Time critical computing and rendering of molecular surfaces using a zonal map

We describe the zonal map, a data structure used for the visualization of large, time dependent molecular configurations in virtual environments. The governing idea of the zonal map is to use the user's line of sight to define a region of interest onto which time critical algorithms can be applied. Two examples of time critical algorithms are given: for computing and rendering of solvent-accessible surfaces of protein molecules. We show that substantial performance gains can be obtained by using the zonal map.