[vtkusers] volumerendering with large datasets?

[eugen]

Hi!
First of all: I'm new on this list. So please have patience with me if I  
ask too stupid questions...

I'm working on my diploma to realise some interactive transferfunktion  
stuff on ct and pet datasets (using 3D texture). There is a software,  
based on OpenSG I could use for my stuff in my university, but it's not so  
intuitive to use as vtk is. There are many more reasons to use vtk, which  
you all know I think:-)

The point is my professor will switch our project to vtk/itk only if  
following features are given or can be implemented with little effort:

- BRICKING: Our datasets sometimes neeed more memory than a videocard can  
offer. I noticed that some tools like OpenSG or the OpenGLVolumizer use  
bricking to split the dataset and render it brickwise... Though I checked  
the api and googled for it I couldn't find any hint telling that vtk does  
support bricking for volumes. Is that true? Is it planned to add bricking  
to vtk? Approximately when?

- OVERLAPPING VOLUMES: vtkVolumeTextureMapper3D is said not to be capable  
of rendering two different values if they overlap, only if they can be  
sorted and don't overlap... As we want to render ct and pet data for the  
same organ together, rendering of overlapping volumes has to be supported.  
Will vtkVolumeTextureMapper3D support such a feature in near future? If  
not, has someone an idea how to extend vtk with such a feature?


Can anybody help?


Thanks a lot,
Eugen