Towards Physically Based Material Appearance in the Thermal Infrared Spectrum: A Short Survey

Abstract

In the context of photorealistic rendering, global illumination mainly relies on material models from the visible spectrum, whereas thermal infrared signatures receive only little attention. This paper outlines physical principles for determining the temperature distributions within a 3D scene and with it the overall radiance reaching an IR sensor. Hitherto existing approaches for physically based rendering are surveyed. Supposing that those methods still can benefit from recent rendering concepts in visible spectrum, we point out possible transfers.