--- ray/doc/ray.1 2011/02/18 00:40:25 1.18 +++ ray/doc/ray.1 2011/10/27 00:51:29 1.25 @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ .\" RCSid "$Id" .\" Print using the -ms macro package -.DA 2/17/2011 +.DA 10/26/2011 .LP .tl """Copyright \(co 2011 Regents, University of California .sp 2 @@ -869,11 +869,10 @@ mod transdata id .PP The BSDF material type loads an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) file describing a bidirectional scattering distribution function. - Real arguments to this material may define additional diffuse components that augment the BSDF data. -String arguments are used to define thickness for hidden -objects and the "up" orientation for the material. +String arguments are used to define thickness for proxied +surfaces and the "up" orientation for the material. .DS mod BSDF id 6+ thick BSDFfile ux uy uz funcfile transform @@ -883,25 +882,25 @@ mod BSDF id rbdif gbdif bbdif rtdif gtdif btdif .DE -The first string argument is a "thickness" parameter that is useful -for hiding detail geometry for transmitting systems, e.g., -complex fenestration. -If a view or shadow ray hits a BSDF surface with non-zero specular transmission -and positive thickness, the ray will pass directly through with no -reflection or transmission due to the BSDF. +The first string argument is a "thickness" parameter that may be used +to hide detail geometry being proxied by an aggregate BSDF material. +If a view or shadow ray hits a BSDF proxy with non-zero thickness, +it will pass directly through as if the surface were not there. Similar to the illum type, this permits direct viewing and shadow testing of complex geometry. -In contrast, a scattered ray will use the BSDF transmission, -offsetting transmitted sample rays by the thickness amount -to avoid any intervening geometry. -In this manner, BSDF surfaces may act as simplified stand-ins for detailed -system geometry, which may still be present and visible in the simulation. -If the BSDF has back-side reflection data, a parallel surface should be -specified slightly less than the given thickness away from the front surface -to enclose the system geometry on both sides. -A zero thickness implies that the BSDF geomtery is all there is, and -thickness is ignored if there is no transmitted component, or transmission is -purely diffuse. +The BSDF is used when a scattered (indirect) ray hits the surface, +and any transmitted sample rays will be offset by the thickness amount +to avoid the hidden geometry and gather samples from the other side. +In this manner, BSDF surfaces can improve the results for indirect +scattering from complex systems without sacrificing appearance or +shadow accuracy. +If the BSDF has transmission and back-side reflection data, +a parallel BSDF surface may be +placed slightly less than the given thickness away from the front surface +to enclose the complex geometry on both sides. +The sign of the thickness is important, as it indicates whether the +proxied geometry is behind the BSDF surface (when thickness is positive) +or in front (when thickness is negative). .LP The second string argument is the name of the BSDF file, which is found in the usual auxiliary locations. @@ -1552,6 +1551,13 @@ the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL Uni in Lausanne, Switzerland. .NH 1 References +.LP +Ward, G., R. Mistrick, E.S. Lee, A. McNeil, J. Jonsson, +``Simulating the Daylight Performance of Complex Fenestration Systems +Using Bidirectional Scattering Distribution Functions within Radiance,'' +.I "Leukos", +7(4), +April 2011. .LP Cater, K., A. Chalmers, G. Ward, ``Detail to Attention: Exploiting Visual Tasks for Selective Rendering,''