Acquiring non-parametric scattering phase function from a single image

Abstract

Acquiring accurate scattering properties is critical for rendering translucent materials such as participating media. In particular, the phase function, which determines the distribution of scattering directions, plays a significant role in the appearance of the material. While there are many techniques to acquire BRDF, there are only a few methods for the non-parametric phase function. We propose a distinctive scattering theory that approximates the effect of single scattering to acquire the non-parametric phase function from a single image. Furthermore, in various experiments, we measured the phase functions from several real diluted media and rendered images of these materials to evaluate the effectiveness of our theory.