[comp.graphics] 3-d object description files for ray-tracing

prem@loligo (Prem Subhrama) (06/16/90)

    I'm presently working on an honors undergraduate thesis in ray-tracing.
    The algorithm I'm developing should save a significant amount of time
    for scenes of the following types:

    1. many objects
    2. ones with large objects in the foreground taking up a significant 
    amount of screen space.

    Basically, I'm modifying DBW_Render to use a 3-dimensionally, spatially
    sorted, doubly linked list in order to reduce the number of ray-object
    intersections, eliminate sorts, and in general reduce rendering time.
    I would be very interested in obtaining numerous 3-d object description
    files to benchmark on the ray-tracer.  These would include things like
    3-d molecules, houses, trees, etc. and any procedural algorithms as well
    (large sphere of smaller objects, Sierpinski gadgets, etc.  I will be 
    sure to acknowledge any contributors of objects (even if I don't use 
    any that you've contributed) in the final paper.  Along with the description
    please provide an explanation of the format of the object.

    Just to let everyone know results obtained so far, I've reduced the 
    rendering time of a >400 object scene by 2-3 times (rendering time for
    standard DBW estimated on a portion of the screen rendered).

    Please e-mail all 3-d files, with explanations to : prem@geomag.gly.fsu.edu
    Thanks much in advance.
    ---Prem Subrahmanyam (prem@geomag.gly.fsu.edu)