Computer Graphics
Lecture 11
Basics of Ray tracing – part 2
Presented by
Dr. Muhammad Ahsan Ansari
A basic ray tracing algorithm
F o r e a c h obje c t D O
❖ f ind 1st object h it by ray and
surface normal 𝑛
❖ set pixe l color t o value computed
from hit point , light , a nd 𝑛
Ray-object intersection (implicit surface)
In general, the intersection points of
❖ a ray 𝑝 𝑡 = 𝑒 + 𝑡𝑑
❖ an implicit surface 𝑓 𝑝Ԧ = 0
can be calculated by
𝑓 𝑝(𝑡)
Ԧ =0
Or
𝑓 𝑒Ԧ + 𝑡𝑑Ԧ = 0
Spheres
The implicit equation for a sphere with
center 𝑟Ԧ = 𝑥𝑐,𝑦𝑐 , 𝑧𝑐 and radius R is
(x − x c ) 2 + (y − yc ) 2 + (z − zc ) 2 −R 2 = 0
or in vector form
𝑝Ԧ − 𝑐Ԧ . 𝑝Ԧ − 𝑐Ԧ − 𝑅 2 = 0
Intersections between rays and spheres
Intersection points have to fullfil
❖ the ray equation
𝑝 𝑡 = 𝑒 + 𝑡𝑑
❖ the sphere equation
(x − x c ) 2 + (y − yc ) 2 +(z − zc ) 2 - R2 =0
Hence, we get
𝑒Ԧ + 𝑡 𝑑Ԧ − 𝑐Ԧ . 𝑒Ԧ + 𝑡 𝑑Ԧ − 𝑐Ԧ − 𝑅 2 = 0
which is the same as
Ԧ 𝑑Ԧ 𝑡 2 + 2𝑑Ԧ 𝑒 − 𝑐Ԧ 𝑡 + 𝑒 − 𝑐Ԧ . 𝑒 − 𝑐Ԧ − 𝑅 2 = 0
𝑑.
Intersections between rays and spheres
Ԧ 𝑑Ԧ 𝑡 2 + 2𝑑Ԧ 𝑒 − 𝑐Ԧ 𝑡 + 𝑒 − 𝑐Ԧ . 𝑒 − 𝑐Ԧ − 𝑅 2 = 0
𝑑.
is a quadratic equation in t, i.e.
At 2 + B t + C = 0
that can be solved by
−𝐵 ± 𝐵2 − 4𝐴𝐶
𝑡1,2 =
2𝐴
and can have 0, 1, or 2 solutions.
Ray-object intersection (parametric surface)
The intersection points of a ray
𝑝 𝑡 = 𝑒 + 𝑡𝑑 and a parametric
surface f (u, v) can be calculated by
x e + tx d = f (u, v)
y e + tyd = g (u, v)
ze + tzd = h(u, v)
Or
𝑒Ԧ + 𝑡𝑑Ԧ = 𝑓(𝑢,𝑣)
Ԧ
Notice that these are 3 equations
with 3 unknowns (t, u, v).
Ray-triangle intersection
For ray-triangle intersections:
❖ We first calculate the
intersection point of the
ray with the plane defined
by the triangle.
❖ Then we check if this
point is within the triangle
or not.
Plane specification
Recall that the plane V through the
Ԧ 𝑏Ԧ and 𝑐Ԧ can be written as
points 𝑎,
Ԧ 𝛾 = 𝛼Ԧ + 𝛽 𝑏 − 𝑎 + 𝛾(𝑐Ԧ − 𝑎)
𝑝 𝛽,
Plane specification
Recall that the plane V through the
Ԧ 𝑏Ԧ and 𝑐Ԧ can be written as
points 𝑎,
Ԧ 𝛾 = 𝛼Ԧ + 𝛽 𝑏 − 𝑎 + 𝛾(𝑐Ԧ − 𝑎)
𝑝 𝛽,
Plane specification
Recall that the plane V through the
Ԧ 𝑏Ԧ and 𝑐Ԧ can be written as
points 𝑎,
Ԧ 𝛾 = 𝛼Ԧ + 𝛽 𝑏 − 𝑎 + 𝛾(𝑐Ԧ − 𝑎)
𝑝 𝛽,
Ray-plane intersection
Again, intersection points must fullfil
the plane and the ray equation.
Hence, we get
𝑒Ԧ + 𝑡𝑑Ԧ = 𝛼Ԧ + 𝛽 𝑏Ԧ − 𝑎Ԧ + 𝛾( 𝑐Ԧ − 𝑎)
Ԧ
That give us . . .
Ray-plane intersection
. . . the following three equations
x e + tx d = x a + β(x b − x a ) + γ(x c − x a )
ye + tyd = ya + β(y b − ya ) + γ(y c − ya )
ze + tzd = za + β(zb − za ) + γ(zc − za)
which can be rewritten as
(x a − x b )β + (x a − x c)γ + x dt = xa − xe
(y a − yb )β + (y a − yc )γ + ydt = ya − ye
(za − zb )β + (za − zc )γ + zdt = za − ze
Ray-plane intersection
Or as
𝑥 𝑎 − 𝑥 𝑏 𝑥𝑎 − 𝑥 𝑐 𝑥 𝑑 𝛽 𝑥 𝑎 − 𝑥𝑒
𝑦𝑎 − 𝑦𝑏 𝑦𝑎 − 𝑦𝑐 𝑦𝑑 𝛾 = 𝑦𝑎 − 𝑦𝑒
𝑧𝑎 − 𝑧𝑏 𝑧𝑎 − 𝑧𝑐 𝑧𝑑 𝑡 𝑧𝑎 − 𝑧𝑒
Also like this
𝛽 𝑥𝑎 − 𝑥 𝑒
𝐴 𝛾 = 𝑦𝑎 − 𝑦𝑒
𝑡 𝑧𝑎 − 𝑧𝑒
Then we can see that
𝛽 𝑥𝑎 − 𝑥 𝑒
𝛾 = 𝐴 −1 𝑦𝑎 − 𝑦𝑒
𝑡 𝑧𝑎 − 𝑧𝑒
Rays: parametric representation
We can use t to calculate the
intersection point 𝑝 𝑡 (or 𝛼, 𝛽 to
calculate 𝑝 𝛽 , 𝛾
And we can use β and γ to verify if it
is inside of the triangle or not:
❖β>0
❖γ> 0
❖ β+ γ< 1
(Notice that these are barycentric
coordinates)
Ray-object intersection (implicit plane)
Of course, we can also get the
ray-plane intersection if the latter is
given as implicit equation:
𝑝Ԧ − 𝑝Ԧ 1 .𝑛 = 0
Putting our ray equation
𝑝 𝑡 = 𝑒 + 𝑡𝑑 and solving for t
gives us:
𝑝Ԧ1 − 𝑒 . 𝑛
𝑡=
Ԧ𝑛
𝑑.
A basic ray tracing algorithm
F o r e a c h obje c t D O
❖ f ind 1st object h it by ray and
surface normal 𝑛
❖ set pixe l color t o value computed
from hit point , light , a nd 𝑛
A basic ray tracing algorithm
FOR each p i xe l DO
❖ Compute viewing ray
❖ IF (ray h i t s an objec t wit h t ∈ [0, ∞)) THEN
❖ Compute n
❖ Evaluate shading model and s e t p i xe l to th a t
co l o r
❖ ELSE
❖ s e t p i xe l co l o r to background co l o r
Shading model
𝑐
= 𝑐 𝑟 𝑐 𝑎 + 𝑐 𝑙 max 0, 𝑛. 𝑙
+ 𝑐 𝑙(ℎ. 𝑛) 𝑝
with
❖Ambient shading
❖Lambertian shading
❖Phong shading
and Gouraud interpolation.
