Sphere Tracing: A Geometric Method for the Antialiased Ray Tracing of Implicit Surfaces (1994)
| Venue: | The Visual Computer |
| Citations: | 80 - 2 self |
BibTeX
@ARTICLE{Hart94spheretracing:,
author = {John C. Hart},
title = {Sphere Tracing: A Geometric Method for the Antialiased Ray Tracing of Implicit Surfaces},
journal = {The Visual Computer},
year = {1994},
volume = {12},
pages = {527--545}
}
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Abstract
Sphere tracing is a new technique for rendering implicit surfaces using geometric distance. Distance-based models are common in computer-aided geometric design and in the modeling of articulated figures. Given a function returning the distance to an object, sphere tracing marches along the ray toward its first intersection in steps guaranteed not to penetrate the implicit surface. Sphere tracing is particularly adept at rendering pathological surfaces. Creased and rough implicit surfaces are defined by functions with discontinuous or undefined derivatives. Current root finding techniques such as L-G surfaces and interval analysis require periodic evaluation of the derivative, and their behavior is dependent on the behavior of the derivative. Sphere tracing requires only a bound on the magnitude of the derivative, robustly avoiding problems Manuscript, July 1994. Recommended for publication: The Visual Computer. 5-70 where the derivative jumps or vanishes. This robustness and scope ...
Keyphrases
implicit surface geometric method antialiased ray tracing visual computer new technique undefined derivative distance-based model computer-aided geometric design current root problem manuscript derivative jump rough implicit surface pathological surface geometric distance l-g surface interval analysis require periodic evaluation articulated figure sphere tracing first intersection
