A method for rendering a four-dimensional energy field from a digital representation of a three-dimensional environment, the method comprising: providing a scene in the digital representation of a 3D environment described by a plurality of energy-data points (1602, 1902) located throughout the scene; locating a plurality of virtual pixels on a virtual pixel plane in the scene wherein each virtual pixel has a known unique 4D coordinate that comprises a 2D angular coordinate and a 2D spatial coordinate wherein the 2D angular coordinate of each virtual pixel describes an angular correlation between the virtual pixel and a virtual viewing location of a plurality of virtual viewing locations located on a virtual viewing plane in the scene and wherein the 2D spatial coordinate of each virtual pixel identifies the location of a virtual aperture of a plurality of virtual apertures located on a virtual display plane in the scene; sampling energy data points (1602, 1902) of the plurality of energy-data points in the scene along a plurality of rays from the virtual viewing plane wherein each ray intersects one virtual viewing location and one virtual pixel at an angle determined by the 2D angular coordinate of the one virtual pixel intersected by the ray and wherein each ray intersects one virtual aperture determined by the 2D spatial coordinate of the one virtual pixel intersected by the ray; correlating the energy data points (1602, 1902) sampled along each ray to an energy value for the one virtual pixel intersected by the ray; and rendering the energy value of the one virtual pixel of each ray and the known unique 4D coordinates of the one virtual pixel of each ray into a data set having a format operable for instructing an energy device to output a 4D energy field, wherein each ray of the plurality of rays extends through the one virtual aperture of the plurality of virtual apertures to and beyond the one virtual pixel of the plurality of virtual pixels and wherein energy data points (1602, 1902) of the plurality of energy data points (1602, 1902) are sampled from the virtual viewing plane. providing a scene in the digital representation of a 3D environment described by a plurality of energy-data points (1602, 1902) located throughout the scene; locating a plurality of virtual pixels on a virtual pixel plane in the scene wherein each virtual pixel has a known unique 4D coordinate that comprises a 2D angular coordinate and a 2D spatial coordinate wherein the 2D angular coordinate of each virtual pixel describes an angular correlation between the virtual pixel and a virtual viewing location of a plurality of virtual viewing locations located on a virtual viewing plane in the scene and wherein the 2D spatial coordinate of each virtual pixel identifies the location of a virtual aperture of a plurality of virtual apertures located on a virtual display plane in the scene; sampling energy data points (1602, 1902) of the plurality of energy-data points in the scene along a plurality of rays from the virtual viewing plane wherein each ray intersects one virtual viewing location and one virtual pixel at an angle determined by the 2D angular coordinate of the one virtual pixel intersected by the ray and wherein each ray intersects one virtual aperture determined by the 2D spatial coordinate of the one virtual pixel intersected by the ray; correlating the energy data points (1602, 1902) sampled along each ray to an energy value for the one virtual pixel intersected by the ray; and rendering the energy value of the one virtual pixel of each ray and the known unique 4D coordinates of the one virtual pixel of each ray into a data set having a format operable for instructing an energy device to output a 4D energy field, wherein each ray of the plurality of rays extends through the one virtual aperture of the plurality of virtual apertures to and beyond the one virtual pixel of the plurality of virtual pixels and wherein energy data points (1602, 1902) of the plurality of energy data points (1602, 1902) are sampled from the virtual viewing plane.