Apparatus and Method for Environment Probe Guided Light Sampling

A machine-readable medium having program code stored thereon which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform the operations of:

• generating a plurality of environment probes for a graphics scene, each environment probe having a direction originally associated therewith for capturing light from one or more light sources associated with the graphics scene;
• and
• altering one or more directions associated with a corresponding one or more environment probes to allow the one or more environment probes to receive a higher radiance from the one or more light sources compared to light received with the one or more directions originally associated with the one or more environment probes.

An apparatus comprising:

• an environmental probe generator to generate a plurality of environment probes for a graphics scene, each environment probe having a direction originally associated therewith for capturing light from one or more light sources associated with the graphics scene;
• and
• a post-processor to alter one or more directions associated with a corresponding one or more environment probes to allow the one or more environment probes to receive a higher radiance from the one or more light sources compared to light received with the one or more directions originally associated with the one or more environment probes.