A Parallel Processing System for Interactive Visualisation of Complex Configurations with Realistic Illumination Effects

VISPAR - ITDC-211

Keywords: parallel processing, global illumination, image rendering, real time, object oriented graphics, virtual reality, visualisation

Start Date: 1 February 95 / Duration: 30 months

[ participants / contact]

Objectivies and Approach

Realistic illumination effects, like shadows and reflections, are a must to construct photorealistic images of complex configurations to be incorporated into various applications like virtual reality systems, systems for optimal design of complex lighting requirements, etc. NCST has developed a specific technique known as "particle tracing method" to produce realistic renderings of illuminated interiors. The main objective of this project is to suitably enhance the implementation of this particle tracing method and produce a system for facilitating the user/designer to walk through in real time in computer modelled environments, rendered in a physically realistic manner. Previous experience based on the sequential implementation of particle tracing has shown that even for rendering relatively simple environments many minutes or even hours of computing time are required. The approach taken in this project is to use parallel processing techniques to enable rendering in real time, a vital requirement for interactive walk throughs. As a part of this project, the parallel processing issues in the context of photorealistic visualisation will be investigated.

Progress and Results

The VISPAR R&D team has been developing the following software tools which can be ported to the parallel machine:

HOUDINI, a high level C⁺⁺ class library, for developing GUIs (graphics and user interface) for applications using X/Motif including special facilities for dealing with 3D graphics.
A client-server digital imaging framework which consists of a workbench that provides a collection of software tools for the development of large client/server based graphical applications.
A system for designing and analysing complex surface configurations. This system allows the user to design doubly curved surfaces and convert them into a polyhedral representation, so that they can be used in global illumination computations.

Information Dissemination Activities and/or Exploitation

Dissemination includes a tutorial on visual information systems at the Computer Society of India's annual convention held on 8th November, 1995 in Hyderabad, a tutorial on distributed computing at the Third International Conference on Advanced Computing that took place in Bangalore.on December 1995, as well as various publications and technical reports. Further information can be provided by the coordinator.

Coordinator

National Centre for Software Technology (NCST)
Gulmohar Cross Road No. 9
Juhu, Bombay - 400 049, IND

EU Partners

BULL Overseas Limited, F

Non-EU Partners

National Centre for Software Technology, IND

CONTACT POINT

Dr. S.P. Mudur
Tel: +91 22 620 16 06
Fax: +91 22 621 01 39
E-mail: mudur@saathi.ncst.ernet.in