Distribution caching for direct lights

1. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute a rendering software application to:

shoot a plurality of rays through a scene that includes a plurality of lights;

generate a plurality of cache points at different locations throughout the scene based on the shooting of the plurality of rays;

compute a list of lights for each cache point from the plurality of cache points, the list of lights including lights from the plurality of lights that provide illumination at a location of each of the plurality of the cache points, wherein the list of lights includes first lights from the plurality of lights;

rank the first lights based on an amount of light each of the first lights provides to each of the plurality of the cache points; and

store the plurality of cache points in the memory.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of cache points is generated at a location in the scene where one of the plurality of rays hits an object within the scene.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the list of lights includes second lights from the plurality of lights, wherein each of the second lights includes a location in the scene that is in closer proximity to the location of the cache point than the first lights.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the rendering software application to render the scene using the plurality of cache points.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the rendering software application to prune the plurality of cache points based on a density of the plurality of cache points within the scene.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the rendering software application to filter the plurality of cache points based on the list of lights between neighboring cache points from the plurality of cache points.

7. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute a rendering software application to:

shoot a plurality of rays through a scene that includes a plurality of lights;

generate a plurality of cache points at different locations throughout the scene based on the shooting of the plurality of rays;

compute a list of lights for each cache point from the plurality of cache points, the list of lights including lights from the plurality of lights that provide illumination at a location of each of the plurality of the cache points;

prune the plurality of cache points based on a density of the plurality of cache points within the scene; and

store the plurality of cache points in the memory.

8. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute a rendering software application to:

shoot a plurality of rays through a scene that includes a plurality of lights;

generate a plurality of cache points at different locations throughout the scene based on the shooting of the plurality of rays;

compute a list of lights for each cache point from the plurality of cache points, the list of lights including lights from the plurality of lights that provide illumination at a location of each of the plurality of the cache points;

filter the plurality of cache points based on the list of lights between neighboring cache points from the plurality of cache points; and

store the plurality of cache points in the memory.

9. A method for use by a system having a processor and a memory for rendering a scene using a plurality of cache points, the method comprising:

shooting, using the processor, a plurality of rays through the scene that includes a plurality of lights;

generating, using the processor, a plurality of cache points at different locations throughout the scene based on the shooting of the plurality of rays;

computing, using the processor, a list of lights for each cache point from the plurality of cache points, the list of lights including lights from the plurality of lights that provide illumination at a location of each of the plurality of the cache points, wherein the list of lights includes first lights from the plurality of lights;

ranking the first lights based on an amount of light each of the first lights provides to each of the plurality of the cache points; and

storing, using the processor, the plurality of cache points in the memory.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of cache points is generated at a location in the scene where one of the plurality of rays hits an object within the scene.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the list of lights includes second lights from the plurality of lights, wherein each of the second lights includes a location in the scene that is in closer proximity to the location of the cache point than the first lights.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises rendering the scene using the plurality of cache points.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises pruning the plurality of cache points based on a density of the plurality of cache points within the scene.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises filtering the plurality of cache points based on the list of lights between neighboring cache points from the plurality of cache points.

15. A method for use by a system having a processor and a memory for rendering a scene using a plurality of cache points, the method comprising:

shooting, using the processor, a plurality of rays through the scene that includes a plurality of lights;

generating, using the processor, a plurality of cache points at different locations throughout the scene based on the shooting of the plurality of rays;

computing, using the processor, a list of lights for each cache point from the plurality of cache points, the list of lights including lights from the plurality of lights that provide illumination at a location of each of the plurality of the cache points;

pruning the plurality of cache points based on a density of the plurality of cache points within the scene; and

storing, using the processor, the plurality of cache points in the memory.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the list of lights includes second lights from the plurality of lights, wherein each of the second lights includes a location in the scene that is in closer proximity to the location of the cache point than the first lights.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises rendering the scene using the plurality of cache points.

18. A method for use by a system having a processor and a memory for rendering a scene using a plurality of cache points, the method comprising:

shooting, using the processor, a plurality of rays through the scene that includes a plurality of lights;

generating, using the processor, a plurality of cache points at different locations throughout the scene based on the shooting of the plurality of rays;

computing, using the processor, a list of lights for each cache point from the plurality of cache points, the list of lights including lights from the plurality of lights that provide illumination at a location of each of the plurality of the cache points;

filtering the plurality of cache points based on the list of lights between neighboring cache points from the plurality of cache points; and

storing, using the processor, the plurality of cache points in the memory.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the list of lights includes second lights from the plurality of lights, wherein each of the second lights includes a location in the scene that is in closer proximity to the location of the cache point than the first lights.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises rendering the scene using the plurality of cache points.