Moderator: Gregory J. Ward, Dolby Laboratories, Anyhere Software, United States of America
Greg Ward has been a computer graphics researcher since 1985, and is the principal author of the Radiance rendering system. His research includes global illumination, reflectance models, high dynamic range image capture and display, general image processing, and human perception. He is the recipient of the 2007 ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Achievement Award, the 2012 International Building Performance Association Achievement Award, and the 2018 Daylight Award for Daylight Research. He is currently employed by Dolby Laboratories, and consulting for Irystec and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Lecturer(s): Giuseppe Claudio Guarnera, University of York, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, United Kingdom
Giuseppe Claudio Guarnera is an Associate Professor at NTNU (Norway) and a Lecturer at the University of York (UK). He received his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Catania (Italy). During his PhD, he also worked at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies (USA). His research interests include applications of Computer Vision to Computer Graphics and human perception of materials.

Dar'ya Guarnera, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway
Dar'ya Guarnera is a Postdoctoral Researcher at NTNU (Norway). She obtained her PhD in computer science from Loughborough University. Before this, she gained her Postgraduate Certificate in Education and first-class degree in Computer Science from Liverpool Hope University. She has a BSc in Architecture from Odessa State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture. Her interests include 3D architectural visualisation, virtual materials, art and sculpture.

Gregory J. Ward, Dolby Laboratories, Anyhere Software, United States of America
Greg Ward has been a computer graphics researcher since 1985, and is the principal author of the Radiance rendering system. His research includes global illumination, reflectance models, high dynamic range image capture and display, general image processing, and human perception. He is the recipient of the 2007 ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Achievement Award, the 2012 International Building Performance Association Achievement Award, and the 2018 Daylight Award for Daylight Research. He is currently employed by Dolby Laboratories, and consulting for Irystec and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Mashhuda Glencross, The University of Queensland, Australia
Mashhuda Glencross is a Senior Lecturer at The University of Queensland. Prior to this she was a faculty member at Loughborough University (UK). She obtained her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Manchester. She has also worked at ARM in Cambridge and as a postdoc at the University of Manchester. Her research interests include virtual reality, 3D reconstruction/relighting, material appearance acquisition, novel user interfaces and human visual perception. She has held a number of SIGGRAPH conference committee roles and is currently a Director at Large on the Executive Committee.

Ian Hall, Yulio Technologies, Canada
Ian Hall is an engineer and digital imaging product strategist. As CPO of Yulio Technologies, he has been at the forefront of bringing VR and AR into everyday practice at some of the world’s leading architecture, interior design, and commercial products companies. He was previously Director of Product for Truespectra Inc., an early innovator in cloud-based imaging technology, later acquired by Adobe.

Description: Photorealistic and physically-based rendering of real-world environments with high fidelity materials is important to a range of applications, including special effects, architectural modelling, cultural heritage, computer games, automotive design, and virtual reality (VR). Our perception of the world depends on lighting and surface material characteristics, which determine how the light is reflected, scattered, and absorbed. In order to reproduce appearance, we must therefore understand all the ways objects interact with light, and the acquisition and representation of materials has thus been an important part of computer graphics from early days. Nevertheless, no material model nor acquisition setup is without limitations in terms of the variety of materials represented, and different approaches vary widely in terms of compatibility and ease of use. In this course, we describe the state of the art in material appearance acquisition and modelling, ranging from mathematical BSDFs to data-driven capture and representation of anisotropic materials, and volumetric/thread models for patterned fabrics. We further address the problem of material appearance constancy across different rendering platforms. We present two case studies in architectural and interior design. The first study demonstrates Yulio, a new platform for the creation, delivery, and visualization of acquired material models and reverse engineered cloth models in immersive VR experiences. The second study shows an end-to-end process of capture and data-driven BSDF representation using the physically-based Radiance system for lighting simulation and rendering.