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From: spl@cs.nps.navy.mil (Steve Lamont)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Ray Tracing and Radiosity
Message-ID: <1381@cs.nps.navy.mil>
Date: 10 Sep 90 15:30:52 GMT
References: <11930@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Reply-To: spl@cs.nps.navy.mil (Steve Lamont)
Organization: Foo Bar Brewers Cooperative
Lines: 21

In article <11930@accuvax.nwu.edu> kaufman@delta.eecs.nwu.edu (Michael L. Kaufman) writes:
>This may be a stupid question, but why can't radiosity be handled by ray
>tracers?  Also, are there any archives that contain code/papers on radiosity
>that I can learn from?

They're essentially different techniques.  Ray tracing is, at its core, a
quasi-optical technique and radiosity is approaches the problem from an
electromagnetic standpoint, solving the entire scene at once.  That, of course,
is a gross oversimplification (Hi Gene :-) ).

See the Siggraph proceedings from about 1983 or 1984.

Are there any PD radiosity codes out there?

							spl (the p stands for
							pondering photons)
-- 
Steve Lamont, SciViGuy -- (408) 646-2752 (subject to change at random)
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