Visualising three-dimensional volumetric data with an arbitrary coordinate system

TL;DR

This paper presents a computer graphics method for visualizing 3D volumetric data in arbitrary coordinate systems, such as spherical coordinates, avoiding distortion and detail loss common in Cartesian conversions, with minimal computational overhead.

Contribution

It introduces a novel visualization technique that directly renders non-Cartesian volumetric data without distortion, suitable for real-time and high-quality rendering.

Findings

Method effectively visualizes spherical and other coordinate data.

Minimal additional computational cost for rendering.

Proof-of-concept code demonstrates practical application.

Abstract

Astronomical data does not always use Cartesian coordinates. Both all-sky observational data and simulations of rotationally symmetric systems, such as accretion and protoplanetary discs, may use spherical polar or other coordinate systems. Standard displays rely on Cartesian coordinates, but converting non-Cartesian data into Cartesian format causes distortion of the data and loss of detail. I here demonstrate a method using standard techniques from computer graphics that avoids these problems with 3D data in arbitrary coordinate systems. The method adds minimum computational cost to the display process and is suitable for both realtime, interactive content and producing fixed rendered images and videos. Proof-of-concept code is provided which works for data in spherical polar coordinates.