Accelerating Ray Tracing using Constrained Tetrahedralizations

In this paper we introduce the constrained tetrahedralization as a new acceleration structure for ray tracing. A constrained tetrahedralization of a scene is a tetrahedralization that respects the faces of the scene geometry. The closest intersection of a ray with a scene is found by traversing this tetrahedralization along the ray, one tetrahedron at a time. We show that constrained tetrahedralizations are a viable alternative to current acceleration structures, and that they have a number of unique properties that set them apart from other acceleration structures: constrained tetrahedralizations are not hierarchical yet adaptive; the complexity of traversing them is a function of local geometric complexity rather than global geometric complexity; constrained tetrahedralizations support deforming geometry without any effort; and they have the potential to unify several data structures currently used in global illumination. Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS): I....

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2008
• Where: CGF
• Authors: Ares Lagae, Philip Dutré
• Keywords: Acceleration Structures, CGF 2008, Constrained Tetrahedralizations, Geometric Complexity