Real-time Rendering of Procedural Planets at Arbitrary Altitudes

Information

• Publication Type: Poster
• Workgroup(s)/Project(s):
  • Smart Communities and Technologies: 3D Spatialization
• Date: May 2019
• Note: Voted best poster of I3D '19
• Location: Montreal, Canada
• Event: I3D 2019
• Call for Papers: Call for Paper
• Conference date: 21. May 2019 – 23. May 2019
• Keywords: planet, rendering

Abstract

Focusing on real-time, high-fidelity rendering, we present a novel approach for combined consideration of four major phenomena that define the visual representation of entire planets: We present a simple and fast solution for a distortion-free generation of 3D planetary terrain, spherical ocean waves and efficient rendering of volumetric clouds along with atmospheric scattering. Our approach to terrain and ocean mesh generation relies on a projected, persistent grid that can instantaneously and smoothly adapt to fast-changing viewpoints. For generating planetary ocean surfaces, we present a wave function that creates seamless, evenly spaced waves across the entire planet without causing unsightly artifacts. We further show how to render volumetric clouds in combination with precomputed atmospheric scattering and account for their contribution to light transport above ground. Our method provides mathematically consistent approximations of cloud-atmosphere interactions and works for any view point and direction, ensuring continuous transitions in appearance as the viewer moves from ground to space. Among others, our approach supports cloud shadows, light shafts, ocean reflections, and earth shadows on the clouds. The sum of these effects can be visualized at more than 120 frames per second on current graphics processing units.

Additional Files and Images

Weblinks

• Entry in the publication database of TU-Wien

BibTeX

@misc{kerbl_2019_planet_poster,
  title =      "Real-time Rendering of Procedural Planets at Arbitrary
               Altitudes",
  author =     "Florian Michelic and Michael  Kenzel and Karl Haubenwallner
               and Bernhard Kerbl and Markus Steinberger",
  year =       "2019",
  abstract =   "Focusing on real-time, high-fidelity rendering, we present a
               novel approach for combined consideration of four major
               phenomena that define the visual representation of entire
               planets: We present a simple and fast solution for a
               distortion-free generation of 3D planetary terrain,
               spherical ocean waves and efficient rendering of volumetric
               clouds along with atmospheric scattering. Our approach to
               terrain and ocean mesh generation relies on a projected,
               persistent grid that can instantaneously and smoothly adapt
               to fast-changing viewpoints. For generating planetary ocean
               surfaces, we present a wave function that creates seamless,
               evenly spaced waves across the entire planet without causing
               unsightly artifacts. We further show how to render
               volumetric clouds in combination with precomputed
               atmospheric scattering and account for their contribution to
               light transport above ground. Our method provides
               mathematically consistent approximations of cloud-atmosphere
               interactions and works for any view point and direction,
               ensuring continuous transitions in appearance as the viewer
               moves from ground to space. Among others, our approach
               supports cloud shadows, light shafts, ocean reflections, and
               earth shadows on the clouds. The sum of these effects can be
               visualized at more than 120 frames per second on current
               graphics processing units.",
  month =      may,
  note =       "Voted best poster of I3D '19",
  location =   "Montreal, Canada",
  event =      "I3D 2019",
  Conference date = "Poster presented at I3D 2019 (2019-05-21--2019-05-23)",
  keywords =   "planet, rendering",
  URL =        "https://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/research/publications/2019/kerbl_2019_planet_poster/",
}