SIMULATION OF LIGHT SOURCE ILLUMINATION IN COMPUTER IMAGE GENERATION

A method for determining the illumination of an illuminator at a selected point P in an image volume to be projected on an image screen surface by a computerized image generator, uses the steps of: decomposing the illuminator into at least one of spherical, bean and cylindrical sources; determining a direction of incidence of the light from each source at point P in the image volume; determining the extent of the source and the attenuation of illumination with distance from that source; then determining a set of color light intensities at point P in the image volume due to the light from the particular source; and translating the incidence direction and color intensities from point P to a displayable incidence direction and a displayable set of color illumination intensities at a corresponding projection location on the image screen surface.