Evaluation of Different Diffuse Surface Reflection Models for Global Illumination

Abstract

One common goal nearly all global illumination algorithms aim for is solving the light transport problem. The most visual noticeable one in the general case is the diffuse-diffuse light transport between surfaces. Most global illumination algorithms are very good at solving it. In many global illumination solutions the Lambertian diffuse surface reflection model is assumed. However, over the years several other diffuse models have been introduced mostly outside of the computer graphics community that according to their authors mimic real surface behaviour more accurately. In this paper we evaluate some of the better known models and place them into the context of solving global illumination problems.