Radzilla is a C++ software version of Radiance, a widely used physically based ray tracer.
Radzilla is a software program that is a port of the popular Radiance physically based ray tracer to the C++ programming language. This program includes a graphical user interface built with the QT toolkit from Trolltech. Its primary purpose is to modify and optimize classic Radiance for complex visualization applications in architecture, art, or design. Radzilla has been in development since 2004, approximately 1 1/2 years after Radiance became Open Source.
The initial stages of Radzilla were dedicated to collecting previous Radiance-related work, such as a self-developed direct cache or color4pict primitive and externally developed projects like Roland Schregle's Photon Map, and merging them with the classic core. Additional developments soon followed, including the 'scene' primitive and a new source partitioning scheme.
The recent implementation of a Graphical User Interface has shifted the project's focus more to the program's periphery, temporarily making the use and handling of Radiance easier, while still maintaining its complexity. The latest implementation includes image processing features based on Radiance classic modules, such as pfilt and pcond, taking a significant step towards setting up a new environment for working with the multitude of tools offered by the Radiance suite with enhanced with additional features.
Some key features of Radzilla are its code restructuring, which consists of grouping Radiance code into C++ classes, offering increased flexibility and modularization. Radzilla also offers new material and modifier primitives, providing easier ways to modify surface and medium properties, generate false-color output for selected objects, perform semi-transparent image mapping, and various new modules such as the Photon Map and the Direct Cache.
Radzilla remains fully compatible with classic Radiance, supporting all geometry and material/modifier primitives, parameters, and the octree structure of Radiance Classic, allowing users to use Radiance input files. Radzilla produces the same output format, a Radiance 'pic.'
The program has many optimizations, including a newly added image editor, and users must have Radiance to use Radzilla. Radzilla is a potentially useful program for those in the architecture, art, or design industries looking for visualization applications.
The initial stages of Radzilla were dedicated to collecting previous Radiance-related work, such as a self-developed direct cache or color4pict primitive and externally developed projects like Roland Schregle's Photon Map, and merging them with the classic core. Additional developments soon followed, including the 'scene' primitive and a new source partitioning scheme.
The recent implementation of a Graphical User Interface has shifted the project's focus more to the program's periphery, temporarily making the use and handling of Radiance easier, while still maintaining its complexity. The latest implementation includes image processing features based on Radiance classic modules, such as pfilt and pcond, taking a significant step towards setting up a new environment for working with the multitude of tools offered by the Radiance suite with enhanced with additional features.
Some key features of Radzilla are its code restructuring, which consists of grouping Radiance code into C++ classes, offering increased flexibility and modularization. Radzilla also offers new material and modifier primitives, providing easier ways to modify surface and medium properties, generate false-color output for selected objects, perform semi-transparent image mapping, and various new modules such as the Photon Map and the Direct Cache.
Radzilla remains fully compatible with classic Radiance, supporting all geometry and material/modifier primitives, parameters, and the octree structure of Radiance Classic, allowing users to use Radiance input files. Radzilla produces the same output format, a Radiance 'pic.'
The program has many optimizations, including a newly added image editor, and users must have Radiance to use Radzilla. Radzilla is a potentially useful program for those in the architecture, art, or design industries looking for visualization applications.
What's New
Version 1.1: N/A