The RADIANCE lighting simulation and rendering system

This paper describes a physically-based rendering system tailored to the demands of lighting design and architecture. The simulation uses a light-backwards ray-tracing method with extensions to efficiently solve the rendering equation under most conditions. This includes specular, diffuse and directionaldiffuse reflection and transmission in any combination to any level in any environment, including complicated, curved geometries. The simulation blends deterministic and stochastic ray-tracing techniques to achieve the best balance between speed and accuracy in its local and global illumination methods. Some of the more interesting techniques are outlined, with references to more detailed descriptions elsewhere. Finally, examples are given of successful applications of this free software by others. CR Categories: I.3.3 [Computer Graphics]: Picture/image generation - Display algorithms ; I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism - Shading. Additional Keywords and...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1994
• Where: SIGGRAPH
• Authors: Gregory J. Ward
• Keywords: Computer Graphics, Light-backwards Ray-tracing Method, Physically-based Rendering, SIGGRAPH 1994, Stochastic Ray-tracing Techniques