In computer graphics, photon mapping is a two-pass global illumination rendering algorithm developed by Henrik Wann Jensen between 1995 and 2001[1] that approximately solves the rendering equation for integrating light radiance at a given point in space. Rays from the light source (like photons) and rays from the camera are traced independently until some termination criterion is met, then they are connected in a second step to produce a radiance value. The algorithm is used to realistically simulate the interaction of light with different types of objects (similar to other photorealistic rendering techniques). Specifically, it is capable of simulating the refraction of light through a transparent substance such as glass or water (including caustics), diffuse interreflection between illuminated objects, the subsurface scattering of light in translucent materials, and some of the effects caused by particulate matter such as smoke or water vapor. Photon mapping can also be extended to more accurate simulations of light, such as spectral rendering. Progressive photon mapping (PPM) starts with ray tracing and then adds more and more photon mapping passes to provide a progressively more accurate render.
Unlike path tracing, bidirectional path tracing, volumetric path tracing, and Metropolis light transport, photon mapping is a "biased" rendering algorithm, which means that averaging infinitely many renders of the same scene using this method does not converge to a correct solution to the rendering equation. However, it is a consistent method, and the accuracy of a render can be increased by increasing the number of photons. As the number of photons approaches infinity, a render will get closer and closer to the solution of the rendering equation.
^Jensen, H. (1996). Global Illumination using Photon Maps. [online] Available at: http://graphics.stanford.edu/~henrik/papers/ewr7/egwr96.pdf
In computer graphics, photonmapping is a two-pass global illumination rendering algorithm developed by Henrik Wann Jensen between 1995 and 2001 that approximately...
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technique Ray casting, a slower technique often used in ray tracing Photonmapping, a much slower technique capable of very realistic lighting Radiosity...
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methods has led to many different algorithms including path tracing, photonmapping, and Metropolis light transport, among others. Although the equation...
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goal is photo-realism, techniques such as ray tracing, path tracing, photonmapping or radiosity are employed. This is the basic method employed in digital...
for their work on ambient occlusion rendering. Global illumination Photonmapping Radiosity Ray tracing High-dynamic-range rendering Miller, Gavin (1994)...
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like ambient occlusion, subsurface scattering, Rayleigh scattering, photonmapping, and many others. Experiments into the processing power required to...
wavelengths less than 10 picometers (1×10−11 m), gamma ray photons have the highest photon energy of any form of electromagnetic radiation. Paul Villard...
Raytrace Sky Maps and Rigid Body Dynamics. The version, 8.0, added PhotonMapping, Fast soft shadows, area light, Quadratic light drop-off, EXR and 16bit...
casts beams from the light source into the environment. Similar to photonmapping, backwards beam tracing may be used to efficiently model lighting effects...
The term quantum efficiency (QE) may apply to incident photon to converted electron (IPCE) ratio of a photosensitive device, or it may refer to the TMR...
the singular path that directly reflects into the point. Progressive photonmapping (PPM), a biased rendering technique, can actually handle caustics quite...
Photometry Science of measuring light in terms of human perception. Photonmapping Photorealistic rendering algorithm based on tracing rays from the camera...
interact with light). Path Tracing Global illumination Monte Carlo Method Photonmapping Radiosity (computer graphics) Ray tracing (graphics) Ray tracing (physics)...
anti-aliasing, soft shadows, depth of field, transparent background, photonmapping caustics and subsurface scattering. The Raster renderer provides a few...
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