Analysis of rough surface lighting behaviors with OpenGL
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Authors
Slattery, Christopher P.
Subjects
Advisors
Baer, Wolfgang
Date of Issue
2001-09
Date
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
In the physical world, humans gather valuable information about objects through their sight. Information on shape, feel and composition are seen long before the object is touched. This information is generated by light reflecting off the surface of objects. Despite the advancement of computer graphics due to increased hardware rendering capacity, the fundamental equations, which draw three-dimensional scenes, lack the ability to truly model realistic objects. Whether it is smooth like highly polished metal or rough like the shag of a carpet, it is the reflection of light that tells humans what a surface feels like. The attempt taken in this thesis to implicitly model the roughness of textured surfaces through examination of an explicit model rendered with the OpenGL lighting equation. This approach has the potential to successfully increase the realism of computer graphics without increasing polygon count required for explicit surface generation. Through simulation of an explicitly constructed rough surface followed by the analysis of the behavior of its reflected light, the initial behaviors of textured surface reflections are identified. While these behaviors are not enough to create corrections to the OpenGL lighting equation, they lay the foundation for further development.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funding
Format
xiv, 80 p. ;
Citation
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.