Announcement

Please register for the course here: https://cms.sic.saarland/ris_25/

Overview

This advanced lecture discusses the mathematical concepts and algorithms that are used to simulate the propagation of light in a virtual scene. The topics include Monte Carlo sampling, various Global Illumination algorithms (from the basic Path Tracing algorithm to more advanced algorithms like Vertex Connection and Merging), and HDR imaging. In the practical exercises, the students implement some of the algorithms discussed in the lecture in a lightweight rendering framework.

Instructors

Teaching Assistants

Tutors

Ben Samuel Dierks
Filippo Garosi

Pre-requisites

  • Programming experience with C++

The advanced concepts taught in this course build on the basic techniques that are part of our Computer Graphics core lecture. It is recommended to take that lecture first, but the RIS course is self-contained and can be followed without that background.

Tutorials and office hours

We offer a combined tutorial and office hour, taking place every Tuesday. At the start of it, the tutors will walk you through the grading of the previous assignment and discuss the upcoming assignment. Afterwards, you are welcome to use the seminar room to work on the assignments or study / discuss lecture materials. We will be available for any questions or issues during that time.

Lectures and assignments

Date Lecture - Instructor Resources
07.04.2025

no lecture

10.04.2025

Introduction

Karol Myszkowski

14.04.2025

Rendering equation

Philipp Slusallek

17.04.2025

Probability theory + MC

Philipp Slusallek

21.04.2025

Holiday

24.04.2025

BRDFs and path tracing

Corentin Salaün

28.04.2025

Advanced sampling

Corentin Salaün

01.05.2025

Holiday

05.05.2025

Spatio-temporal sampling

Corentin Salaün

08.05.2025

ML for rendering: Denoising

Karol Myszkowski

12.05.2025

Virtual point lights

Corentin Salaün

15.05.2025

Bidirectional path tracing

Corentin Salaün

19.05.2025

Density estimation

Karol Myszkowski

22.05.2025

Vertex connection and merging

Karol Myszkowski

26.05.2025

Markov chain Monte carlo

Philipp Slusallek

29.05.2025

Holiday

02.06.2025

Many light and ReSTIR

Corentin Salaün

05.06.2025

Path guiding

Pascal Grittmann

09.06.2025

Holiday

12.06.2025

Sample allocation

Pascal Grittmann

16.06.2025

Spectral rendering

TBD

19.06.2025

Holiday

23.06.2025

HDR and tone mapping

Karol Myszkowski

26.06.2025

no lecture

30.06.2025

Perception

Karol Myszkowski

03.07.2025

Modern display technology

Karol Myszkowski

07.07.2025

Differentiable rendering

TBD

10.07.2025

Volume rendering

Pascal Grittmann

14.07.2025

AnyDSL / wrap up

Philipp Slusallek

17.07.2025

no lecture

General Regulations

  • Type: Special Lecture, Practical computer science
  • ECTS: 9 credit points
  • Practical assignments
  • Assignments can be submitted by groups of up to 2 students.

Literature

The lecture is not bound to a specific book. Here are some recommended books:

  • Pharr, Jakob, Humphreys, Physically Based Rendering : From Theory to Implementation, Morgan Kaufmann
  • Shirley et al., Realistic Ray Tracing, 2. Ed., AK. Peters, 2003
  • Jensen, Realistic Image Synthesis Using Photon Mapping, AK. Peters, 2001
  • Dutre, at al., Advanced Global Illumition, AK. Peters, 2003
  • Glassner, Principles of Digital Image Synthesis, 2 volumes, Morgan Kaufman, 1995
  • Cohen, Wallace, Radiosity and Realistic Image Synthesis, Academic Press, 1993
  • Apodaca, Gritz, Advanced Renderman: Creating CGI for the Motion Pictures, Morgan Kaufmann, 1999
  • Ebert, Musgrave, et al., Texturing and Modeling, 3. Ed., Morgan Kaufmann, 2003
  • Reinhard, Ward, Pattanaik, Debevec, Heidrich, Myszkowski, High Dynamic Range Imaging, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2nd edition, 2010.
  • Myszkowski, Mantiuk, Krawczyk. High Dynamic Range Video. Synthesis Digital Library of Engineering and Computer Science. Morgan & Claypool Publishers, San Rafael, USA, 2008.

Here is a list of other reference materials you can use, grouped by topic: