3D Line Voxelization and Connectivity Control

A line voxelization algorithm generates from a 3D continuous line a 3D discrete line, which is a set of connected voxels approximating the continuous line. The connectivity of this set is a predeened attribute that speciies the way consecutive voxels are related along the line, and determines the nal shape and penetration property of the discrete line. In this paper these properties and the accuracy-speed tradeoo for various connectivity classes are investigated. A new algorithm, called the Tripod algorithm, which generates an exact 3D discrete line, is presented. For ray tracing/casting applications it can adaptively alternate between connectivities and it enjoys the advantages of the diierent connectivities with no cost penalty.