Data Cube Volume Visualization with Open Shading Language and Blender

Viewing data cubes as 3D volumes provides unique challenges in rendering 3D output. The Open Shading Language (OSL) is used as a standard graphics shading language. With a C-like syntax, it can be used with many popular 3D graphics packages like Blender. We describe a workflow framework for importing 3D data cubes, creating a shader, using a node compositor to connect program elements, setting up camera views, and rendering output. OSL is used to design shaders with the Blender node compositor.