Interactive Maximum Projection Volume Rendering

Maximum projection is a volume rendering technique that, for each pixel, finds the maximum intensity along a projector. For certain important classes of data, this is an approximation to summation rendering which produces superior visualizations. In this paper we will show how maximum projection rendering with additional depth cues can be implemented using simple affine transformations in object space. This technique can be used together with 3D graphics libraries and standard graphics hardware,thus allowing interactive manipulations of the volume data. The algorithm presented in this paper allows for a wide range of tradeoffs between interactivity and image quality.