Visualization of high resolution, three-dimensional, nonlinear finite element analyses

A two-pass surface extraction algorithm for adaptive finite element meshes is presented in the context of a visualization study for a particle impact and a turbine blade containment problem. The direct use of finite element data structures for the computation of external surfaces, surface normals, and derived physical quantities is discussed. An overview of the inbetweening which accounts for rigid body dynamics effects is presented with a brief discussion of a "direct-to-videodisk" animation strategy.