[Algorithms] Unattainable effects?

[Michael S. H. <mic...@ud...>]

"...it may be hopeless to simulate them realistically on a computer screen"

b**lsh*t

:-)

And there will never be more than five computers in the entire world.  (check your computer history if you don't recognize that statement).

I completely agree with you that the effects you mention are important to realistic simulation of our world, and they will be possible someday.  With the way that technology is progressing, that day may not be more than a few years (decade?) away.

It's possible to do those effects now, as long as you don't want interactive frame rates.  The frame rates will continue to go up though, and with them, the effects to bring the rates right back down. :-)

At 10:22 AM 8/25/00, you wrote:

>The more I look at real outdoor environments (eg. life) the
>more I feel that it may be hopeless to simulate them realistically
>on a computer screen.  The problem is the sun.  The sun is so
>bright, and so strongly affects our experience outdoors, that you
>can't make a realistic outdoor enviroment without a blindingly
>bright sun, sharp specular reflections on water and cars, etc.
>These are very bright, very high frequency effects that are very
>very hard to model.  Also, back-lighting by the sun, such as the
>halo around an opaque object, or the glow of the sun through a
>tree's leaves (take a look at that, it's amazing, and happens
>quite often).  
>
>IMHO this is orders of magnitude more important to visual realism
>than radiosity on landscapes.  Diffuse lighting looks reasonable
>with just the parrallel light from the sun (properly shadowed,
>of course, perhaps with a slower-than-Lambertian angle dependence)
>and ambient.
>
>-------------------------------------------------------
>Charles Bloom    cb...@cb...    http://www.cbloom.com
>
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