Diffuse reflection: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:32, 27 February 2008

Revision as of 00:32, 27 February 2008

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{{Unreferenced|date=October 2007}}

<ref>ok son</ref>

[[Image:Diffuse reflection.PNG|frame|Diagram of diffuse reflection]]

'''Diffuse reflection''' is the [[reflection (physics)|reflection]] of [[light]] from an uneven or granular surface such that an incident ray is seemingly reflected at a number of angles. It is the complement to [[specular reflection]]. If a surface is completely nonspecular, the reflected light will be evenly spread over the [[Sphere|hemisphere]] surrounding the surface (2[[pi|π]] [[steradian]]s).

The most familiar example of the distinction between specular and diffuse reflection would be [[matte (surface)|matte]] and [[glossy]] [[paint]]s as used in home painting. Matte paints have a higher proportion of diffuse reflection, while gloss paints have a greater part of specular reflection.

'''Diffuse interreflection''' is a process whereby [[light]] reflected from an object strikes other objects in the surrounding area, illuminating them. Diffuse interreflection specifically describes light reflected from objects which are not shiny or [[specular]]. In real life terms what this means is that light is reflected off non-shiny surfaces such as the ground, walls, or fabric, to reach areas not directly in view of a light source. If the diffuse surface is [[color]]ed, the reflected light is also colored, resulting in similar coloration of surrounding objects.

In [[3D computer graphics]], diffuse interreflection is an important component of [[global illumination]]. There are a number of ways to model diffuse interreflection when rendering a scene. [[Radiosity]] and [[photon mapping]] are two commonly used methods.

[[Image:Diffuse reflection models.png|right|thumb|400px|Three bi-directional diffuse reflection (BRDF) models]]

==See also==

* [[Optics]]

* [[Diffuser (optics)|Diffuser]]

* [[Reflectivity]]

* [[Lambertian reflectance]]

* [[Oren–Nayar diffuse model]]

[[Category:Optics]]

[[Category:3D computer graphics]]

[[de:Diffuses Licht]]

[[ko:난반사]]

[[ja:拡散反射]]