AbstractRay‐traced volume rendering has been shown to be an effective method for visualizing 3D scalar data. However, with currently available workstation technology, interactive volume exploration using conventional volume rendering is still too slow to be attractive. This paper describes an enhanced volume rendering method which allows interactive changes of rendering parameters such as colour and opacity maps. An innovative technique is provided which allows the user to plant a ‘seed’ in the volume to rapidly modify local shading parameters. For a fixed viewing position, the user can interactively explore specific regions of interest. Furthermore, a virtual cutting technique with the exploratory seed allows the user to remove surfaces and see the internal structure of the volume. Examples demonstrate these techniques as an attractive option in many applications.