Realistic Image Synthesis Using Photon Mapping

The creation of realistic three-dimensional images is central to computer graphics. Photon mapping, an extension of ray tracing, makes it possible to efficiently simulate global illumination in complex scenes. Photon mapping can simulate caustics (focused light, such as shimmering waves at the bottom of a swimming pool), diffuse inter-reflections (e.g., the bleeding of colored light from a red wall onto a white floor, giving the floor a reddish tint), and participating media (e.g., clouds or smoke).