The Cg Tutorial: The Definitive Guide to Programmable Real-Time Graphics

Chapter 7. Environment Mapping Techniques

This chapter explains environment mapping and presents several applications of the technique. The chapter has the following four sections:

• “Environment Mapping” introduces the technique and explains its key assumptions and limitations.

• “Reflective Environment Mapping” explains the physics of reflection and how to simulate reflective materials with environment mapping.

• “Refractive Environment Mapping” describes Snell’s Law and shows how to use environment maps to implement an effect that approximates refraction.

• “The Fresnel Effect and Chromatic Dispersion” combines reflection, refraction, the Fresnel effect, and the chromatic properties of light to produce a more complex effect called chromatic dispersion. ...