We present a novel method of simulating wave effects in graphics using ray-based renderers with a new function: the Wave BSDF (Bidirectional Scattering Distribution Function). Reflections from neighboring surface patches represented by local BSDFs are mutually independent. However, in many surfaces with wavelength-scale microstructures, interference and diffraction requires a joint analysis of reflected wavefronts from neighboring patches. We demonstrate a simple method to compute the BSDF for the entire microstructure, which can be used independently for each patch. This allows us to use traditional ray-based rendering pipelines to synthesize wave effects. We exploit the Wigner Distribution Function (WDF) to create transmissive, reflective, and emissive BSDFs for various diffraction phenomena in a physically accurate way. In contrast to previous methods for computing interference, we circumvent the need to explicitly keep track of the phase of the wave by using BSDFs that include positive as well as negative coefficients. We describe and compare the theory in relation to well-understood concepts in rendering and demonstrate a straightforward implementation. In conjunction with standard raytracers, such as PBRT, we demonstrate wave effects for a range of scenarios such as multibounce diffraction materials, holograms, and reflection of high-frequency surfaces.

In this work we provide an introduction to the Wigner Distribution Function (WDF) using geometric optics principles. The WDF provides a useful model of wave-fields, allowing simulation of diffraction and interference effects. We attempt to explain these Fourier optics concepts to computational photography researchers by clarifying the relationship between the WDF and position-angle representations. We demonstrate how the WDF can be used to simulate diffraction effects using a light field representation and discuss its validity in the near-field, far-field, and under the paraxial approximation. Finally, we demonstrate that although the WDF representation contains negative values, any projection always yields a non-negative intensity value.

In this paper we present a novel method for 3D structure acquisition, based on structured light. Unlike classical structured light methods, in which a static projector illuminates a scene with time-varying illumination patterns, our technique makes use of a moving projector emitting a static striped illumination pattern. This projector is translated at a constant velocity, in the direction of the projector's horizontal axis. Illuminating the object in this manner allows us to perform a per pixel analysis, in which we decompose the recorded illumination sequence into a corresponding set of frequency components. The dominant frequency in this set can be directly converted into a corresponding depth value. This per pixel analysis allows us to preserve sharp edges in the depth image. Unlike classical structured light methods, the quality of our results is not limited by projector or camera resolution, but is solely dependent on the temporal sampling density of the captured image sequence. Additional benefits include a significant robustness against common problems encountered with structured light methods, such as occlusions, specular reflections, subsurface scattering, interreflections, and to a certain extent projector defocus.

We propose a technique for cheap and efficient acquisition of mesostructure normal maps from specularities, which only requires a simple LCD monitor and a digital camera. Coded illumination enables us to capture subtle surface details with only a handful of images. In addition, our method can deal with heterogeneous surfaces, and high albedo materials. We are able to recover highly detailed mesostructures, which was previously only possible with an expensive hardware setup.