An efficient photon mapping algorithm for rendering light-emitting fluids

In this paper, we present a novel and efficient algorithm for rendering light-emitting fluids such as fire. For this purpose, we extend the well-known photon mapping algorithm for volumetric environments. The photons emitted from the fluids are stored in a voxelized space, instead of k-d tree in the original photon mapping scheme. We further propose an efficient photon collecting algorithm based on Bresenham's algorithm, which can collect photons in reduced computational loads. We prove the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm by visualizing light-emitting fluids such as fire in various styles.