Rendering & Ray Tracing

Real-Time Rendering, Third Edition

One would think that the title of Tomas Moller's and Eric Haines's book, Real-Time Rendering, would be a contradiction in terms. How can such a computationally intensive process as rendering computer graphics ever hope to be done on the fly, in the blink of an eye, without delay--in short, in real time?

The term rendering, as it applies to computer graphics, refers to the mathematically intensive process of creating a picture or sequence of frames based on geometry. The duration of this process is dependent on the complexity of the scene (a forest with many trees and thousands of leaves will take much longer to render than a scene consisting of a white box over a gray background) and the speed of the hardware doing the calculations.

When Pixar's Toy Story was first released, the computer animation community was all abuzz with how it was done, and someone at Pixar mentioned that over 100 SGI workstations were used for rendering the frames over the course of almost two years. Someone else extrapolated this data and figured out that the same movie could have been rendered on one contemporary PC over the course of about 80 years.

The authors deftly answer the question, not only asserting that it can be done, but since this book is a programmer's guide, they list snippets of programming algorithms that help outline how it can be done.

Because the software and hardware is constantly and rapidly evolving due to the insatiable need for more realistic and complex graphics, the book avoids getting too specific. To quote the authors, "The field is rapidly evolving, and so it is a moving target." This lack of specificity doesn't detract from the usefulness of the book, though. Instead, it works at a higher, more abstract level, describing approaches to rendering techniques using generic algorithms. It is up to the programmer to apply these methods to the specific program or system on which it is to be implemented.

Real-Time Rendering describes some very complex methods, and this book is not for the average computer graphics creator. However, if you are working in an industry that depends on real-time rendered animation--like the gaming, medical, or military fields--or you are building the next-generation real-time render engine, this book will offer insight and concepts you can use to build some impressive software. --Mike Caputo

Thoroughly revised, this third edition focuses on modern techniques used to generate synthetic three-dimensional images in a fraction of a second. With the advent or programmable shaders, a wide variety of new algorithms have arisen and evolved over the past few years.

This edition discusses current, practical rendering methods used in games and other applications. It also presents a solid theoretical framework and relevant mathematics for the field of interactive computer graphics, all in an approachable style.

Digital Lighting and Rendering (2nd Edition) ([digital])

Crafting a perfect rendering in 3D software means nailing all the details. And no matter what software you use, your success in creating realistic-looking illumination, shadows and textures depends on your professional lighting and rendering techniques. In this lavishly illustrated new edition, Pixar's Jeremy Birn shows you how to:

• Master Hollywood lighting techniques to produce professional results in any 3D application
• Convincingly composite 3D models into real-world environments
• Apply advanced rendering techniques using subsurface scattering, global illumination, caustics, occlusion, and high dynamic range images
• Design realistic materials and paint detailed texture maps
• Mimic real-life camera properties such as f-stops, exposure times, depth-of-field, and natural color temperatures for photorealistic renderings
• Render in multiple passes for greater efficiency and creative control
• Understand production pipelines at visual effects and animation studios
• Develop your lighting reel to get a job in the industry
  

Rendering with mental ray & 3ds Max

Realize your vision with stunning renders of your 3ds Max projects that can only be achieved with a powerful engine like mental ray. Beginning with a concise review of the essential concepts, you proceed to step-by-step tutorials that teach you how to render scenes with indirect light or with specific effects, such as depth of field and motion blur. Contour line shading and various other mental ray features are presented in detail, then you learn how to use the different light types of 3ds Max inside mental ray and how to use mental ray's own specific area lights and its new daylight system. Finally, the book reviews mental ray-specific materials and what effects can be obtained by using most of the specific mental ray shaders.

Key Features:
* Color reproductions illustrate a wide array of subtle techniques.
* Contains never-before-published information about how shaders work
* Companion CD-ROM includes tutorial project files

ShaderX6: Advanced Rendering (Shaderx)

Welcome to ShaderX6, the latest volume in the cutting-edge, indispensable series for game and graphics programmers. This all-new volume is packed with a collection of insightful techniques, innovative approaches to common problems, and practical tools and tricks that provide you with a complete shader programming toolbox. Every article was developed from the research and experiences of industry pros and edited by shader experts, resulting in unbiased coverage of all hardware and developer tools. ShaderX6: Advanced Rendering Techniques provides coverage of the vertex and pixel shader methods used in high-end graphics and game development. These state-of-the-art, ready-to-use solutions will help you meet your everyday programming challenges and bring your graphics to a new level of realism. This collection offers time-saving solutions to help you become more effi cient and productive, and is a must-have reference for all shader programmers.

mental ray for Maya, 3ds Max, and XSI: A 3D Artist's Guide to Rendering

Turn 3D models into film-worthy digital animations by mastering mental ray rendering once and for all. This must-have guide is the only book on the market to focus exclusively on mental ray in Maya, 3ds Max, and XSI, and it's packed with techniques and insights you can't get anywhere else. Best of all, the book's advanced rendering concepts apply to other rendering software as well, including V-Ray, Brazil, Maxwell and RenderMan. Discover advanced lighting, camera, and workflow techniques that usually take professionals years to figure out.

The RenderMan Shading Language Guide

Discover how to achieve the stunning imagery and dazzling effects that wow audiences in animated and live action motion pictures. "The RenderMan® Shading Language Guide" shows you how to master this powerful rendering program, used by filmmakers in conjunction with 2D and 3D painting, modeling, and animation software to transport audiences to faraway lands and awe them with fantastic creatures. A comprehensive guide to the RenderMan Shading Language (RSL), the book teaches experienced 3D animators and artists fundamentals through advanced RSL and image synthesis concepts. Beginning with an introduction to RSL, you'll learn about the shader writing process and how to set up a proper shader developing environment. After that you'll try your hand at some simple shading methods such as light and volume shaders. Once you have the basics down, you'll move on to more advanced shading skills including raytracing, global illumination, pattern anti-aliasing, and DSO shadeops. The book presents over 80 complete shaders and teaches good coding style and techniques. "The RenderMan Shading Language Guide" presents the skills you need to become proficient with RSL so that you can use them to create amazing special effects for use in movies, video games, and more.

Light Shadow Space: Architectural Rendering with Cinema 4D®

The visualization of light in space, its effect on model cubature and scenery, is one of the great challenges in architectural rendering. This is a decisive reason for the use of 3D tools – both for architecture offices and students. This volume features a number of exercises that enable the reader to learn how to light architecture models correctly. Complete virtual 3D scenarios are included that allow for the step-by-step construction of a lighting set up with the help of Cinema 4D® software that creates a realistic spatial impression. The tutorials are complemented by a chapter on the use of Cinema 4D®, importing CAD models and light sources as well as shadow types, which have been revised and expanded in the 9.5 and 10 version.

Physically Based Rendering : From Theory to Implementation (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive 3D Technology) (The Interactive 3d Technology Series)

"Computer graphics, and rendering in particular, is full of beautiful theory. The theory covers physical concepts, such as light fields and the interaction of light with different materials, and mathematical concepts, such as integral equations and Monte Carlo integration. The great thing about computers is that they allow us to build rendering systems based on the best theory. This book turns the theory of image-making into a practical method for creating images." -from the foreword by Pat Hanrahan, Canon USA Professor, Stanford University

From movies to video games, computer-rendered images are pervasive today. Physically Based Rendering introduces the concepts and theory of photorealistic rendering hand in hand with the source code for a sophisticated renderer. By coupling the discussion of rendering algorithms with their implementations, Matt Pharr and Greg Humphreys are able to reveal many of the details and subtleties of these algorithms. But this book goes further; it also describes the design strategies involved with building real systems-there is much more to writing a good renderer than stringing together a set of fast algorithms. For example, techniques for high-quality antialiasing must be considered from the start, as they have implications throughout the system. The rendering system described in this book is itself highly readable, written in a style called literate programming that mixes text describing the system with the code that implements it. Literate programming gives a gentle introduction to working with programs of this size. This lucid pairing of text and code offers the most complete and in-depth book available for understanding, designing, and building physically realistic rendering systems.

* Winner of an Honorable Mention in the Computer and Information Science category from The Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division (PSP) of the Association of American Publishers (AAP)
* Finalist for the 15th Annual Jolt Awards
* Companion CD-ROM includes the source code for a complete rendering system for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux-with many of the features found in high-quality commercial systems.
* The system's plug-in architecture makes its basic structure transparent and allows for new features to be added easily.
* The rendering system implements a number of newer or difficult-to-implement algorithms and techniques, including subdivision surfaces, Monte Carlo light transport, and volumetric scattering.

Rendering Fashion, Fabric and Prints with Adobe Illustrator

Rendering Fashion, Fabric and Prints with Adobe Illustrator is the first book of its kind to show how Adobe Illustrator can be used in the fashion, fashion illustration and textile industries. Developed as a companion book to Rendering Fashion, Fabric and Prints with Adobe Photoshop, ISBN: 0-13-049409-7, the book uses a simple step-by-step format to cover the complete digital rendering process–from concept to consumer. Readers will learn how to use the software to create story boards, mood boards, logos, hang-tags, flats, fabric repeats and more! Over 1,000 images to take the guesswork out of replicating industry information. Shows how to use Adobe Illustrator to render vector images specific to fashion such as illustrations, technicals, fabric repeats, logos and presentation boards. Provides more than just a computer manual by showing how to use the software during each stage of the design process. Covers all aspects including: storyboards, moodboards, logos, hang-tags, merchandise boards, flats, technical renderings, croquis etc. Discusses how to prepare images for digital portfolios, use online URL’s for locating jobs, etc. Provides background on the fundamental concepts that should be considered during the digital rendering process. Captures the flavor of the industry and keeps readers focused on how Adobe Illustrator can be used in the field. Anyone looking to get into the fashion industry. Prepares readers for the competitive job market by teaching them sought after technical skills and contemporary job search strategies.

The Official Blender 2.3 Guide: Free 3D Creation Suite for Modeling, Animation, and Rendering

Blender is the first and only fully-integrated 3D graphics creation suite allowing modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, and realtime interactive 3D with cross-platform compatibility--all for free. Originally developed by Not a Number (NaN) as a commercial product, Blender has since been released as free software, with the sources available under GNU GPL. The Official Blender 2.3 Guide is an introduction to the sometimes complicated Blender interface and a complete guide to everything that Blender can do. Written by the designers who created and currently maintain Blender, the book covers methods of designing models, materials, and light; rendering 3D scenes; creating 3D animations; as well as advanced topics such as using Blender as a video editor. Includes a 4-color insert and a CD-ROM containing Blender for all platforms.