Summary of recent changes:
(see ChangeLog
file for details)
Version 3.2.4 -> 3.3 (August, 23 2001)
-
XRML: new input file format, based on VRML'97
with extensions for physically based materials: lot's of reflection models,
non diffuse light sources, textures (2d,3d, procedural,...), bump mapping,
high dynamic range environment mapping, ...
-
serious photon mapping improvements and new
features
-
experimental path differential support in
stochastic ray tracing
-
POOLS memory management library deprecated
-
various minor changes, bug fixes and code
clean-ups
Version 3.2.3 -> 3.2.4 (December 15, 2000)
-
photon map bug fix + minor fixes
Version 3.2.2 -> 3.2.3 (November 30, 2000)
-
Radiance pic file format exporter (new)
-
better test pattern for gamma correction +
new test pattern for setting monitor black level
-
lot's of internal changes (ray hit records,
shader interface, ray tracing debugging aids) concerning texturing support.
-
density estimation is out of order.
Version 3.2.1 -> 3.2.2 (November 7. 2000)
-
memory management routines re-implemented
-
gamma correction improvements + test image
for interactive setting appropriate gamma
-
63-bit Niederreiter sampling in stochastic
Jacobi radiosity solves rare overflow error
Version 3.2 -> 3.2.1 (October 30. 2000)
-
OpenGL rendering accelerations: sorted rendering
(large to small, front to back) + viewing frustum culling for large
building models (we tested a 1Mpoly model)
-
minor features, fixes and code clean-ups including
off-screen rendering fix for recent Mesa libraries, large memory usage
(>0.5 GB on Linux + >2GB on SGI Onyx2, with 64-bit ABI), global line tracing
engine, photon map crash fix, ...
Version 3.0 -> 3.2 (August 28, 2000)
-
new Photon Map rendering method (Frank Suykens)
-
improved and extended stochastic ray tracing
and bi-directional path tracing (Frank Suykens)
-
complete re-implementation of Monte Carlo
radiosity algorithms as described in Philippe
Bekaert's PhD thesis, replaces old stochastic ray and WDRS radiosity
-
new tone mapping methods (Jan Prikryl) + calibrated
monitor support
-
validation: different rendering methods now
yield consistent results, also consistent with Radiance rendering system
-
numerous internal changes and bug fixes