Camera Model Design for High-Quality Interactive Rendering Calculations

Summary

This project is concerned with developing techniques which producing high-quality rendering effects such as reflections, refractions, ambient occlusion, and relief texture mapping at interactive rates. This is done one of two ways. The first, develop cameras based upon a object in the scene and render the scene using those cameras. Alternatively, we replace geometry with images generated by non-pinhole cameras. Rays can then be intersected with the image-based approximations of the geometry for fast-accurate rendering effect calculations.

Non-pinhole Approximations for Interactive Rendering
It is a common approach to replace scene geometry with image based approximations for fast rendering effects. These approximations are usually generated using orthographic or perspective projections. We replace these traditional approximations with non-pinhole approximations in order to improve rendering quailty. By providing fast ray impostor intersection, we produce higher-quality results with similar performance to the traditional approach.

Reflected-Scene Impostors for Realistic Reflections at Interactive Rates
We have developed a technique for rendering reflections based on approximating the reflected scene with billboard and depth map impostors. Compared to sample-based cameras, the technique trades the advantage of small, user-controllable error with the advantage of independence from reflector complexity. Reflected-scene impostors support motion parallax, reflected objects close or even intersecting the reflector, second order reflections, dynamic scenes, and complex reflective materials.
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Sample-Based Camera: Camera Model Design for Fast and Accurate Reflections
The sample-based camera (SBC) is a general camera constructed from a set of rays. We use SBCs for rendering accurate reflections, refractions, and other view-dependent effects on curved reflectors at interactive rates.
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