Real-Time Rendering, Fourth Edition, 4th Edition

Chapter 19 Acceleration Algorithms

DOI: 10.1201/b22086-19

“Now here, you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”

—Lewis Carroll

One of the great myths concerning computers is that one day we will have enough processing power. Even in a relatively simple application such as word processing, we find that additional power can be applied to all sorts of features, such as on-the-fly spell and grammar checking, antialiased text display, and dictation.

In real-time rendering, we have at least four performance goals: more frames per second, higher resolution and sampling rates, more realistic materials and lighting, and increased geometrical ...