Dissertation Research- Curved Light Rendering

Curved Path Ray Marching with Efficient Ray-Object Intersection

(Paper Pending Publication)
Reagan Burke, Charles Timme, Jerry Tessendorf, and Colin Reinhardt

Physically-based phase-dependent atmospheres are rendered with analytical descriptions of curved rays. Ray-Triangle intersections are calculated with a bisection algorithm, and accelerated with a modified KD Tree. This project is programmed in C++ and Python. Density profiles that drive ray curvature in mirages are constructed from temperature inversion layers.

Ray direction changes sharply at the borders of glass materials. This effect is imitated here with a spherical IOR scalar field with a 10cm transition from IOR = 1.0 to IOR = 2.0.

Ray direction changes sharply at the borders of glass materials. This effect is imitated here with a spherical IOR scalar field with a 10cm transition from IOR = 1.0 to IOR = 2.0.

Turbulence is created with a Cn^2 model of a modified von Karman spectrum. Intersections with interior geometry occur with curved rays.

Turbulence is created with a Cn^2 model of a modified von Karman spectrum. Intersections with interior geometry occur with curved rays.

A superior mirage caused by a layer of warm air in the upper atmosphere. Rays curve away from this layer, back towards the surface of the water, revealing the mirage of a ship that is just behind the horizon.

A superior mirage caused by a layer of warm air in the upper atmosphere. Rays curve away from this layer, back towards the surface of the water, revealing the mirage of a ship that is just behind the horizon.

An inferior mirage caused by warm air close to the water's surface. This causes a vertical visual stretching of the ship, and a complete reflection of objects far behind it.

An inferior mirage caused by warm air close to the water's surface. This causes a vertical visual stretching of the ship, and a complete reflection of objects far behind it.

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Master's Research: Bouancy Simulation