Abstract: Systems and methods for the optimization of volume rendering of a region of interest in a 3D data set are presented. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a method of optimizing the volume rendering of a 3D data set comprises dividing a region of interest into a set of blocks S, computing a tension vector for each block, translating each block as a function of its respective tension vector, and removing any empty blocks to create a new set of blocks S?, with lesser voxels to render. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention this process can be iterated until some defined condition occurs, and the region of interest can then be rendered using S?.