TABLE OF CONTENTS Photorealistic rendering and global illumination algorithms have come a long way since the publication of the first recursive ray-tracing algorithm in 1979. There has been a gradual evolution from simple algorithms, some of them deemed to be hacks by today s standards, to very advanced, fully physically based rendering algorithms.
It is now possible, within a reasonable amount of time, to generate an image that is indistinguishable from a photograph of a real scene. This has been achieved by carefully researching the physical processes that form the basis of photorealistic rendering: light-material interaction, light transport, and the psychophysical aspects of the human visual system. In each of these domains, extensive research literature is available. In this book, we have tried to give an overview of some of these aspects, mostly focusing on the light transport mechanism. As in most modern algorithms, we strongly believe that a good understanding of all fundamental issues is the key to well-designed global illumination light transport algorithms.
Global illumination has not yet found its way to many mainstream applications, but some use has already been made in feature-animation films and to a limited extent in some computer games. High-quality rendering of architectural designs has become more common (although still unusual), and car manufacturers have become more aware of the possibilities of rendering cars in real virtual environments for glossy advertisements. Moreover, recent advances have indicated that full interactive ray tracing is already a possibility for specialist applications and machinery.
As such,...
