“Ray tracing of Steiner patches” by Sederberg and Anderson
Conference:
Type(s):
Title:
- Ray tracing of Steiner patches
Presenter(s)/Author(s):
Abstract:
Steiner patches are triangular surface patches for which the Cartesian coordinates of points on the patch are defined parametrically by quadratic polynomial functions of two variables. It has recently been shown that it is possible to express a Steiner patch in an implicit equation which is a degree four polynomial in x,y,z. Furthermore, the parameters of a point known to be on the surface can be computed as rational polynomial functions of x,y,z. These findings lead to a straightforward algorithm for ray tracing Steiner patches in which the ray intersection equation is a degree four polynomial in the parameter of the ray. The algorithm presented represents a major simplification over existing techniques for ray tracing free-form surface patches.
References:
1. J.F. Blinn, “A Generalization of Algebraic Surface Drawing,” ACM Transactions on Graphics, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 235-256, 1982.
2. B. E. Edwards, “Implementation of a Ray-Tracing Algorithm for Rendering Superquadric Solids,” Master Thesis, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1982.
3. I. D. Faux and M. J. Pratt, Computational Geometry for Design and Manufacture, Ellis Harwood, Chichester, 1981.
4. P. Hanrahan, “Ray Tracing Algebraic Surfaces”, Computer Graphics, Vol. 17, no. 3, pp.83-90, 1983.
5. C.M. Jessop, Quartic Surfaces, Cambridge University Press, 1916.
6. J. Kajiya, “Ray Tracing Parametric Patches,” Computer Graphics, Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 245-254, 1982.
7. G. Salmon, Analytic Geometry of Three Dimensions, Volume II, Longmans, Green and Co., London, 1912.
8. T.W. Sederberg, “Implicit and Parametric Curves and Surfaces for Computer Aided Geometric Design”, Ph.D. Thesis, Purdue University, 1983.
9. T.W. Sederberg and D. C. Anderson, “Steiner Surface Patches,” (submitted for publication).
10. D. M. Y. Sommerville, Analytical Geometry of Three Dimensions, Cambridge University Press, 1951.
11. J. R. Rice, Numerical Methods, Software, and Analysis: IMSL Reference Edition, McGraw Hill Book Company, New York, New York, pp. 222-223 (1983).