3D Visualization Software
=========================
I am summarizing the response I got from numerous people around
the world, to my original question on 3D Visualization Software Packages
for MR/CT data. This list includes both free and commercial softwares,
and are arranged randomly.
Arun Kumar.
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1. Voxblast which is distributed by Vaytek, Inc. They have a demo
available
via FTP. Contact them at 515-472-2227
2. MacCubeView 1.1.0. on comp.binaries.mac. There is a demo file of a
slice
of the author's head.
3. VolVis (for Volume Visualization) and you can get it from
"sbcs.sunysb.edu"
in the directory "pub/volvis". However the major restriction is that
you
have to have some sort of a Silicon Graphics workstation in order to
run
it. If you do not have and SGI, there is a starbase version at that
same
site that will run only on HP's with starbase.
4. Voxel View software of Vital images for 3D reconstruction of images.
5. NIH image, available, I think, from anonymous ftp to ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu.
6. There is an extensive archive at FTP.NEAR.NET in the /member/dataspace
directory. The demo subrdirectory has several demo disks of the
Vox-L Visualizer which can run under Windows NT (for Intel, Mips and
Alpha) as well as Windows 3.1. The Vox-L Visualizer demo can only
operate on an included 128^3 file, but the actual application is quite
comfortable with 256x256x128 sized volume data of MR and CT scans
(see GIF format images in the images subdirectory). The software is
also available with drivers for Stereographics' CrystalEyes. For a
complete visualization environment, check out the Vox-L Workstation
line which can provide a 150mhz Alpha AXP workstation tuned for
volume rendering which start under 19,000.
7. XDataSlice from NCSA, you can find it in
ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu:UNIX/XDataSlice
for several machines.
8. 3DVIEWNIX - demo available from mipgsun.mipg.upenn.edu (130.91.180.111)
in the directory 3DVIEWNIX1.0/BINARIES. The package sells for $1000
and comes with the source code. I tried their demo and was really
impressed
by its speed. More information can be obtained from
Vhelp at mipgsun.mipg.upenn.edu.
9. NCSA has a couple programs you might want to look into. First, there's
"tiller" in the misc/tiller/ dir of their ftp server (ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu
or 141.142.20.50). I'm sure it does 3D stuff and the demo data set is
either a C/T or MR scan. Second, there's "viewit" in the misc/viewit/
dir of the same server. I don't recall anymore exactly what this one
does, but I know it was developed by the same person/group, so it might
be along the same lines.
10.There's also a package called Vis5D which I think might be interesting.
Try archie to find it. If commercial alternatives are at all
interesting
to you, mail info at spyglass.com.
11.Khoros (available from chama.eece.unm.edu) - free, but not the best
for the purpose of visualization. Talk to donna at peabody.eece.unm.edu
KHOROS version 1.0 does not do 3D visualization. Version 2.0,
scheduled to
be released this Spring might have 3D Tools. There is a small
contributed
toolbox in KHOROS v 1.0 but its not all that functional.
12.AVS - commercial package from advanced visual systems. Commercial.
13.I forgot to mention, BTW that there is another program called Analyze
from Mayo clinic <analyze at mayo.edu>. It would do pretty neat 3D
recons (and different kinds of segmentation, too) but for the reason of
some dumb internal constraints, its 3D tool (whatever its name
is, I do not recall) it would scale any size 3D image
to just about 3x3 in on a standard Spark 5 screen, hence the real
value of this 3D rendering is kind of questionable.
14.IAP (Ontario, Canada). Commercial.
15.You might want to take a look at PV-WAVE from Visual Numerics.
It is commonly used for creating 3D renderings of voxel based data,
and stacks of MRI images as you describe could be displayed with
PV-WAVE, using the Z-Buffer, Ray tracer, or iso-surface renderer.
For more information, contact: Visual Numerics, Inc., 6230 Lookout Rd.,
Boulder, CO 80301 Ph: 303-530-9000 Fax: 303-530-9329.
16.Look for a package called "Bob" from U Minn. Free, runs on SGI's.
17.There are two packages you can check out -- Image Pro from Media
Cybernetics ($3,500) and Pixcell ($1,500) from Sandia Labs. A demo
version of Pixcell, complete with manuals and images, can be accessed
via ftp from Sandia Labs. Machine: ecto.ca.sandia.gov
Address: 146.246.250.134 Directory: pub Subdirectory: pixcell.
