mit@hutcs.hut.FI (Markku Tamminen) (01/16/89)
We have put together a project proposal with the attached abstract.
I would be interested in obtaining references to any work
done on ray-tracing with transputers, and later in an exchange
of ideas. I will send an acknowledgement to any message I get.
(Email has oftem been very unreliable.)
-- mit@hutcs.hut.fi
Markku Tamminen
Helsinki University of Technology
Laboratory of Information Processing Science
02150 ESPOO 15, FINLAND
Tel: 358-0-4513248 (messages: 4513229, home: 710317)
Telex: 125161 HTKK SF
Telefax: 358-0-465077
ARPANET: mit%hutcs.uucp%fingate.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu
INTERNET: mit@hutcs.hut.fi
BITNET: mit%hutcs.uucp@fingate
UUCP: mcvax!hutcs!mit
Multiprocessor visualization of parametric surfaces
Project proposal
Markku Tamminen (mit@hutcs.hut.fi)
Charles Woodward (cwd@hutcs.hut.fi)
Helsinki University of Technology
Laboratory of Information Processing Science
Otakaari 1 A, SF-02150 Espoo, Finland
ABSTRACT
The proposed research aims at an efficient system architecture
and improved algorithms for realistic visualization of complex
scenes described by parametric surfaces.
The key components of such a system are a spatial index and
a surface patch intersector. For both very efficient uniproces-
sor solutions have been developed by the authors at the Hel-
sinki University of Technology. However, to obtain sufficient
speed, at least the latter should be based on a specialized ar-
chitecture.
We propose obtaining a balanced complete system by gradually as-
cending what we call a specialization hierarchy. At its bottom
are solutions based on multiprocessors or networks of independent
computing units (transputers). In this case an important research
problem is how to avoid duplicating the data base in the proses-
sors. At the top of the hierarchy are specialized processors im-
plemented in VLSI.
The research will produce general insight into the possibilities
of utilizing concurrency and specialized processors in
geometric search and computation.
PREVIOUS WORK
M. Mantyla and M. Tamminen , ``Localized Set Operations for Solid
Modeling ,'' Computer Graphics , vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 279-289 ,
1983.
M. Tamminen , The EXCELL Method for Efficient Geometric Access to
Data , Acta Polytechnica Scandinavica, Ma 34 , 1981.
Markku Tamminen, Olli Karonen , and Martti Mantyla, ``Ray-
Casting and Block Model Conversion Using a Spatial Index,''
Computer Aided Design, vol. 16, pp. 203 - 208, 1984.
C. Woodward, ``Skinning Techniques for Interactive B-Spline
Surface Interpolation,'' Computer-Aided Design, vol. 20, no. 8,
pp. 441-451, 1988.
C. Woodward, ``Ray Tracing Parametric Surfaces By Subdivision in
Viewing Plane,'' to Appear in Proc. Theory and Practice of
Geometric Modelling, ed. W. Strasser, Springer-Verlag, 1989.