Reflection vector shading hardware

Abstract

Surface reflections of an environment can be rendered in real time if hardware calculates an unnormalized reflection vector at each pixel. Conventional perspective-correct texture hardware can then be leveraged to draw high-quality reflections of an environment or specular highlights in real time. This fully accommodates area light sources, allows a local viewer to move interactively, and is especially well suited to the inspection of surface orientation and curvature. By emphasizing the richness of the incoming illumination rather than physical surface properties, it represents a new direction for real-time shading hardware.