7.9. Conclusion of tutorial on radiosity 7.9. Conclusion of tutorial on radiosity The radiosity method is very useful for generating realistic computer-generated images. The most convincingly realistic images of nonexistent scenes can be achieved by radiosity. The major advantage of this method is that results are view independent of the observer position. Once the intensity values have been evaluated for a static environment, the scene can be displayed from any view position without recomputing intensity values. Therefore, scene intensity values can be preprocessed for dynamic sequence.
Current research is based on the areas which reduce the high computational expense and memory requirements. The research areas involve - applying parallel processing schemes to accelerate radiosity image sythesis. By combining photo realistic image sythesis and the capability of a multiprocessors workstation, algorithm performance can be greatly enhanced as well as a reduction in the computational time [Baum,90] [Kobayashi] [Langer,93]. By merging texture generation and global illumination, greater realism and higher complexity of image can be achieved. This is done by controlling the emission and reflection of texture patterns over the surface [Chen,90][Gershbein,93][Heckbert,90].
Even though traditional radiosity is based on diffuse surfaces, as research continues, radiosity is being extended to include specular and translucent materials. This extension fully accounts for ideal specular and diffuse reflection as well as ideal specular and ideal diffuse transmission [Rushmeier,90]. To compute the radiance accurately in a synthesis environment, the radiosity algorithm is merged with wavelet theory. That method is known as wavelet radiosity [Gortler][Schroder A][Schroder B]. Even though radiosity has become a useful computer graphic technique and it has been around for a decade, it is surprising that the method has not received more attention outside the academic comunity.
The papers used in this section are found in annual ACM SIGGRAPH conference proceedings and from some university technical reports. Links to some technical reports and radiosity images are also included in this section.
