Abstract

Steve Marschner: Computing the appearance of fiber-structured materials

With the increasing realism of computer-generated images for applications like film special effects, practitioners are more and more often trying to capture the subtle but important distinctions in appearance between different kinds of materials. Other industries, such as cosmetics, consumer products, and printing, are very interested in accurate computational models for the appearance of skin, hair, clothing, and printed paper, because improving the appearance of these materials drives their development of new products.

My research has the goal of making realistic images that accurately convey what kind of stuff things are made of, by improving the physical models for how materials reflect light and how they move.  Rayon vs. silk; polyester fibers vs. human hair; "genuine simulated woodgrain" vs. wood -- these materials do look similar, but people are willing to pay for the differences in appearance.  Our renderings should be able to capture these differences too.

Several very common classes of materials -- hair, fur, feathers, wood, fabric, paper -- are constructed out of thin fibers, often in highly organized structures.  Because of their geometric structure, many of these materials have unusual optical properties that don't fit standard assumptions.  I'll talk about recent research, with a focus on projects that address modeling and simulation of illumination for materials made of fibers. Much of this work centers around using volumetric methods to model the optical behavior of 3D structures.  I will also discuss ongoing projects and future directions, with emphasis on areas where there is a need for more students.