System and method for rendering images using a strictly-deterministic methodology including recursive rotations for generating sample points

Abstract

A computer graphics system generates a pixel value for a pixel in an image, the pixel being representative of a point in a scene. The computer graphics system generates the pixel value by an evaluation of an integral of a selected function. The computer graphics system comprises a sample point generator and a function evaluator. The a sample point generator is configured to generate respective sets of sample points each associated with one of a series of rays in a ray trace configured to have a plurality of trace levels. The ray at at least one level can be split into a plurality of rays, with each ray being associated with a ray instance identifier. The sample point generator is configured to generate the sample points as predetermined strictly-deterministic low-discrepancy sequence to which a selected rotation operator is applied recursively for the respective levels. The function evaluator is configured to generate a plurality of function values each representing an evaluation of the selected function at one of the sample points generated by the sample point generator and use the function values in generating the pixel value. In one embodiment, the selected rotation operator is the Cranley-Patterson rotation operator.