Contents 1 Introduction
Visualization is a process of many tasks, from the cerebral to the mundane. The success of all the elements of visualization, from data acquisition to mathematical analysis to graphical display, are often judged based on the effectiveness and lucidity of the final graphical rendition of the data. For geometry-based visualization techniques, few common elements are so important yet typically so cursorily considered as lighting. Aesthetic qualities of lighting play a role in visualization in much the same way as they do in a well-executed painting or a persuasive commercial photograph. While a visualization scientist may not explicitly state that creating a visually appealing image is a primary goal, few of us would seek or celebrate an unattractive result.
