Chapter 5. Volumizer API at a Glance

Chapter 5. Volumizer API at a Glance
Prev		Next

In chapters one through four, you learned about a subsection of the Volumizer API. This chapter provides a high-level overview of the entire API.

Part Two of this book, “Advanced Topics,” describes in greater depth the advanced Volumizer concepts, classes, and methods not already covered in Part One.

Sections in this chapter include:

Functional Categories

The classes in the Volumizer API fall into one of the following functional categories:

Classes that define a geometry, such as voVertexData, voFaceSet, and voIndexedFaceSet.
Classes that perform operations on volumetric geometry, such as voGeometryActions.
Classes that define appearance, such as voTexture3D, voBrick, and voBrickSet.
Classes that perform operations on an appearance, such as voAppearanceActions.
All other classes.

Class Hierarchy

Figure 5-1 shows the hierarchy of Volumizer classes. Child classes are shown to the right of their parent class.

Because the hierarchy is shallow, the classes have been grouped according to function.

Figure 5-1. Volumizer Class Hierarchy Divided By Function

Brief Descriptions of the Volumizer Classes

This section provides a very brief description of each class in the Volumizer API. The classes are divided into the same sections shown in Figure 5-1.

Appearance-Related Classes
voAppearanceActions	Implements operations on volume appearance, for example, textures.
voBrick	An anchored voTexture3D; that is, a texture that has position, in addition to sizes associated with it.
voBrickSet	A set of one or more bricks that define a large array of voxels.
voBrickSetCollection	Implements a collection of voBrickSets, that is, a set of sets of bricks.
voBrickSetCollectionIterator	Iterator for stepping through the collection of voBrickSets.
voBrickSetIterator	Iterator for stepping through the set of bricks.
voInterpolationTypeScope	An enum that specifies two- or three-dimensional interpolation.
voOptimizeVolumeTypeScope	An enum that specifies types of optimizations.
voPartialBrickTypeScope	An enum that specifies how to handle partially filled bricks.
voTexture3D	Atomic chunk of texture (3D or 2D) that maps directly on the hardware-supported textures of the underlying graphics API implementation, for example, GL_TEXTURE_3D_EXT and GL_TEXTURE_2D in OpenGL.

Geometry-Related Classes
voGeometryActions	Implements operations on volume geometry, for example, TetraSets, and transient geometry generated in the polygonization process.
voIndexedFaceSet	An indexed geometry set describing a collection of polygons.
voIndexedFaceSetIterator	An interator for the voIndexedFaceSet class.
voIndexedSet	Abstract base class for indexed geometry sets.
voIndexedSetIterator	An abstract base class for geometry set iterators.
voIndexedTetraSet	An indexed geometry set describing a collection of tetrahedra.
voIndices	Data structure maintaining generic index information.
voPlaneOrientationScope	Specifies the alignment of the volume.
voSamplingPlaneSet	An class describing a set of parallel planes.
voSamplingSurfaceSet	An abstract class describing a set of sampling surfaces, for example., planes and spheres.
voVertexData	Data structure maintaining per-vertex information.
voutCone	Implements a cone abstract geometry class
voutCylinder	Implements a cylinder abstract geometry class
voutGeoSphere	Implements a sphere abstract geometry class tessellated via sub division
voutGeometry	Base class for all utility geometry classes
voutIndexedHexaSet	Implements a strip of hexahedra (boxes).
voutIndexedHexaStrip	Implements a strip of hexahedra (boxes).
voutIndexedPrismBaseStrip	Implements a strip of prisms, each connected to each other by a top/bottom face.
voutIndexedPrismEdgeStrip	Implements a strip of prisms, each connected to each other at a single edge.
voutIndexedPrismFaceStrip	Implements a strip of prisms, each connected to each other by a side face.
voutIndexedPrismSet	Implements a set of prisms
voutIndexedPyramidSet	Implements a set of pyramids.
voutIndexedPyramidStrip	Implements a strip of pyramids.
voutIndexedSet	Abstract base class for indexed utility geometry sets.
voutIndexedTetraEdgeStrip	Implements a strip of tetrahedra, connected at a single edge.
voutIndexedTetraFaceStrip	Implements a strip of tetrahedra, connected at a single point.
voutSphere	Implements a sphere abstract geometry class

Other Classes
voCache	A structure for preserving transient data (for example, geometry resulting from polygonization) from frame to frame.
voDrawActionCache	A class for maintaining transient data (primarily geometry) from frame to frame.
voError	An error handling class.
voLookupTable	An abstract class describing lookup tables.
voLookupTablePost	Post-interpolation lookup table.
voLookupTablePre	Pre-interpolation lookup table.
voRenderingModeScope	Determines monochrome or color rendering
voSortAction	Implements sorting of a brick set.
voutPerfMeter	An API-specific set of timers used to time the phases of the volume rendering process. (utility)
voutTimer	Generic cumulative timer. (utility)

Prev	Table of Contents	Next
Chapter 4. Sample OpenGL Volumizer Application		Chapter 6. Volumetric Geometry