Techniques for simultaneous display of volume data and geometric models have been reported in the literature. These techniques either require conversion from one representation to the other or are based on a hybrid data model. This paper reports on the optimization of the classical ray casting technique for direct volume rendering applied to both volume data and geometric model visualization. The algorithm was implemented as part of an interactive volume visualization tool named RenderVox currently under validation. Images and performance data are presented and discussed.

Keywords: Volume visualization, Hybrid Visualization