Transformation-driven generation of comparable projection images from multimodal anatomical scenes
For researchers in craniofacial analysis and medical imaging, this framework provides a reproducible methodological environment to study anatomy-projection relationships and motion observability, though it is an incremental improvement over existing DRR approaches.
The paper proposes a transformation-driven framework for generating reproducible projection images from multimodal anatomical scenes, enabling controlled exploration of imaging assumptions. Demonstrated on mandibular-motion scenarios, it generates directly comparable VirtualRTG projections from multiple anatomical configurations.
This work addresses the computational problem of generating reproducible projection-space observations from heterogeneous anatomical scenes whose components may undergo independent spatial transformations. We propose a transformation-driven framework for synthetic projection imaging from multimodal anatomical data and demonstrate it on mandibular-motion scenarios. In contrast to conventional Digitally Reconstructed Radiograph (DRR) approaches primarily designed for registration, projection realism, or rendering efficiency, the proposed formulation treats projection imaging as an observation process operating on an explicitly represented anatomical scene. Independently transformable volumetric and surface-based anatomical objects are embedded within a shared scene representation and propagated directly into projection space through explicit transformations. Projection geometry, acquisition modelling, material interpretation, and image presentation remain explicitly separated, enabling controlled exploration of methodological assumptions while preserving reproducibility and direct comparability between generated projections. Particular emphasis is placed on transformation-driven anatomical scenarios relevant to craniofacial analysis, including mandibular motion and therapeutic repositioning. Using a shared anatomical reference scene composed of CT/CBCT volumes, segmented structures, surface models, and auxiliary anatomical or therapeutic objects, the framework enables generation of directly comparable VirtualRTG projections from multiple anatomical configurations while preserving identical imaging assumptions. Rather than aiming at fully physically faithful radiographic simulation, the proposed approach provides a controllable and reproducible methodological environment for studying anatomy--projection relationships, motion observability, and transformation-aware imaging workflows.