Estimating dual-scale properties of glossy surfaces from step-edge lighting

This paper introduces a rapid appearance capture method suited for a variety of common indoor surfaces, in which a single photograph of the reflection of a step edge is used to estimate both a BRDF and a statistical model for visible surface geometry, or mesostructure. It is applicable to surfaces with statistically stationary variation in surface height, even when these variations are large enough to produce visible texture in the image. Results are shown from a prototype system using a separate camera and LCD, demonstrating good visual matches for a range of man-made indoor materials.