Its performance for large numbers of processors is found to be limited primarily by communication overheads. An experimental implementation for the Intel iPSC/860 shows increasing performance from 1 to 128 processors across a wide range of scene complexities. It is shown that minimal modifications to the algorithm will adapt it for use on shared memory architectures as well. Crockett, Thomas W. and Orloff, Tobias Unspecified Center NAS1-18605; RTOP 505-90-52-01...

This book contains mainly a selection of papers that were presented at the International Workshop on High Performance Computing/or Computer Graphics and Visualisation, held in Swansea, United Kingdom on 3-4 July 1995. The workshop was sponsored by the HEFCWI Initiative on ·Parallel Computing - Foundations and Applications·, and it has provided the international computer graphics community with a platform for: • assessing and reviewing the impact of the development of high performance computing on the progress of computer graphics and visualisation; • presenting the current use of high performance computing architecture and software tools in computer graphics and visualisation, and the development of parallel graphics algorithms; • identifying potential high performance computing applications in computer graphics and visualisation, and encouraging members of the graphics community to think about their problems from the perspective of parallelism. The book is divided into six sections. The first section, which acts as the introduction of the book, gives an overview of the current state of the art It contains a comprehensive survey, by Whitman, of parallel algorithms for computer graphics and visualisation; and a discussion, by Hansen, on the past, present and future high performance computing applications in computer graphics and visualisation. The second section is focused on the design and implementation of high performance architecture, software tools and algorithms for surface rendering.

This comprehensive work merges two of the hottest topics in computer science: parallel computing and computer graphics. Selected Topics from the Table of Contents: -Overview of Accelerated Rendering Techniques -Overview of Parallel Methods for Image Generation -Issues in Parallel Algorithm Development -Overview of Base Level Implementation -Compari

This richly illustrated volume draws from a variety of sources to present a reference work for this remarkable volcanic province. Detailed descriptions of 44 major potentially active (Holocene) volcanoes form the core of the book. A compendium of geographical and morphological data on location, type, synonyms, summit elevation, edifice height, and status for each center, is followed by a summary of the structural and volcanological evolution of the edi- fice, historic and present activity, petrological and geochemical data, and an assessment of volcanic hazard. Each entry is superbly illustrated with a false color Landsat Thematic Mapper image, maps and ground photographs. Chapters on Holocene minor centers, and long-lived silicic caldera complexes are also well illustrated and summarise the available information on these important structures. General characteristics of these Holocene centers are then synthesised with data from older episodes of volcanism in a final chapter discussing regional volcanic evolution. In addition, the volume also contains a database summarising morphological, relative age, and volcanological data for all identifiable volcanic editifices in this volcanic province.

Meeting the growing demands for speed and quality in rendering computer graphics images requires new techniques. Practical parallel rendering provides one of the most practical solutions. This book addresses the basic issues of rendering within a parallel or distributed computing environment, and considers the strengths and weaknesses of multiprocessor machines and networked render farms for graphics rendering. Case studies of working applications demonstrate, in detail, practical ways of dealing with complex issues involved in parallel processing.