Collaborative Research in Computer Graphics: Real-Time Visualization and Rendering of Complex Scenes

实时绘制复杂的光照、逼真的材质和精确的光散射模拟，并具有交互操作参数的能力是本项目所要解决的挑战。探索了外观表示的基本问题，导致了一类新的实时算法的发展。具体地说，重点放在三个主要方向上：(I)外观表示和光传输的复杂性的数学和经验分析；(Ii)计算技术，如精细到粗略和粗略到精细的算法，函数字典，和分层主成分分析；以及(Iii)支持照明、材质和视点的交互操作的算法和系统。计算机图形学和科学可视化越来越多地应用于仿真和培训、汽车设计、建筑渲染、国防、电子商务和娱乐等领域。在当今的技术中，使用复杂但速度慢的渲染算法来创建极其逼真的图像是可能的。这些算法不能满足日益增长的对有效方法来操纵3D环境并与其交互的需求。现代PC可以以交互速率渲染数百万个多边形的场景，但这种性能是以相当大的质量和真实感损失为代价的。这个项目试图克服这些限制：以交互速率生成高度逼真的图像卫星。在过去的30年里，计算机图形学研究创造了提高计算机生成图像的真实感和生成速度的技术。然而，目前还没有广泛使用的方法来创建逼真的图像，在实践中仍然很难创建逼真的图像。这个项目旨在开发一种实用的方法来创造逼真的图像，以解决图形和感知界认为突出的视觉效果。该方法的目的是健壮、相对简单，并在未来十年具有交互的潜力。快速生成逼真图像的能力在许多应用程序中都很有用。例如，飞行和驾驶模拟器依赖于逼真的图像，但这些系统的交互性质限制了可行的真实感。拟议的工作应该扩大这些限制。拟议的方法还将有助于生成用于规划和教育的图像；可以创建图像以帮助将重建工作、生境变化和城市规划的结果可视化。最后，该方法应该有助于生成用于输入到自动车辆的合成图像，在自动车辆中，可以快速且低成本地生成许多不同的场景和大气条件。

ABSTRACTReal-time rendering with complex illumination, realistic materials, and anaccurate simulation of light scattering, with the ability to manipulateparameters interactively, is the challenge addressed in this project.Fundamental questions about the representation of appearance are explored,resulting in the development of a new class of real-time algorithms.Specifically, the focus is on three main directions: (i) Mathematical andEmpirical Analysis of the complexity of appearance representations andlight transport; (ii) Computational Techniques such as fine-to coarse andcoarse-to-fine algorithms, function dictionaries, and hierarchicalprincipal component analysis; and (iii) Algorithms and Systems supportinginteractive manipulation of illumination, materials, and viewpoint.Computer graphics and scientific visualization is increasingly used inareas such as simulation and training, automobile design, architecturalrenderings, defense, electronic commerce, and entertainment. With today'stechnology, it is possible to create strikingly realistic images usingsophisticated, but also slow rendering algorithms. These algorithmscannot address the growing need for effective methods to manipulate andinteract with 3D environments. Modern PCs can render scenes withmillions of polygons at interactive rates, but this performance comesat the cost of a considerable loss in quality and realism. This projectseeks to overcome these limitations: producing highly realistic imagesat interactive rates.Over the last thirty years computer graphics research has created technology that improves both the realism and generation speed of computer-generated images. However, there is no widely used method for creating realistic images, and it remains difficult in practice to create realistic images. This project aims to develop a practical method for realistic image creation that addresses the visual effects believed to be salient by the graphics and perception communities. The method is intended to be robust, relatively simple, and to have the potential to be interactive in the next decade.The ability to rapidly generate realistic images is useful in many applications. For example, flight and driving simulators rely on realistic imagery, but the interactive nature of these systems limits the realism that is feasible. The proposed work should extend these limits. The proposed method would also be useful for generating images for planning and education; images could be created to help visualize the results of reconstruction efforts, habitat change, and urban planning. Finally the method should be useful for generating synthetic images for input to automated vehicles, where many different scenes and atmospheric conditions could be generated rapidly and at low expense.