By accurately capturing, modeling, and simulating the interaction of light and matter, computer graphics is enabling us to create virtual images of increasing complexity and realism. These advances allow us to not only dictate the appearance of virtual scenes, but also to open the door to carefully prescribing the visual appearance of physical objects through digital fabrication. In this talk I will discuss my ongoing efforts to attain this vision through research spanning four interrelated areas of computer graphics.

Since accurately representing visual data is at the core of visual appearance, I will first describe my work in high dynamic range imaging. Visually simulating reality further requires accurate light transport simulation and I will show that we often need to fundamentally rethink rendering algorithms to create realistic imagery more efficiently. Advances in rendering, however, must be coupled with intuitive authoring and editing tools to enable users to quickly obtain a desired visual appearance. Finally, I’ll show that when all of these factors are satisfied, visual appearance can be edited or synthesized not only virtually, but also physically — by creating real, physical objects that interact with light in novel or carefully prescribed ways. These examples demonstrate not only that computer graphics has the broad potential to bridge the virtual and real, but that significant progress requires fundamental research in each of these mutually reinforcing areas.

Wojciech Jarosz is a Senior Research Scientist heading the rendering group at Disney Research Zürich, and an adjunct lecturer at ETH Zürich. Prior to joining Disney, Wojciech obtained his Ph.D. (2008) and M.S. (2005) in computer graphics from UC San Diego, and his B.S. (2003) in computer science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Wojciech's research is concerned with simulating, manipulating, and physically realizing complex visual appearance with publications spanning global illumination; complex illumination and materials; participating media; Monte Carlo methods and efficient sampling; high-dynamic range imaging; and computational materials and displays. His work in these areas has been incorporated into production rendering systems, been used in the making of feature films, and, in 2013, earned him the Eurographics Young Researcher Award.