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Reflection and Refraction on Implicit Surfaces

  • Computer Simulation and Rendering
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Abstract

Implicit surfaces are often used in computer graphics. They can be easily modeled and rendered, and many objects are composed of them in our daily life. In this paper, based on the concept of virtual objects, a novel method of real-time rendering is presented for reflection and refraction on implicit surface. The method is used to construct virtual objects from real objects quickly, and then render the virtual objects as if they were real objects except for one more step of merging their images with the real objects’ images. Characteristics of implicit surfaces are used to compute virtual objects effectively and quickly. GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) are used to compute virtual vertices quickly and further accelerate the computing and rendering processes. As a result, realistic effects of reflections and refractions on implicit surfaces are rendered in real time.

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Correspondence to Wei Hu.

Additional information

A preliminary version of this paper appeared in Proc. Pacific Graphics 2005, Macau.

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 60473112, the Specialized Research Fund for Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China under Grant No. 20030003053.

Wei Hu is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of computer science and technology, Tsinghua University. His research interests include computer graphics, parallel rendering and GPU computing.

Kai-Huai Qin is a professor of computer science and technology, at Tsinghua University. He received his Ph.D. and M.Eng. degrees from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 1990 and 1984, and his B.Eng. degree from South China University of Technology in 1982. He was a visiting scholar at SPL, BWH, and Harvard Medical School during 1999–2000. His research interests include computer graphics, CAGD, curves and surfaces, especially subdivision surfaces and NURBS modeling, physics-based geometric modeling, wavelets, medical visualization, surgical planning and simulation, virtual reality and intelligent and smart CAD/CAM.

Hua-Wei Wang is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at Institute of High Performance Computing of Tsinghua University. He received his Ph.D. and M.E. degrees from Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University in 2004, and his B.Sc. and B.Eng. degrees from Department of Applied Mathematics and Department of Computer Science and Technology, respectively, Tsinghua University in July, 1998. His research interests include computer graphics, computer aided geometric design, curves and surfaces, physics-based geometric modeling, etc.

Ya-Feng Li is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University. His research interests include computer graphics.

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Hu, W., Qin, KH., Wang, HW. et al. Reflection and Refraction on Implicit Surfaces. J Comput Sci Technol 21, 166–172 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11390-006-0166-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11390-006-0166-x

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