Rendering Natural Waters: Merging Computer Graphics with Physics and Biology

The creation and rendering of realistic water scenes is one of the challenging tasks in Computer Graphics. To reproduce the illumination and colour inside water bodies an algorithm capable of dealing with media with anisotropic and multiple scattering has to be used. We have developed a simulation system based in the discrete ordinates method to solve the problem of light transport in general participating media. We discuss its application to the rendering of images of natural waters, a difficult task due to the different components that determine their optical behaviour. A couple of simple images calculated in different waters are presented. Results indicate the relevant role played by the spectral behaviour of the absorption and scattering coefficients and by the correct treatment of the phase function in the process of image generation.