A parallel radiosity method for shared memory multiprocessors
Shuching Chung · 1991
A method for the calculation of form factors based on the hemi-cube algorithm and ray casting technique is described for shared memory parallel computers. The new algorithm is linear in time complexity compared to $O(n\sp2$) for the original hemi-cube algorithm. And it can be incorporated into the full matrix radiosity solution or the progressive refinement approach. A ray coherence theorem for convex hulls is used to limit the number of ray/object intersection tests in the ray-casting step, and a simple technique is described that efficiently calculates the visible directions between objects. Both the full matrix solution and the progressive refinement approach are implemented on a Sequent Balance System. The results show that the algorithm can be implemented very efficiently on shared memory parallel computers, and the speed-up factors are limited only by the amount of sequential codes in the parallel programs.