Patent ID: 8638331

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of rendering a resulting image of a scene from a plurality of intermediate images, wherein the scene comprises a volumetric medium, wherein the volumetric medium and lighting of such volumetric medium and scene is represented by electronically readable representative data, the method comprising: (a) for an initial iteration, performing a photon beam simulation resulting in a representation of a plurality of photon beams in the scene, wherein performance of the photon beam simulation includes selecting a radius for each of the plurality of photon beams; (b) rendering the plurality of photon beams to produce an intermediate image for the initial iteration, wherein the rendering comprises computing, from the plurality of photon beams, an estimated radiance for each of a plurality of rays with respect to a camera viewpoint, and wherein computing an estimated radiance of a ray from the plurality of photon beams includes calculating a volumetric radiance associated with an intersection of the ray with a photon beam; and (c) for each of one or more additional iterations, repeating steps (a)-(b) to produce a plurality of intermediate images, wherein each of the one or more additional iterations involves selection of a radius for at least one of the plurality of photon beams that is different from a radius selected for the at least one of the plurality of photon beams for the initial iteration; and (d) accumulating corresponding pixel values from at least two produced intermediate images to generate the resulting image of the scene.