# Simulated Lightning

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/simulated-lightning/22936>\
**Category:** Support\
**Tags:** volume-rendering\
**Created:** [April 13, 2022, 12:23pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/simulated-lightning/22936 "2022-04-13T12:23:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ZUSV5EHlK7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/5f9b8f/32.png) [@ZUSV5EHlK7](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/ZUSV5EHlK7)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:23pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/simulated-lightning/22936/1 "2022-04-13T12:23:51Z")

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Hello,  
actually I am working on my master thesis about “Direct Volume Rendering in Medicine”. For this I am comparing different OpenSource Software products. Now I am researching about simulated lightning/ many light source methods in DVR. Perhaps the 3D-Slicer inlcudes such tools for a more detailed representation of volume data.

Unfortunately I can not find some information about this.

Maybe You have some interest information.

Thank You.

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**Author:** ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 1:27pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/simulated-lightning/22936/2 "2022-04-13T13:27:04Z")

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Slicer uses VTK for rendering. VTK has tons of lighting and volume rendering options in several rendering backends. In Slicer you can use most of these features. Most commonly needed features are exposed on the graphical user interface in [`Volume Rendering` module](https://slicer.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user_guide/modules/volumerendering.html) in Slicer core and in [`Lights` module](https://github.com/PerkLab/SlicerSandbox/blob/master/README.md#lights) in `Sandbox` extension; and you can access all other options via Python scripting using [VTK API](https://vtk.org/doc/nightly/html/index.html).

Let us know if you are not sure if a specific lighting method is available in Slicer or not.

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**Author:** ![pieper](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/pieper/32/8_2.png) [@pieper](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/pieper)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 1:29pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/simulated-lightning/22936/3 "2022-04-13T13:29:30Z")

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@ZUSV5EHlK7 have a look at this thread to get ideas for work that is still needed:

> **[Adding secondary rays and complex illumination methods to volumetric rendering](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/adding-secondary-rays-and-complex-illumination-methods-to-volumetric-rendering/8214)**
>
> Hi all, With Timothée Chabat and Francois Mazen, we’re currently working on developing new shaders for the vtkGPUVolumeRayCastMapper class in order to have a more realistic volumetric rendering. We are trying to integrate multiple-scattering effects...

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**Author:** ![ZUSV5EHlK7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/5f9b8f/32.png) [@ZUSV5EHlK7](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/ZUSV5EHlK7)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2022, 7:09am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/simulated-lightning/22936/4 "2022-04-14T07:09:47Z")

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Great, this is going in the right direction.

DVR is a very complex issue. Until now I only used the Slicer. Now I have to question how it works.

Thank you very much.

If you have more information, send it to me. It is a great help.

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**Author:** ![Chris\_Rorden](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/chris_rorden/32/4073_2.png) [@Chris\_Rorden](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/Chris_Rorden)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/simulated-lightning/22936/5 "2022-04-14T15:23:52Z")

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@ZUSV5EHlK7 you may also want to look at [MRIcroGL](https://www.nitrc.org/plugins/mwiki/index.php/mricrogl:MainPage). which blends Matcaps based on the [gradients](https://github.com/neurolabusc/blog/blob/main/GL-gradients/README.md). I also strongly recommend the book [real time volume graphics](http://www.real-time-volume-graphics.org).