The Proxy Chain Method and Its Application to Scientific Visualization.pdf

The Proxy Chain Method and Its Application to Scientific Visualization Milan Ikits Charles D. Hansen Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah ABSTRACT We present a method for combining multiple point-based con- straints in haptic programming environments. Instead of using a single proxy point for haptic feedback, the method maintains a sep- arate proxy for each constraint. The reaction force is computed by linking the proxies in a chain. Constraints are applied in sequen- tial order, such that the proxy found in the current step becomes the probe for the next step in the chain. The advantage of the method over previous approaches is that the constraints are maintained pre- cisely and the output is well-defined. We illustrate the method with examples from the domain of 3D scientific data visualization. Fi- nally, we present the results of an experiment conducted to quan- tify the contribution of haptic guidance in two representative vector field exploration tasks. CR Categories: I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism—Virtual Reality; I.3.6 [Computer Graph- ics]: Methodology and Techniques—User Interfaces; H.5.2 [Infor- mation Interfaces and Presentation]: User Interfaces—Haptic I/O Keywords: haptic rendering, scientific data visualization, human- computer interaction 1 INTRODUCTION The extension of constraint-based surface rendering algorithms [26] to volumetric data sets has enabled the development of intuitive haptic data rendering modes for interactive visualization applica- tions [7, 14]. Volumetric constraints have been shown useful as a general mechanism for creating strong directional and shape cues, in addition to secondary haptic effects, such as friction and texture, to aid the exploration of scalar, vector, and tensor data. Previous approaches to using constraints for developing haptic data rendering modes were based on incrementally moving a single proxy point in the data [7,13,14,25]. It has been demonstra