#22: Practical Parallel Rendering

Organizer
Alan Chalmers (University of Bristol)

Lecturers
Alan Chalmers (University of Bristol)
Timothy Davis (Clemson University)
Toshi Kato (Square USA)
Erik Reinhard (University of Utah)

Overview
Important new insights for anyone who plans to render graphics in a parallel environment. The course focuses on practical issues that arise in rendering on traditional shared and distributed-memory multi-processors as well as clusters of PCs and workstations, including render farms. Case studies of real, challenging practical applications and how they address these issues are described in detail.

Prerequisites
Some knowledge of the rendering techniques discussed in the course (ray tracing, radiosity, and RenderMan). No prior knowledge of parallel or distributed processing is assumed, though previous experience with these topics is helpful.

Topics
Basic issues: load-balancing, task subdivision, communication and migration, and data management. Rendering techniques and hardware in parallel systems. Several successful applications that demonstrate real practical examples of parallel rendering.

Course #22 Notes (PDF, 12.8MB)