Proposal of an Optimised Path Tracing Algorithm for Computer Graphics
摘要
In computer graphics, the advent of graphics cards capable of facilitating real-time path-tracing or ray-tracing in gaming applications has been a recent development. Nevertheless, the utilisation of unbiased path-tracing in programs frequently necessitates protracted periods to complete a rendering of a solitary scene. The primary rationale for this protracted duration is the requirement to probe each pixel of the ultimate image on multiple occasions to procure the most precise data. This phenomenon arises due to the inability of the ray to ascertain the optimal trajectory in the context of unbiased path tracing. Consequently, it is conceivable that a specific sample may not generate valuable information for the final image within a maximum deflection limit. In this document a modification to the path-tracing algorithm is proposed, that aims to address these issues. The modification involves checking whether the light source illuminates the target object, thereby eliminating rays that contribute no information to the final image. While the emitted rays are still subject to random reflection within the scene, this approach enables us to retain the benefits of the conventional unbiased algorithm. This solution requires a lower maximum reflection limit and produces higher-quality images for the same samples, albeit at the cost of slightly increased computation time.