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Many commercially available radiosity systems are not able to handle the complex and diverse geometry and luminaire requirements that their users may have. Geometry which is best-suited to radiosity processing, is often of no relevance to the user, who is dealing with objects that are much more complicated, and may present algorithmic difficulties to the underlying radiosity software. Similarly, many users will have no use for the lights that are most commonly used inside radiosity software (Lambertian area emitters). Most users will be dealing with light sources whose emission profile resides in an industry-standard file, whose power output is described using photometric units, and whose colour is defined via a colour temperature, or even a descriptive string!
To overcome this double-dichotomy, the consortium created two work package tasks, one to deal with geometric input, and one to deal with complex light sources. Task 1.1 deals with geometry, and task 1.2 deals with industry-standard luminaires. Both of these tasks have just finished, and are described in greater detail, on their web pages:
Suitably buffered by the results of tasks 1.1 and 1.2, consortium partners are all able to accept very complex geometric input, as well being able to illuminate this complex geometry by industry-standard luminaires. This is where the other work packages take over, and a radiosity solution is reached for the diffuse global illumination in the scene being modelled. Having evaluated a radiosity solution, how should we present it to the user? As a photorealistic image? As a table of luminance values? Such questions are addressed in task 1.3, the last task of this work package, which ensures that the user is presented with the results of the system in the form that is most convenient/desirable to them.
Task 1.3 is not due to finish until March 2000. It is outlined is greater detail, here.
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