Systems and methods for visualizing multiple volumetric data sets in real time

A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for imaging a plurality of three-dimensional volume data sets, which represent different attribute volumes, as a final image, the instructions being executable to implement:

• accepting input from a user at runtime to identify the different attribute volumes to be intermixed, wherein intermixing the different attribute volumes corresponds to combining attributes for the different attribute volumes, wherein the attributes are associated on a data level, a voxel level, a pixel level, or an image level;
• accepting an equation from a user at runtime to be used at any selected step of intermixing from voxel intermixing, pixel intermixing, and image intermixing;
• processing each attribute volume without a graphics card by data intermixing to form a first combined attribute volume or a first plurality of corresponding attribute volumes based on the different attribute volumes, wherein the data intermixing applies to intermixing tasks not suitable for the graphics card;
• processing the first combined attribute volume or the first plurality of corresponding attribute volumes using a pixel shader of the graphics card by the voxel intermixing to filter and remove data from the first combined attribute volume or the first plurality of corresponding attribute volumes and to form a second combined attribute volume or a second plurality of corresponding attribute volumes;
• processing the second combined attribute volume or the second plurality of corresponding attribute volumes using a pixel shader of the graphics card by the pixel intermixing to form a third combined attribute volume or a third plurality of corresponding attribute volumes, wherein the third combined attribute volume or the third plurality of corresponding attribute volumes correspond to a rendered image or rendered images;
• and
• processing the third combined attribute volume or the third plurality of corresponding attribute volumes using the graphics card by the image intermixing to form the final image that combines the rendered image or rendered images based on the third combined attribute volume's attributes or the third plurality of corresponding attribute volumes' attributes.