VRcontext solutions currently use OpenGL API to render 3D models. This technique allows us to render very high quality models of up to 2 billion polygons (measured as static). However, constraints of combining enhanced quality image of such large models with OpenGL, related to the extensive use of resources at the GPU level, result in a lack of remaining power for complex multi passes techniques to simulate non local lighting effects (shadows, ambient occlusion or indirect illumination).
With this understanding, VRcontext decided three years ago to start working on a real time ray tracer to supplement OpenGL, with the aim to display huge 3D models, defined as containing few billions polygons, and delivering highly realistic image quality. Our vision leans on the convergence of virtual environment present in games and Second Life-type applications with real representation of objects and highly realistic models of e.g. buildings, sceneries. Within an horizon of 3 to 5 years, Real-Time Ray Tracing will allow PDAs and other hand-held devices with limited processing capabilities to display high-quality images and large environments on the go.
The complete pipeline is
fully multithreaded, from ray generation to casting and
full shading. Within a modular design, the "ray server" delegates the work thru a lightweight interface to primitive, light and shader plugins. Shaders receive the ray server interface so they can shot secondary rays to implement a path tracing algorithm or just simple reflections, shadows or ambient occlusion. This greatly enhances the implementation of such effects in massive models and positions them as simpler, more efficient and modular than with rasterization engines.
Currently developed lighting shaders include direct illumination models, ambient occlusion, schematic rendering and basic photon map irradiance gathering. Material shaders include bilinear texturing, flat color and some procedural materials like water surfaces or bricks.
Our prize-winning tracer (selected at the Research @ Intel Day on June 11, 2008 as the world leading massively parallel raytracer) can quickly and with perfect scalability render all sort of models, from small to massive, from models coming from the gaming industry to CAD engineering software, from mechanical models to refineries.
Our ray tracer is optimized to work with the new Intel platforms using Caneland (Tigerton) and upcoming Intel processor (code name Nehalem).
Click here to read the press release
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