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: Thursday 2-3pm

Recommended books

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

Optional

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

Lectures

Tuesday/Thursday, 3:30pm - 4:50pm in CSE 4109

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

The class will be graded based on various assignments (35%), a midterm (20%), 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 November 1 (one extra week due to fires!)
• Assignment 1 extra material
• CSE272 base ray tracing code (optional)
• Assignment 2 Due November 20

Schedule

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

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

• Light and Matter II
• 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

• BRDF simulation
• Optional:
• Westin et al., Predicting Reflectance Functions from Complex Surfaces, SIGGRAPH 1992
• Gondek et al., Wavelength Dependent Reflectance Functions", SIGGRAPH 1994
• Iridescence
• Optional:
• Soap Bubbles: Part 1
• Soap Bubbles: Part 2

• 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

• Light Transport, Rendering Equation, Finite Element Methods
• Reading:
• Kajiya, "The Rendering Equation", SIGGRAPH 1986
  

• Monte Carlo Ray Tracing
• Reading:
• Lafortune et al., Bidirectional Path Tracing", Compugraphics 1993
• Jensen, Global Illumination Using Photon Maps, EGWR 1996
• Optional Reading:
• Jensen, "Realistic Image Synthesis using Photon Mapping", Chapters 4-9
• Glassner, Chapter 18-19
• Veach and Guibas, Optimally combining sampling techniques for Monte Carlo rendering, Siggraph 1995
• Veach et al., Metropolis Light Transport, SIGGRAPH 1997
• Veach et al., Robust Monte Carlo Methods for Light Transport Simulation, Chapter 9 and Chapter 10
• Lafortune, Mathematical Models for Light Transport Simulation

• Participating Media (Radiative transport, phase functions, analytic models, ray marching, single scattering)
• Reading:
• Glassner, Chapter 12
• Optional Reading:
• Chandrasekhar, "Radiative Transfer", pages 1-21

• Participating Media (Multiple scattering, random walks, photon mapping)
• Reading:
• Jensen, "Realistic Image Synthesis using Photon Mapping", Chapters 10

• 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

• Subsurface Scattering 2 (BSSRDF Models, Diffusion Approximation)
• 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

• Human Skin Rendering
[slides ]
• Reading:
• Donner and Jensen, Light Diffusion in Multi-Layered Translucent Materials, SIGGRAPH 2005
• Donner and Jensen, "A Spectral BSSRDF for Shading Human Skin", EGSR 2006

• Midterm

• Efficient Light Transport in Scattering Media
- guest lecture by Wojciech Jarosz