Modelling Cumulus Cloud Shape from a Single Image

Clouds are important components of the fascinating natural images. However, extracting cloud shapes from images remains a challenging task. This paper presents a calculation method for estimating the shape of a cumulus... Read more »

GEARS: A General and Efficient Algorithm for Rendering Shadows

We present a soft shadow rendering algorithm that is general, efficient and accurate. The algorithm supports fully dynamic scenes, with moving and deforming blockers and receivers, and with changing area light source... Read more »

Photon Differential Splatting for Rendering Caustics

We present a photon splatting technique which reduces noise and blur in the rendering of caustics. Blurring of illumination edges is an inherent problem in photon splatting, as each photon is unaware... Read more »

Out-of-Core Construction of Sparse Voxel Octrees

Voxel-based rendering has recently received significant attention due to its potential in the context of efficiently rendering massively large and highly detailed scenes. Unfortunately, few scenes are available in the form of... Read more »

Flux-Limited Diffusion for Multiple Scattering in Participating Media

For the rendering of multiple scattering effects in participating media, methods based on the diffusion approximation are an extremely efficient alternative to Monte Carlo path tracing. However, in sufficiently transparent regions, classical... Read more »

Bitcoin Is Taxable, IRS Claims

NEWS ANALYSIS: While the overall viability of Bitcoin is still up in the air, the taxman is making sure to get his fair share. Read more »

Cisco Expands ACI Initiative With New Nexus 9000 Switches

The vendor's ACI strategy is its answer to the growing SDN trend, and the Nexus 9000 lineup are key parts of the effort. Read more »

HTC’s One M8: Smart-Looking Smartphone Has Sixth Sense

HTC's One M8 features a 5-inch Full HD (1080p) display and a unique metal unibody. It's also the first smartphone to feature a "Duo Lens" camera. Read more »

IBM’s Watson Goes Mobile With New Class of Intelligent App Development

Combining mobile and cognitive computing could help meet the growing demand for intelligent apps that can instantly provide advice and uncover deep insights. Read more »

Dell Aims New Switch, Controller at SDN, Cloud

The vendor's Z9500 switch offers a pay-as-you-go licensing model, while the Active Fabric Controller is built for OpenStack deployments. Read more »