The goal of this thesis was to create graphical demo in OpenGL, which would appropriately react on music, which is inseparable part of graphical demos. Work consists of two main parts, first is programming of real-time graphical engine, second is creating graphical demo which would run on graphical engine created in first part. First part focues on programming of OpenGL based application, which would render scene in real-time using techniques from computer graphics. Second part focuses mainly on graphical activity, which includes 3D modelling, texturing, creating animation and connection to music (reaction of environment and animations to changes in music)

Shader programming is important for realistic material and global illumination real-time rendering, especially in 3D industrial fields nowadays, more and more customers of Visual Components Oy, a Finnish 3D software company have been found to be no longer only content with the correct simulation result, but also the result of realistic real-time rendering. This thesis project will provide a deep research on real world material classification, property definition and global illumination techniques in industrial fields. On the other hand, the Shader program for different materials and global illumination techniques are also created according to the classification and definition in this thesis work. Moreover, an external rendering tool Redway3D is evaluated as the reference and regarded as the considerable solution in the future development work.

The goal of this thesis is to evaluate the usability of hardware accelerated ray tracing in near-future rendering engines. Specifically, DirectX Ray Tracing API and Nvidia Turing architecture are being examined. Design and implementation of a hybrid rendering engine with support for hardware accelerated ray tracing is included and used in implementation of frequently used graphical effects -- hard and soft shadows, reflections, and Ambient Occlusion. The assessment is made in terms of difficulty of integration into a rendering engine, performance of the resulting system and suitability of implementation of chosen graphical effects. Performance parameters -- including number of rays cast per second, time to build acceleration structures and computation time on the GPU -- are tested and discussed.

This work deals with design and implementation of simple demonstration aplication for simulation of a water flow on irregular terrain. The work examines essential building blocks of the simulation. It also suggests approaches that can be used to optimize and/or extend used method.

[pt] A visualização volumétrica é uma técnica amplamente utilizada para visualizar dados escalares tridimensionais. Para melhorar a percepção de profundidade e forma, diversas técnicas de iluminação foram propostas, adicionando diferentes tipos de efeitos. Neste trabalho, foi explorada uma nova estratégia para calcular oclusão de ambiente direcional e sombras para volume ray casting. Ela consiste em avaliar a oclusão de um traçado de cone atraves de integrais Gaussianas posicionadas de maneira discreta ao longo do eixo do cone. O valor resultado é utilizado para adicionar oclusão de ambiente direcional e sombras. A partir dos coeficientes de extinção dados pela função de transferência, um volume extra é gerado computando amplitudes representativas de distribuições Gaussianas. O Mipmapping também é utilizado para avaliar de maneira efetiva integrais Gaussianas em diferentes tamanhos posicionadas ao longo do eixo principal do cone, adaptando uma estratégia de circle packing in a circle. Nos resultados, é demonstrado que o método proposto obteve um melhor balanço entre performance e qualidade, comparado com trabalhos propostos anteriormente, com a vantagem de combinar oclusão de ambiente direcional e sombras utilizando o mesmo framework. Em seguida, exploramos três estratégias de visualização volumétrica para reservatórios de petróleo, representados por malhas irregulares contendo distorções geométricas e descontinuidades. Estes algoritmos foram implementados a partir de uma representação compacta que guarda o modelo em GPU. Testes comparativos de performance e qualidade foram feitos utilizando diferentes modelos de reservatório. Por fim, investigamos o ganho de percepção ao adicionar a nossa proposta de oclusão de ambiente direcional. Os algoritmos foram todos implementados utilizando programação de shaders para capacitar a geração de visualizações interativas. / [en] Volume rendering is a widely used technique to visualize 3D scalar data. To enhance visual shape and depth perception, distinct illumination techniques have been proposed, adding different types of lighting effects. In this thesis, we explore a new strategy to compute directional ambient occlusion and shadows for volume ray casting. Our algorithm computes occlusion of traced cones by evaluating Gaussian integrals at discrete samples along the cone axis. The computed occlusion is then used to add directional ambient occlusion effects and to generate shadows. Given the extinction coefficient data volume, we create one extra volume computing representative amplitudes of Gaussian functions. Mipmapping is then used to effectively evaluate Gaussian integrals with different sizes placed along the cone axis, adapting a circle packing approach. We demonstrate that the proposed method delivers a better balance between quality results and performance when compared to previous specialized procedures, with the advantage of combining directional ambient occlusion and shadow generation under the same framework. We also explore three volume rendering algorithms for black oil reservoir models, represented by irregular hexahedral meshes with geometry distortions and discontinuities. These algorithms were implemented under a compact representation that stores the model in the GPU. We compare performance and image quality delivered by each strategy by running a set of experiments with different models. We then investigate the gain in perception when applying our technique to compute directional ambient occlusion effects. The algorithms were entirely implemented on graphics card to produce interactive visualizations.

This thesis deals with the development of benchmark application for the OpenGL ES 3.0 devices using the realistic real-time rendering of 3D scenes. The first part covers the history and new features of the OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics library. Next part briefly describes selected algorithms for the realistic real-time rendering of 3D scenes which can be implemented using the new features of the discussed library. The design of benchmark application is covered next, including the design of online result database containing detailed device specifications. The last part covers implementation on Android and Windows platforms and the testing on mobile devices after publishing the application on Google Play. Finally, the results and possibilites of further development are discussed.

Fyzikálně přijatelné osvětlení v reálném čase je často dosaženo použitím aproximací. Současné metody často aproximují globální osvětlení v prostoru obrazu s využitím schopností moderních grafických karet. Dva techniky z této kategorie, screen-space ambient occlusion a screen-space directional occlusion jsou popsány detailněji v této práci. Screen-space directional occlusion je zobecněná verze screen-space ambient occlusion s podporou jednoho difúzního odrazu a závislostí na směrové informaci světla. Hlavním cílem projektu bylo experimentování s těmito metodami. Pro uniformní distribuci náhodných vzorek pro obě metody byla použita Halton sekvence. Pro potlačení šumu je použita bilaterální filtrace, která bere do úvahy geometrické vlastnosti scény. Metody jsou dál zrychleny použitím nižších rozlišení pro výpočet. Rekonstrukce výsledků do původní velikosti pro vytvoření konečného obrazu je realizována pomoci joint bilateral upsamplingu. Kromě metod globálního osvětlení byly v práci použity aj metody pro mapování stínů a HDR osvětlení.

The aim of this thesis was to implement a software that would be able to render, simulate and record a scene with walking pedestrians in real-time, with emphasis on rendering level of realism. The output of the application could serve as an input test data for people counting systems or similar systems for video recognition. The problem was divided into three major subproblems: character animation, artificial intelligence for character movement and advanced rendering techniques. The character animation problem is solved by the skeletal animation of the model. To achieve the characters moving in a scene autonomously path finding(A* algorithm) and group behaviors(steering behaviors) were implemented. Realism in a scene is added by implemented methods such as normal-mapping, variance shadow-mapping, deffered rendering, skydome, lens flare effect and screen space ambient occlusion. Optimaliaztion of the rendering was implemented using octree data structure for space partitioning. Rendering stage of a scene can be easily parametrized through implemented GUI. Implemented application provides the user with easy way of setting a scene with walking pedestrians, setting its visualization and to record the result.

Particle-based models play a central role in many simulation techniques used for example in thermodynamics, molecular biology, material sciences, or astrophysics. Such simulations are carried out by directly calculating interactions on a set of individual particles over many time steps. Clusters of particles form higher-order structures like drops or waves. The interactive visual inspection of particle datasets allows gaining in-depth insight, especially for initial exploration tasks. However, their visualization is challenging in many ways. Visualizations are required to convey structures and dynamics on multiple levels, such as per-particle or per-structure. Structures are typically dense and highly dynamic over time and are thus likely subject to heavy occlusion. Furthermore, since simulation systems become increasingly powerful, the number of particles per time step increases steadily, reaching data set sizes of trillions of particles. This enormous amount of data is challenging not only from a computational perspective but also concerning comprehensibility. In this work, the idea of Focus+Context is applied to particle visualizations. Focus+Context is based on presenting a selection of the data – the focus – in high detail, while the remaining data – the context – is shown in reduced detail within the same image. This enables efficient and scalable visualizations that retain as much relevant information as possible while still being comprehensible for a human researcher. Based on the formulation of the most critical challenges, various novel methods for the visualization of static and dynamic 3D and nD particle data are introduced. A new approach that builds on global illumination and extended transparency allows to visualize otherwise occluded structures and steer visual saliency towards selected elements. To address the time-dependent nature of particle data, Focus+Context is then extended to time. By using an illustration-inspired visualization, the researcher is supported in assessing the dynamics of higher-order particle structures. To understand correlations and high dimensional structures in higher dimensional data, a new method is presented, based on the idea of depth of field.

This thesis focuses on 3D computer graphics and the continuous maximisation of rendering quality and performance. Its main focus is the critical analysis of numerous real-time rendering algorithms and the construction of an empirically derived system for the high-speed rendering of shader-based special effects, lighting effects, shadows, reflection and refraction, post-processing effects and the processing of physics. This critical analysis allows us to assess the relationship between rendering quality and performance. It also allows for the isolation of key algorithmic weaknesses and possible bottleneck areas. Using this performance data, gathered during the analysis of various rendering algorithms, we are able to define a selection engine to control the real-time cycling of rendering algorithms and special effects groupings based on environmental conditions. Furthermore, as a proof of concept, to balance Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) load for and increased speed of execution, our selection system unifies the GPU and CPU as a single computational unit for physics processing and environmental mapping. This parallel computing system enables the CPU to process cube mapping computations while the GPU can be tasked with calculations traditionally handled solely by the CPU. All analysed and benchmarked algorithms were implemented as part of a modular rendering engine. This engine offers conventional first-person perspective input control, mesh loading and support for shader model 4.0 shaders (via Microsoft’s High Level Shader Language) for effects such as high dynamic range rendering (HDR), dynamic ambient lighting, volumetric fog, specular reflections, reflective and refractive water, realistic physics, particle effects, etc. The test engine also supports the dynamic placement, movement and elimination of light sources, meshes and spatial geometry. Critical analysis was performed via scripted camera movement and object and light source additions – done not only to ensure consistent testing, but also to ease future validation and replication of results. This provided us with a scalable interactive testing environment as well as a complete solution for the rendering of computationally intensive 3D environments. As a full-fledged game engine, our rendering engine is amenable to first- and third-person shooter games, role playing games and 3D immersive environments. Evaluation criteria (identified to access the relationship between rendering quality and performance), as mentioned, allows us to effectively cycle algorithms based on empirical results and to distribute specific processing (cube mapping and physics processing) between the CPU and GPU, a unification that ensures the following: nearby effects are always of high-quality (where computational resources are available), distant effects are, under certain conditions, rendered at a lower quality and the frames per second rendering performance is always maximised. The implication of our work is clear: unifying the CPU and GPU and dynamically cycling through the most appropriate algorithms based on ever-changing environmental conditions allow for maximised rendering quality and performance and shows that it is possible to render high-quality visual effects with realism, without overburdening scarce computational resources. Immersive rendering approaches used in conjunction with AI subsystems, game networking and logic, physics processing and other special effects (such as post-processing shader effects) are immensely processor intensive and can only be successfully implemented on high-end hardware. Only by cycling and distributing algorithms based on environmental conditions and through the exploitation of algorithmic strengths can high-quality real-time special effects and highly accurate calculations become as common as texture mapping. Furthermore, in a gaming context, players often spend an inordinate amount of time fine-tuning their graphics settings to achieve the perfect balance between rendering quality and frames-per-second performance. Using this system, however, ensures that performance vs. quality is always optimised, not only for the game as a whole but also for the current scene being rendered – some scenes might, for example, require more computational power than others, resulting in noticeable slowdowns, slowdowns not experienced thanks to our system’s dynamic cycling of rendering algorithms and its proof of concept unification of the CPU and GPU. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Computer Science / unrestricted