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Science 14 April 1989:
Vol. 244. no. 4901, pp. 166 - 173
DOI: 10.1126/science.244.4901.166
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Articles

Light Reflection Models for Computer Graphics

DONALD P. GREENBERG 1

1 Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Computer Graphics and Director of the Program of Computer Graphics at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.

During the past 20 years, computer graphic techniques for simulating the reflection of light have progressed so that today images of photorealistic quality can be produced. Early algorithms considered direct lighting only, but global illumination phenomena with indirect lighting, surface interreflections, and shadows can now be modeled with ray tracing, radiosity, and Monte Carlo simulations. This article describes the historical development of computer graphic algorithms for light reflection and pictorially illustrates what will be commonly available in the near future.

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)