Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!eye!erich
From: erich@eye.com (Eric Haines)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Realtime Raytracing demo on a PC... Anybody wanna see?
Message-ID: <1991Jan11.154640.7098@eye.com>
Date: 11 Jan 91 15:46:40 GMT
References: <1991Jan8.072628.13689@tukki.jyu.fi> <17400021@hpfcdj.HP.COM>
Sender: Eric Haines
Reply-To: erich@eye.com (Eric Haines)
Organization: 3D/Eye Inc., Ithaca, NY
Lines: 34

In article <17400021@hpfcdj.HP.COM> fwb@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Frank Bennett) writes:
>o rayshade, weedeater.math.yale.edu, Craig Kolb
>	Excellent "C" code  (if only everybody coded this good)

I agree - it's the best public domain ray tracer.  CSG coming soon!

>o Dante, Eric Haines, 3DEYE & Hewlett Packard
>
>	Build a model & view it in "real time" using polygons or NURBS,
>then go get a raytraced or Radiosity rendition of the scene. The only
>tracer I know which will trace Bspline patches.

Also does trim curves, textures & quadrics.  I did much of the ray tracer, but
lots of people are responsible for the creation of the whole package.  The
internal name is "Dante" (because it was hellish to implement), externally
it's the "Starbase Radiosity and Ray Tracing" package.  This package is a
library providing an additional set of calls to the Starbase graphics library,
and comes bundled in free with HP high-end graphics machines.  The radiosity
part of the package is unique to the marketplace (plug, plug) - no one else I
know has radiosity available commercially.

The only other radiosity package I know of is Greg Ward's RADIANCE software,
based on his research.  If seriously interested, contact:  gjward@lbl.gov


By the way, the "real-time raytracer" on the IBM PC is kinda cute:  some
little planets moving around the screen.  No shadows or reflections, and the
one planet that's shaded is rendered incrementally (using a 3D modification of
Bresenham's circle algorithm for XYZ locations, for example), so this whole
demo seems to be "ray tracing" without any rays.  Fast, though, and I agree
with the basic philosophy:  why trace rays in cases where it's faster to use
incremental techniques?  The demo executable is quite small (~12K).

Eric Haines