Visualization Handbook pdf part 1 of 2

The field of visualization is focused on creating images that convey salient information about underlying data and processes. In the past three decades, the field has seen unprecedented growth in computational and acquisition technologies, which has resulted in an increased ability both to sense the physical world with very detailed precision and to model and simulate complex physical phenomena. Given these capabilities, visualization plays a crucial enabling role in our ability to comprehend such large and complex data—data tha t, in two, three, or more dimensions, conveys insight into such diverse applications as medical processes, earth and space sciences, complex flow of fluids, and biological processes, among many other areas. t, in two, three, or more dimensions, conveys insight into such diverse applications as medical processes, earth and space sciences, complex flow of fluids, and biological processes, among many other areas.