RE: [Algorithms] Lightmap Terrain

[Stephen J B. <sj...@li...>]

On Fri, 25 Aug 2000, Bernd Kreimeier wrote:

> Charles Bloom writes:
>  > 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. 
> 
> Isn't the Sun just a special case of a general problem:
> the way we handle dynamic range between graphics card and CRT's? 

Yes...and it's a hard problem.  CRT's are getting brighter
and other display technologies (direct laser-on-retina displays
for example) could actually produce real-world brightnesses (DANGEROUS!)

It's notable, however, that nobody complains about unrealistic
Television images - and they have the same brightness range as
your computer screen.

With the right combination of tricks like lens flare, you can
reproduce the *effect* of that extra brightness without actually
emitting more photons.

Steve Baker                      (817)619-2657 (Vox/Vox-Mail)
L3Com/Link Simulation & Training (817)619-2466 (Fax)
Work: sj...@li...           http://www.link.com
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