A Survey of Implicit Surface Rendering Methods, and a Proposal for a Common Sampling Framework

Abstract

We consider several applications of implicit surfaces in visualization, and methods for rendering them. In particular we focus on geometry processing techniques for mesh extraction; and ray casting methods for direct rendering of implicits. Given that both methods rely on sampling the implicit function in question, we design a soft- ware framework that could accomodate both algorithms. We conclude by evaluating the time complexity and performance of existing systems, and discuss the long-term potential of both methods for rendering and computational goals.