We introduce an illumination method for outdoor scenes containing plants and trees. Our method supports multiresolution plant and tree models based on random L-systems. The method includes modeling and rendering of the sky at different times for different locations on the earth. We propose an efficient algorithm to illuminate the leaves of a tree using form factors pre-computed with a polar-plane-based method. We also present two solutions to the visibility problem, a heuristic solution and a solution integrated with the polar-plane method. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Maria J. Vicent, Vicente Rosell, Roberto Viv&oacut