BRDF Representation and Acquisition

• Published in: Computer graphics forum Vol. 35; no. 2; pp. 625 - 650
• Main Authors: Guarnera, D., Guarnera, G.C., Ghosh, A., Denk, C., Glencross, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2016
• Subjects: Acquisitions; Analysis; and texture; Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS); Computer graphics; Crashworthiness; Cultural heritage; Environment models; I.3.3 [Computer Graphics]: Picture/Image Generation-Line and curve generation; I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism-Colour; I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three‐Dimensional Graphics and Realism—Colour, shading, shadowing, and texture; I.6.8 [Computer Graphics]: Types of simulation-Monte Carlo; Light; Marketing; Photorealistic; Rendering; Representations; shading; shadowing; Simulation; Studies; Surface chemistry
• ISSN: 0167-7055; 1467-8659
• DOI: 10.1111/cgf.12867

Photorealistic rendering of real world environments is important in a range of different areas; including Visual Special effects, Interior/Exterior Modelling, Architectural Modelling, Cultural Heritage, Computer Games and Automotive Design. Currently, rendering systems are able to produce photorealistic simulations of the appearance of many real‐world materials. In the real world, viewer perception of objects depends on the lighting and object/material/surface characteristics, the way a surface interacts with the light and on how the light is reflected, scattered, absorbed by the surface and the impact these characteristics have on material appearance. In order to re‐produce this, it is necessary to understand how materials interact with light. Thus the representation and acquisition of material models has become such an active research area. This survey of the state‐of‐the‐art of BRDF Representation and Acquisition presents an overview of BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) models used to represent surface/material reflection characteristics, and describes current acquisition methods for the capture and rendering of photorealistic materials.