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Beam tracing polygonal objects

Authors:

Paul S. Heckbert,

Pat HanrahanAuthors Info & Claims

ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics, Volume 18, Issue 3

Pages 119 - 127

https://doi.org/10.1145/964965.808588

Published: 01 January 1984 Publication History

Abstract

Ray tracing has produced some of the most realistic computer generated pictures to date. They contain surface texturing, local shading, shadows, reflections and refractions. The major disadvantage of ray tracing results from its point-sampling approach. Because calculation proceeds ab initio at each pixel it is very CPU intensive and may contain noticeable aliasing artifacts. It is difficult to take advantage of spatial coherence because the shapes of reflections and refractions from curved surfaces are so complex.

In this paper we describe an algorithm that utilizes the spatial coherence of polygonal environments by combining features of both image and object space hidden surface algorithms. Instead of tracing infinitesimally thin rays of light, we sweep areas through a scene to form “beams.” This technique works particularly well for polygonal models since for this case the reflections are linear transformations, and refractions are often approximately so.

The recursive beam tracer begins by sweeping the projection plane through the scene. Beam-surface intersections are computed using two-dimensional polygonal set operations and an occlusion algorithm similar to the Weiler-Atherton hidden surface algorithm. For each beam-polygon intersection the beam is fragmented and new beams created for the reflected and transmitted swaths of light. These sub-beams are redirected with a 4×4 matrix transformation and recursively traced. This beam tree is an object space representation of the entire picture.

Since the priority of polygons is pre-determined, the final picture with reflections, refractions, shadows, and hidden surface removal is easily drawn. The coherence information enables very fast scan conversion and high resolution output. Image space edge and texture antialiasing methods can be applied.

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Index Terms

Beam tracing polygonal objects
1. Computing methodologies
  1. Computer graphics
    1. Image manipulation
    2. Rendering
      1. Visibility

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Published In

cover image ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics

ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Volume 18, Issue 3

July 1984

264 pages

ISSN:0097-8930

DOI:10.1145/964965

Issue’s Table of Contents

SIGGRAPH '84: Proceedings of the 11th annual conference on Computer graphics and interactive techniques
January 1984
264 pages
ISBN:0897911385
DOI:10.1145/800031
Chairmen:
David A. Luther,
Richard M. Mueller,
Richard A. Weinberg,
Robert A. Ellis,
Editor:
Hank Christiansen

Copyright © 1984 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 January 1984

Published in SIGGRAPH Volume 18, Issue 3

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https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/TVCG.2023.3291138
Pike TBurman O(2023)Simulating individual movement in fishScientific Reports10.1038/s41598-023-40420-113:1Online publication date: 4-Sep-2023
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40420-1
Potter SCameron MDuraiswami R(2023)Numerical geometric acoustics: An eikonal-based approach for modeling sound propagation in 3D environmentsJournal of Computational Physics10.1016/j.jcp.2023.112111486(112111)Online publication date: Aug-2023
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcp.2023.112111
McMackin PAdam JRiley FHirsa A(2023)Single-camera PTV within interfacially sheared drops in microgravityExperiments in Fluids10.1007/s00348-023-03697-664:9Online publication date: 4-Sep-2023
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-023-03697-6
Zhou YWu LRamamoorthi RYan L(2021)Vectorization for Fast, Analytic, and Differentiable VisibilityACM Transactions on Graphics10.1145/345209740:3(1-21)Online publication date: 15-Jul-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3452097
Wang XZhang R(2021)Rendering transparent objects with caustics using real-time ray tracingComputers & Graphics10.1016/j.cag.2021.03.00396(36-47)Online publication date: May-2021
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cag.2021.03.003
Mukai N(2019)Analytical Method for Reflection and RefractionComputer Graphics and Imaging10.5772/intechopen.82147Online publication date: 23-Oct-2019
https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82147
Guo GGuo LWang R(2019)The Study on Near-Field Scattering of a Target Under Antenna Irradiation by TDSBR MethodIEEE Access10.1109/ACCESS.2019.29350957(113476-113487)Online publication date: 2019
https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2935095
Dupraz KCassou KMartens ANutarelli DPascaud CZomer F(2019)The ABCD matrices for reflection and refraction for any incident angle and surfaceOptics Communications10.1016/j.optcom.2019.03.041Online publication date: Mar-2019
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Martins JCosta VPereira J(2017)Efficient Hair Rendering with a GPU Cone Tracing ApproachInternational Journal of Creative Interfaces and Computer Graphics10.4018/IJCICG.20170101018:1(1-19)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2017
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