The SIGGRAPH 2005 Papers program, the forum for presenting the finest research in computer graphics and interactive techniques, has selected 98 papers for presentation from a total of 461 submissions.
The leading contributors to this year's Papers program include: Microsoft Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stanford University, Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs, the University of Washington, Carnegie-Mellon University, California Institute of Technology and ETH Zürich.
The SIGGRAPH Papers program constitutes the core of all SIGGRAPH programs, stated Markus Gross, SIGGRAPH 2005 Papers chair from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. It continues to define excellence in research in computer graphics and interactive techniques. It has long been the finest international forum for disseminating groundbreaking, provocative, and important new work this year is no different. From increasingly sophisticated simulation of physics to advanced picture and video processing, this years program provides a full spectrum of topics and cutting-edge thinking. Our selection criteria follow the highest standards, are very rigorous and only accept outstanding innovations in our field. The acceptance number clearly demonstrates the large body of excellent research in computer graphics.
According to Gross, three major trends are surfacing in the research arena. The first is that graphics researchers are bringing reality into the computer. Complex lighting and shading models are becoming data-driven or based on samples from the real world. He concludes that this advancement, for instance, makes it possible to alter and simulate the appearance of human faces photo-realistically. Given this development, novel camera and acquisition devices have been created.
A second trend that the Papers chair noted is the increasingly sophisticated simulation of physics. He points out that various Papers deal with simulation of the complex interaction of media, such as liquids, smoke or gas, and solid materials. He also notes that various innovations make physics simulations interactive and real time on personal computers.
This is very important for the development of more realistic games and will be supported by novel hardware architectures and processing units to be released by the industry very soon, stated Gross. In particular, novel chip generations and physics processing units will accelerate computations in computer games.
He concludes that a third trend points toward advanced image and video processing. Specifically, the public will soon experience a variety of methods for panoramic stitching of videos, 3D photo creation and intelligent and user-friendly editing of video. According to Gross, such methods will soon become tools the public utilizes to take their home videos to an entirely new level.
Highlights include:
Capturing reality deals with novel methods to bring reality into the computer by acquiring complex shape and appearance information from real world objects. This allows for unprecedented realism and novel effects in visual simulation.
* Performance Relighting and Reflectance Transformation With Time-Multiplexed IlluminationAndreas WengerAndrew GardnerChris TchouJonas UngerTim HawkinsPaul DebevecUniversity of Southern California, Institute for Creative Technologies
* SCAPE: Shape Completion and Animation of PeopleDragomir AnguelovPraveen SrinivasanDaphne KollerSebastian ThrunJim RodgersStanford UniversityJames DavisUniversity of California, Santa Cruz
* High-Performance Imaging Using Large Camera ArraysBennett WilburnStanford UniversityNeel JoshiUniversity of California, San DiegoVaibhav VaishEino-Ville TalvalaEmilio AntunezAdam BarthAndrew AdamsMark HorowitzMarc LevoyStanford University
The following deal with physically based simulations of the complex interaction of media, such as liquids, smoke and solids. They permit the simulation of novel and even more stunning visual effects and might become tools to enhance the visual experience in second but next generation computer games.
* A Vortex Particle Method for Smoke, Water and ExplosionsAndrew SelleStanford University and Intel Corp.Nick RasmussenIndustrial Light & MagicRonald FedkiwStanford University and Industrial Light & Magic
* Discontinuous FluidsJeong-Mo HongChang-Hun KimKorea University
* Water Drops on SurfacesHuamin WangPeter J. MuchaGreg TurkGeorgia Institute of Technology
* Meshless Deformations Based on Shape MatchingMatthias MüllerBruno HeidelbergerNovodeX/Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule ZürichMatthias TeschnerUniversität FreiburgMarkus GrossEidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
This year, we experience a renaissance of ray-tracing algorithms and architectures. Such prototypes encourage designers of graphics hardware to rethink the way they define the graphics pipeline.
* Soft Shadow Volumes for Ray TracingSamuli LaineHelsinki University of TechnologyTimo AilaHelsinki University of Technology and Hybrid Graphics Ltd.Ulf AssarssonARTIS, INRIA, and Illuminate Labs Ltd.Jaakko LehtinenHelsinki University of Technology and Remedy Entertainment Ltd.Tomas Akenine-MöllerLunds universitet
* RPU: A Programmable Ray Processing Unit for Realtime Ray TracingSven WoopJörg SchmittlerPhilipp SlusallekUniversität des Saarlandes
We will see advanced methods for panoramic stitching of videos, for making pictures three-dimensional and for intelligent and user-friendly editing of video. Such methods might soon become tools people will utilize to edit their latest home videos.
* TextureMontage: Seamless Texturing of Arbitrary Surfaces From Multiple ImagesKun ZhouXi WangMicrosoft Research AsiaYiying TongMathieu DesbrunCalifornia Institute of TechnologyBaining GuoHeung-Yeung ShumMicrosoft Research Asia
* Defocus Video MattingMorgan McGuireBrown UniversityWojciech MatusikHanspeter PfisterMitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL)John F. HughesBrown UniversityFrédo DurandMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyComputer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
* Automatic Photo Pop-UpDerek HoiemAlexei EfrosMartial HebertCarnegie Mellon University
* Panoramic Video TexturesAseem AgarwalaKe Colin ZhengUniversity of WashingtonChris PalUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstManeesh AgrawalaMichael F. CohenMicrosoft ResearchBrian CurlessUniversity of WashingtonDavid H. SalesinUniversity of Washington & Microsoft ResearchRichard SzeliskiMicrosoft Research
Novel fundamental insights are also a facet of many of these sessions; in particular, the following contribution provides an in-depth analysis.
* A Frequency Analysis of Light TransportFrédo DurandMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyComputer Science and Artificial Intelligence LaboratoryNicolas HolzschuchCyril SolerARTIS, GRAVIR/IMAG - INRIAEric ChanMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyComputer Science and Artificial Intelligence LaboratoryFrançois X. SillionARTIS, GRAVIR/IMAG - INRIA
The SIGGRAPH 2005 Papers Program opens Aug. 1 at 8:30 am and closes Aug. 4 at 5:30 pm. Also, a special, comprehensive preview of all the Papers will take place July 31 at 6:00 pm. For complete details visit www.siggraph.org/s2005/main.php?f=conference&p=papers.
SIGGRAPH 2005 is sponsored by ACM SIGGRAPH, a leading professional society for computer graphics and interactive techniques. Information on ACM SIGGRAPH membership and other conferences and activities can be found at www.siggraph.org.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
