Path tracing method employing distributed accelerating structures

A method of path tracing in a computer graphics system, employing distributed acceleration structures, comprising the steps of:

• a) generation of primary hit points
• 1) generating data structure of cells, wherein cell is a basic unit of process and data locality;
• 2) mapping objects of a 3D scene onto cells;
• 3) constructing a single global acceleration structure;
• 4) constructing multiple local acceleration structures, one per each cell;
• 5) generating primary rays by rendering the 3D scene by raster pipeline;
• 6) per each primary ray, using ray/object intersection coordinates, to find a cell of intersection, by traversing the global acceleration structure;
• 7) registering a hit point in the cell of intersection,
• b) generation of secondary hit points
• 1) locally at each cell, shooting secondary rays originating at each primary hit point, or at each incoming ray;
• 2) locally at each cell, traversing the local acceleration structure with the secondary rays for hits with local objects;
• wherein, per each secondary ray, in the event of a hit, sampling the reflected light at the point of intersection for calculation of a diffuse radiance at a point of the secondary ray's origin, and registering a new hit point;
• and
• wherein, per each secondary ray, in the event of no hit, traversing the global acceleration structure with the ray to find a next cell for the secondary ray.