Towards a Physically Plausible Constrained Shader Graph System for Predictive Rendering

Abstract

We present ongoing work on a modeling tool for Predictive Rendering based on the popular idea of shader graphs for description of object surfaces. To guarantee physical plausibility of the resulting materials, we use a restricted approach that only allows us to build the shader graphs by using physically safe surface models and physically safe manipulation operators. The tool also allows us to manipulate material properties - fluorescence and polarisation - which can affect object appearance, but are usually missing in other modeling toolsets. Since there is a rising demand for realism of the modelled material appearance among CG content creators, the concept of a restricted shader graph is also useful in the context of common photorealistic renderers.