Efficient Sorting and Searching in Rendering Algorithms

Abstract

In the proposed tutorial we would like to highlight the connection between rendering algorithms and sorting and searching as classical problems studied in computer science. We will provide both theoretical and empirical evidence that for many rendering techniques most time is spent by sorting and searching. In particular we will discuss problems and solutions for visibility computation, density estimation, and importance sampling. For each problem we mention its specific issues such as dimensionality of the search domain or online versus offline searching. We will present the underlying data structures and their enhancements in the context of specific rendering algorithms such as ray shooting, photon mapping, and hidden surface removal. c © The Eurographics Association 2006. 2 Havran and Bittner / Efficient Sorting and Searching in Rendering Algorithms Organizers bibliographies Vlastimil Havran is an assistant professor at the Czech Technical University in Prague since February 2006. He defended his Ph.D. dissertation on ray shooting algorithms in 2001 at the Czech Technical University in Prague. Later he joined the computer graphics group at Max-Planck-Institute for Informatics in Saarbruecken. He became a research associate at the same institute in 2003. He has contributed to the topic of sorting and searching by his dissertation on ray shooting algorithms which started the area of interactive ray tracing. In addition to sorting and searching he worked on various other topics in rendering. Jiři Bittner holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Czech Technical University in Prague. His main research interests include visibility preprocessing, occlusion culling, real-time rendering, and computational geometry. He has also been active in development of two commercial products dealing with real-time rendering of large scenes. He is currently affiliated with the Vienna University of Technology and the Czech Technical University in Prague. Organizers contact information Vlastimil Havran Czech Technical University in Prague Karlovo naměsti 13 121 35 Praha 2 Czech Republic Phone:+42