filename:     fgcs-99
entry:        article

title:        Compression Methods for Visualization
author:       Markus H. Gross and Lars Lippert and Oliver G. Staadt
address:      Institute of Scientific Computing
month:        Mar
year:         1999
keywords:     visualization, compression, wavelets, volume rendering
language:     English
pages:        14
institution:  ETH Zürich

abstract: 
Compression methods have become of fundamental importance in almost
every subfield of scientific visualization. However, unlike image
compression, advanced visualization applications impose manifold
constraints on the design of appropriate algorithms, where
progressiveness, multiresolution or topology preservation are some of
the key issues. This paper demonstrates the importance of
multiresolution compression methods for visualization using two
examples: The first, compression domain volume rendering, enables one
to visualize volume data progressively and instantaneously from its
compressed data format and is designed for WWW and networked
applications. The second one is a multiresolution compression and
reconstruction method that allows for progressive coding, transmission
and geometric reconstruction of surfaces and volumes. Both of the
presented methods are so-called transform coding schemes and use
wavelets for data representation.