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6.7 Basic Illumination Models Ambient, Diffuse and Specular Reflections

The document discusses three basic illumination models: 1. Ambient light provides a general level of brightness across a scene and has no directional properties. 2. Diffuse reflection is constant over object surfaces and depends on the surface's diffuse reflectivity coefficient. 3. Specular reflection produces highlights and occurs when light reflects at the same angle that it hits a shiny surface, following the law of reflection. Specular reflection allows viewers to see reflections when the viewing direction matches the ideal specular reflection direction.

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149 views

6.7 Basic Illumination Models Ambient, Diffuse and Specular Reflections

The document discusses three basic illumination models: 1. Ambient light provides a general level of brightness across a scene and has no directional properties. 2. Diffuse reflection is constant over object surfaces and depends on the surface's diffuse reflectivity coefficient. 3. Specular reflection produces highlights and occurs when light reflects at the same angle that it hits a shiny surface, following the law of reflection. Specular reflection allows viewers to see reflections when the viewing direction matches the ideal specular reflection direction.

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Computer Graphics

By:-Bhagawan Basnet

6.7 Basic Illumination Models: ambient, diffuse and specular reflections

1. Ambient light
2. Diffuse reflection
3. Specular reflection

Ambient light :- A surface that is not exposed directly to a light source still will be
visible it nearby objects are illuminated. In our basic illumination model, we can
set a general level of brightness for a scene. This is a simple way to model the
combination of light reflections from various surfaces to produce a uniform
illumination called the ambient light, or background light. Ambient light has no
spatial or directional characteristics. The amount of ambient light incident on
each object is a constant for all surfaces and over all directions.

We can set the level for the ambient light in a scene with parameter L a, and each
surface is then illuminated with this constant value. The resulting reflected light is
a constant for each surface, independent of the viewing direction and the spatial
orientation of the surface. But the intensity of the reflected light for each surface
depends on the optical properties of the surface; that is, how much of the

incident energy is to be reflected and how much absorbed.

Diffuse reflection :- Diffuse reflections are constant over each surface in a scene,
independent of the viewing direction. The faction amount of the incident light
that is diffusely reflected can be set for each surface with parameter kd, the
diffuse-reflection coefficient,or diffuse reflectivity. Parameter kd is assigned a
constant value in the interval 0 to 1, according to the reflecting properties we
want the surface to have. If we want a highly reflective surface, we set the value
of kd near 1. This produces a

bright surface with the intensity of the reflected light near that of the incident
light. To simulate a surface that absorbs most of the incident light, we set the
reflectivity to a value near 0. Actually, parameter kd is a function of surface color,
but for the time being we will assume kd is a constant.
Computer Graphics
By:-Bhagawan Basnet

If a surface is exposed only to ambient light, we can express the intensity of the
diffuse reflection at any point on the surface as

Iambdiff = kdIa

3. Specular reflection :- When we look at an illuminated shiny surface, such as


polished metal, an apple,, we see a highlight, or bright spot, at certain viewing
directions. This phenomenon, called specular reflection angle, is the result of
total, or near total, reflection of the incident light in a concentrated region around
the secular reflection angle. Figure shows the specular reflection direction at a
point on the illuminated surface. The specular-reflection angle equals the angle of
the incident light, with the two angles measured on opposite sides of the unit
normal surface vector N. In this figure, we use R to represent the unit vector in
the direction of ideal specular reflection; L to represent the unit vector directed
toward the fig.. point light source; and V as the unit vector pointing to the viewer
from the surface position. Angle  is the viewing angle relative to the secular-
reflection R For an ideal reflector (perfect mirror), incident light is reflected only
in the secular-reflection direction. In this case, we would only see reflected light

when vectors V and R coincide .


Computer Graphics
By:-Bhagawan Basnet

Fig:-Specular-reflection angle equals angle of incidence 0.

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