Fundamentals of Lighting and Perception: The Rendering of Physically Accurate Images
Hector Y. Yee | Philip Dutré | Sumanta Pattanaik |
Contact: Computer Graphics Research Group
Games Developer's Conference
San Jose, TX, USA, March 2002
Abstract
This paper introduces the foundations of physically accurate rendering in computer graphics. As graphics hardware and processing power improves, we begin to create images in real time that rival real world photography. This paper lays the groundwork for creating such images, working from the most critical component of realistic image generation, the rendering equation. This paper reviews all stages of realistic rendering and physically accurate image generation: description of reflectance properties of materials; solving the rendering equation using Monte Carlo integration; tone reproduction operators to realistically show the images on limited dynamic range displays; and perceptual techniques that can be used to accelerate rendering.