A computer-implemented method, comprising: obtaining a ray of a set of rays, the ray having an origin and a direction; organizing the rays into a directional group of a plurality of directional groups, each directional group having a corresponding directional range and comprising rays of the set of rays having directions within the corresponding directional range; and generating a conical boundary for the rays of a directional group of the plurality of directional groups; intersecting the rays with a scene hierarchy to make an image by: intersecting the conical boundary with a bounding volume of the scene hierarchy to test if a ray contained in the conical boundary may intersect with a scene element contained in the bounding volume; and wherein the step of generating the conical boundary comprises: determining an axis for the conical boundary, the axis comprising the average direction of the rays of the directional group; determining a set of deviations of the rays of the directional group from the average direction; generating a circular boundary for the conical boundary, the circular boundary encompassing a ray having a greatest deviation from the average direction; generating an apex for the conical boundary such that the conical boundary comprising the circular boundary and the apex encloses the rays of the directional group; and generating a base of the conical boundary such that the base encircles a ray origin of a ray of the directional group that is closest to the apex in the average direction dimension. obtaining a ray of a set of rays, the ray having an origin and a direction; organizing the rays into a directional group of a plurality of directional groups, each directional group having a corresponding directional range and comprising rays of the set of rays having directions within the corresponding directional range; and generating a conical boundary for the rays of a directional group of the plurality of directional groups; intersecting the rays with a scene hierarchy to make an image by: intersecting the conical boundary with a bounding volume of the scene hierarchy to test if a ray contained in the conical boundary may intersect with a scene element contained in the bounding volume; and wherein the step of generating the conical boundary comprises: determining an axis for the conical boundary, the axis comprising the average direction of the rays of the directional group; determining a set of deviations of the rays of the directional group from the average direction; generating a circular boundary for the conical boundary, the circular boundary encompassing a ray having a greatest deviation from the average direction; generating an apex for the conical boundary such that the conical boundary comprising the circular boundary and the apex encloses the rays of the directional group; and generating a base of the conical boundary such that the base encircles a ray origin of a ray of the directional group that is closest to the apex in the average direction dimension. intersecting the conical boundary with a bounding volume of the scene hierarchy to test if a ray contained in the conical boundary may intersect with a scene element contained in the bounding volume; and wherein the step of generating the conical boundary comprises: determining an axis for the conical boundary, the axis comprising the average direction of the rays of the directional group; determining a set of deviations of the rays of the directional group from the average direction; generating a circular boundary for the conical boundary, the circular boundary encompassing a ray having a greatest deviation from the average direction; generating an apex for the conical boundary such that the conical boundary comprising the circular boundary and the apex encloses the rays of the directional group; and generating a base of the conical boundary such that the base encircles a ray origin of a ray of the directional group that is closest to the apex in the average direction dimension. determining an axis for the conical boundary, the axis comprising the average direction of the rays of the directional group; determining a set of deviations of the rays of the directional group from the average direction; generating a circular boundary for the conical boundary, the circular boundary encompassing a ray having a greatest deviation from the average direction; generating an apex for the conical boundary such that the conical boundary comprising the circular boundary and the apex encloses the rays of the directional group; and generating a base of the conical boundary such that the base encircles a ray origin of a ray of the directional group that is closest to the apex in the average direction dimension.