Photographic High-Dynamic-Range Scalar Visualization

IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph. 2020 Jun;26(6):2156-2167. doi: 10.1109/TVCG.2020.2970522. Epub 2020 Mar 13.

Abstract

We propose a photographic method to show scalar values of high dynamic range (HDR) by color mapping for 2D visualization. We combine (1) tone-mapping operators that transform the data to the display range of the monitor while preserving perceptually important features, based on a systematic evaluation, and (2) simulated glares that highlight high-value regions. Simulated glares are effective for highlighting small areas (of a few pixels) that may not be visible with conventional visualizations; through a controlled perception study, we confirm that glare is preattentive. The usefulness of our overall photographic HDR visualization is validated through the feedback of expert users.