Realistic Image Synthesis Using Photon Mapping (Hardcover)

Photon mapping, a recent development in computer graphics, is a global illumination technique for realistic image synthesis. Written by the developer of the photon mapping algorithm, this text describes ways of simulating illumination in a variety of settings. This computer graphics technique should not be confused with the physics technique of the same name (although the concepts are similar). The text is accompanied by b&w and color illustrations. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)Photon mapping, an extension of ray tracing, makes it possible to efficiently simulate global illumination in complex scenes. Photon mapping can simulate caustics (focused light, like shimmering waves at the bottom of a swimming pool), diffuse inter-reflections (e.g., the "bleeding" of colored light from a red wall onto a white floor, giving the floor a reddish tint), and participating media (such as clouds or smoke). This book is a practical guide to photon mapping; it provides the theory and practical insight necessary to implement photon mapping and simulate all types of direct and indirect illumination efficiently.