NVIDIA shows off first interactive GPU ray tracer
updated 05:30 pm EDT, Thu August 14, 2008
NVIDIA's GPU ray tracer
Graphics processor maker NVIDIA on Thursday announced it will be demonstrating the first fully interactive GPU-based ray tracer at the SIGGRAPH 2008 exposition in Las Vegas that is currently being held. The entirely NVIDIA-developed tracer is running on four of the company's next-generation Quadro GPUs set in Quadro Plex 2100 D4 Visual Computing System. It is capable of three bounce linear scaling rendering at up to 30fps at resolutions of 1920x1080.
The demonstration features linear scaling rendering of a complex, two-million polygon image of a car, the Bugatti Veyron, pictured, that is anti-aliased.
Ray tracing allows generating images by tracing the path of light through pixels in an image plane, resulting in high levels of realism, as it's capable of creating shadows, reflections and refractions in real time.
NVIDIA did not reveal how much the Visual Computing System cost, or when or if it would be available to customers. The Qudro Plex, however, will cost at least $10,750 when it launches this fall.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2007
Feathered.
What's with the hard shadows?