Some inspiration for the types of appearance we will discuss in class (clouds, plants, milk, halos, skin, atmosphere/smoke):

Contents

In the class we will discuss advanced computer graphics techniques for modeling the appearance of the natural world. The class will cover topics such as the physics of light, light transport algorithms, global illumination, BRDF models, participating media, subsurface scattering, BSSRDF models, texture synthesis, and CFD techniques (optional).

After the class the students will be able to discuss and understand many natural phenomena such as: the blue sky, the appearance of wet materials, the appearance of human skin.

Instructor

Henrik Wann Jensen

Office hours, Fridays 2:00-3:00pm

Teaching Assistant

Anders Wang Kristensen

Office hours / Lab hours: Tuesday after lunch, and Friday after lunch.

Books

Recommended

Andrew Glassner, "Principles of Digital Image Synthesis", Morgan-Kaufman, 1995

Optional

Henrik Wann Jensen, "Realistic Image Synthesis Using Photon Mapping", AK Peters, 2001

Lectures

Professor: Fridays: 9:30 - 11:30 in Building 308, Room 012
Students: Fridays: 12:00 - 13:00 in Building 308, Room 012

Databar

Building 305, Room 017
Available Tuesday afternoon and Friday all day

Prerequisites

One or two computer graphics classes. The student should have a thorough understanding of ray tracing as well as a basic understanding of the concept of shading.

The class projects will be in C++ - this will not be taught in the class.

Grading

This is class is for 10 units. It will be graded based on a lecture in class (15%), various assignments (40%), and a final project (45%).

Final Report

Should be in the format of a paper 6-10 pages using the style for ACM SIGGRAPH papers.

Useful links

• Causes of color

Assignments

• Assignment 1 - due Feb. 10, 11:59pm
• Assignment 2 - due Feb. 17, 11:59pm
• Assignment 3 - due Mar. 3, 11:59pm
• CIE XYZ data for assignment 3
• CIE D65 data for assignment 3
• Ray tracing interference colors
• Soap Bubbles (note)
• Soap Bubbles (note 2)
• Project Proposal - due Mar. 17, 11:59pm
• Final report due May 31st at 11:59pm (23:59)

Schedule (tentative)

• Welcome, Course Setup, Light Physics, Radiometry and Photometry
• Reading:
• Glassner, Chapter 13 (optional)

• Light and Matter
• Reading:
• Glassner, Chapter 14

• BRDF Models and Measurements
• Reading:
• Glassner, Chapter 15
• Optional:
• Phong, "Illumination for Computer Generated Pictures", CACM 1975
• Blinn, "Models of Light Reflection for Computer Synthesized Pictures", SIGGRAPH 1977
• Cook and Torrance, "A Reflectance Model for Computer Graphics", ACM TOG, 1982
• Ward, "Measuring and Modeling Anisotropic Reflection", SIGGRAPH 1992
• Westin et al., Predicting Reflectance Functions from Complex Surfaces, SIGGRAPH 1992
• Gondek et al., Wavelength Dependent Reflectance Functions", SIGGRAPH 1994
• Student lecture on iridesence [slides]

• Microfacet Theory
• Reading:
• Torrance and Sparrow, "Theory for off-specular reflection", JOSA 1967
• Blinn, "Models of Light Reflection for Computer Synthesized Pictures", SIGGRAPH 1977
• Oren and Nayar, "Generalization of Lambert's reflection model", SIGGRAPH 1994
• Ashikmin et al., "A microfacet based BRDF generator", SIGGRAPH 2000
• Student lecture on Aurora Borealis [slides]

• Microfacet Theory II

• Light Transport, Global Illumination Algorithms
• Reading:
• Kajiya, "The Rendering Equation", SIGGRAPH 1986
  
• Jensen, Global Illumination Using Photon Maps, EGWR 1996
• Optional Reading:
• Jensen, "Realistic Image Synthesis using Photon Mapping", Chapters 4-9
• Glassner, Chapter 18-19
• Lafortune et al., Bidirectional Path Tracing", Compugraphics 1993
• Veach et al., Metropolis Light Transport, SIGGRAPH 1997
• Student lecture on bioluminescence [slides]

• Light Transport II
• Student lecture on dispersion [slides]

• Participating Media 1 (Radiative transport, phase functions)
• Reading:
• Glassner, Chapter 12
• Optional Reading:
• Chandrasekhar, "Radiative Transfer", pages 1-21
• Student lecture on weathering [slides]

• Participating Media 2 (Advanced phase functions, analytic models, ray marching)
• Student lecture on Ice [slides]
• Student lecture on Nebulas [slides]

• Participating Media 3 (Multiple scattering, photon mapping, two-stream theory)
• Reading:
• Jensen, "Realistic Image Synthesis using Photon Mapping", chapter 10
• Student lecture on eyes [slides]

• Vacation

• Subsurface Scattering 1 (BRDF Models)
• Reading:
• Paul Kubelka and Franz Munk, "Ein Beitrag zur Optik der Farbanstriche", Zeitschrift fu"r Technishen Physik 12(112)
  (English translation by Steve Westin)
• Jim Blinn, "Light reflection functions for simulation of clouds and dusty surfaces", SIGGRAPH 1982
• Chet Haase and Gary Meyer, Modeling Pigmented Materials for Realistic Image Synthesis", ACM TOG, pages 305-335, October 1992
• Pat Hanrahan and Wolfgang Krueger, "Reflection from Layered Surfaces due to Subsurface Scattering", SIGGRAPH 1993
• Student lecture on plants [slides]

• Subsurface Scattering 2 (BSSRDF Models)
• Reading:
• Jensen, Marschner, Levoy, and Hanrahan, A Practical Model for Subsurface Light Transport", SIGGRAPH 2001
• Jensen and Buhler, A Rapid Hierarchical Rendering Technique for Translucent Materials", SIGGRAPH 2002
• Student lecture on fluorescence [slides]

• Subsurface Scattering 3 (Advanced BSSRDF Models)
• Reading:
• Donner and Jensen, Light Diffusion in Multi-Layered Translucent Materials, SIGGRAPH 2005
• Status presentations (5 minutes each)