Date of Award

12-1992

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Computer Engineering

Department

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

First Advisor

E. Philip Amburn, PhD

Abstract

The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) has not had the capability to generate photorealistic images. This thesis is a research effort to implement such a system at AFIT, and to apply knowledge from the particle transport community to this problem. Investigation into various techniques for generating photorealistic images led to the conclusion that the radiosity method would serve as the foundation for development. This is because of the increased accuracy of the diffuse reflections with the radiosity method and the fact that the images produced with radiosity axe view-independent. Two distinct tools to generate photorealistic images axe described. The first of these follows the progressive radiosity methodology using ray tracing for form factor calculation. This tool models only diffuse reflections. The second tool is also based on the radiosity method, but does away with the restriction that all surfaces be lambertian diffuse and models specular reflections as well. The design and implementation of the specular radiosity tool uses continuous functions to represent the bidirectional reflectance distribution functions, (BRDFs) and intensities. A new method of representing the BRDFs using a truncated Legendre polynomial expansion is presented. Radiosity, Form factors.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GCE-ENG-92D-09

DTIC Accession Number

ADA259082

Comments

The author's Vita page is omitted.

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