Non-linear beam tracing for computer graphics

A system for displaying graphics on a computer monitor, comprising:

• a general purpose computing device;
• a computer program comprising program modules executable by the general purpose computing device, wherein the computing device is directed by the program modules of the computer program to,
• receive a set of image data composed of one or more objects to be displayed on a computer monitor;
• use non-linear beam tracing to create a beam tree for the set of image data composed of a combination of a linear primary light beam and non-linear light beams caused by reflections and refractions, recording the boundary rays for each beam;
• divide the set of image data composed of linear and non-linear light beams into a set of scene triangles;
• for each scene triangle,
• project the scene triangle onto a base of a beam;
• define a bounding triangle that surrounds the projection of the scene triangle onto the base of a beam;
• for each pixel within the bounding triangle, define a ray origin and direction;
• determine if each pixel is within the true projection of the scene triangle by determining if the ray that originates at the pixel intersects the scene triangle;
• if the pixel within the bounding triangle is within the true projection of the scene triangle, render the pixel with the value of the pixel of the scene triangle which intersects the ray;
• and
• if the pixel within the bounding triangle is not within the true projection of the scene triangle do not render the pixel.

A computer-implemented process for displaying three dimensional objects in a scene on a computer display, comprising:

• inputting image data to be displayed on a computer display and a texture mesh;
• computing a beam parameterization of the image data to define the image data as triangular-shaped smooth and perturbed beams each having a beam base;
• using non-linear beam tracing, on a computer processing unit (CPU), computing a beam tree with nodes that represent beams of light of both a linear primary beam and non-linear reflective and refractive beams using the beam parameterization of the image data;
• computing a bounding triangle on the beam base for each of the smooth beams, the bounding triangle containing a projection of a scene triangle of the image data;
• computing a bounding triangle on the beam base for each of the perturbed beams by expanding the bounding triangle for each of the smooth beams;
• dividing the image data into scene triangles;
• for each scene triangle, projecting the scene triangle onto a beam base plane;
• performing pixel shading by determining how each pixel within each bounding triangle is rendered using a graphics processing unit (GPU) by determining if the pixel is within a true projection of the scene triangle.