A simple Python raytracer that supports spheres with configurable "material" properties (base color and a bunch of
light coefficients). To generate a raytraced image of the pre-defined scene, run: python raytracer.py and open
image.ppm with a PPM-compatible viewer (eog works fine on Linux):
I found the following resources extremely helpful:
| """ | |
| A simple raytracer that supports spheres with configurable color properties | |
| (like the base color and specular coefficient). | |
| """ | |
| import math | |
| class Scene: | |
| """ | |
| The scene that gets rendered. Contains information like the camera | |
| position, the different objects present, etc. | |
| """ | |
| def __init__(self, camera, objects, lights, width, height): | |
| self.camera = camera | |
| self.objects = objects | |
| self.lights = lights | |
| self.width = width | |
| self.height = height | |
| def render(self): | |
| """ | |
| Return a `self.height`x`self.width` 2D array of `Color`s representing | |
| the color of each pixel, obtained via ray-tracing. | |
| """ | |
| pixels = [ | |
| [Color() for _ in range(self.width)] for _ in range(self.height)] | |
| for y in range(self.height): | |
| for x in range(self.width): | |
| ray_direction = Point(x, y) - self.camera | |
| ray = Ray(self.camera, ray_direction) | |
| pixels[y][x] = self._trace_ray(ray) | |
| return pixels | |
| def _trace_ray(self, ray, depth=0, max_depth=5): | |
| """ | |
| Recursively trace a ray through the scene, returning the color it | |
| accumulates. | |
| """ | |
| color = Color() | |
| if depth >= max_depth: | |
| return color | |
| intersection = self._get_intersection(ray) | |
| if intersection is None: | |
| return color | |
| obj, dist = intersection | |
| intersection_pt = ray.point_at_dist(dist) | |
| surface_norm = obj.surface_norm(intersection_pt) | |
| # ambient light | |
| color += obj.material.color * obj.material.ambient | |
| # lambert shading | |
| for light in self.lights: | |
| pt_to_light_vec = (light - intersection_pt).normalize() | |
| pt_to_light_ray = Ray(intersection_pt, pt_to_light_vec) | |
| if self._get_intersection(pt_to_light_ray) is None: | |
| lambert_intensity = surface_norm * pt_to_light_vec | |
| if lambert_intensity > 0: | |
| color += obj.material.color * obj.material.lambert * \ | |
| lambert_intensity | |
| # specular (reflective) light | |
| reflected_ray = Ray( | |
| intersection_pt, ray.direction.reflect(surface_norm).normalize()) | |
| color += self._trace_ray(reflected_ray, depth + 1) * \ | |
| obj.material.specular | |
| return color | |
| def _get_intersection(self, ray): | |
| """ | |
| If ray intersects any of `self.objects`, return `obj, dist` (the object | |
| itself, and the distance to it). Otherwise, return `None`. | |
| """ | |
| intersection = None | |
| for obj in self.objects: | |
| dist = obj.intersects(ray) | |
| if dist is not None and \ | |
| (intersection is None or dist < intersection[1]): | |
| intersection = obj, dist | |
| return intersection | |
| class Vector: | |
| """ | |
| A generic 3-element vector. All of the methods should be self-explanatory. | |
| """ | |
| def __init__(self, x=0, y=0, z=0): | |
| self.x = x | |
| self.y = y | |
| self.z = z | |
| def norm(self): | |
| return math.sqrt(sum(num * num for num in self)) | |
| def normalize(self): | |
| return self / self.norm() | |
| def reflect(self, other): | |
| other = other.normalize() | |
| return self - 2 * (self * other) * other | |
| def __str__(self): | |
| return "Vector({}, {}, {})".format(*self) | |
| def __add__(self, other): | |
| return Vector(self.x + other.x, self.y + other.y, self.z + other.z) | |
| def __sub__(self, other): | |
| return Vector(self.x - other.x, self.y - other.y, self.z - other.z) | |
| def __mul__(self, other): | |
| if isinstance(other, Vector): | |
| return self.x * other.x + self.y * other.y + self.z * other.z; | |
| else: | |
| return Vector(self.x * other, self.y * other, self.z * other) | |
| def __rmul__(self, other): | |
| return self.__mul__(other) | |
| def __truediv__(self, other): | |
| return Vector(self.x / other, self.y / other, self.z / other) | |
| def __pow__(self, exp): | |
| if exp != 2: | |
| raise ValueError("Exponent can only be two") | |
| else: | |
| return self * self | |
| def __iter__(self): | |
| yield self.x | |
| yield self.y | |
| yield self.z | |
| # Since 3D points and RGB colors are effectively 3-element vectors, we simply | |
| # declare them as aliases to the `Vector` class to take advantage of all its | |
| # defined operations (like overloaded addition, multiplication, etc.) while | |
| # improving readability (so we can use `color = Color(0xFF)` instead of | |
| # `color = Vector(0xFF)`). | |
| Point = Vector | |
| Color = Vector | |
| class Sphere: | |
| """ | |
| A sphere object. | |
| """ | |
| def __init__(self, origin, radius, material): | |
| self.origin = origin | |
| self.radius = radius | |
| self.material = material | |
| def intersects(self, ray): | |
| """ | |
| If `ray` intersects sphere, return the distance at which it does; | |
| otherwise, `None`. | |
| """ | |
| sphere_to_ray = ray.origin - self.origin | |
| b = 2 * ray.direction * sphere_to_ray | |
| c = sphere_to_ray ** 2 - self.radius ** 2 | |
| discriminant = b ** 2 - 4 * c | |
| if discriminant >= 0: | |
| dist = (-b - math.sqrt(discriminant)) / 2 | |
| if dist > 0: | |
| return dist | |
| def surface_norm(self, pt): | |
| """ | |
| Return the surface normal to the sphere at `pt`. | |
| """ | |
| return (pt - self.origin).normalize() | |
| class Material: | |
| def __init__(self, color, specular=0.5, lambert=1, ambient=0.2): | |
| self.color = color | |
| self.specular = specular | |
| self.lambert = lambert | |
| self.ambient = ambient | |
| class Ray: | |
| """ | |
| A mathematical ray. | |
| """ | |
| def __init__(self, origin, direction): | |
| self.origin = origin | |
| self.direction = direction.normalize() | |
| def point_at_dist(self, dist): | |
| return self.origin + self.direction * dist | |
| def pixels_to_ppm(pixels): | |
| """ | |
| Convert `pixels`, a 2D array of `Color`s, into a PPM P3 string. | |
| """ | |
| header = "P3 {} {} 255\n".format(len(pixels[0]), len(pixels)) | |
| img_data_rows = [] | |
| for row in pixels: | |
| pixel_strs = [ | |
| " ".join([str(int(color)) for color in pixel]) for pixel in row] | |
| img_data_rows.append(" ".join(pixel_strs)) | |
| return header + "\n".join(img_data_rows) | |
| if __name__ == "__main__": | |
| objects = [ | |
| Sphere( | |
| Point(150, 120, -20), 80, Material(Color(0xFF, 0, 0), | |
| specular=0.2)), | |
| Sphere( | |
| Point(420, 120, 0), 100, Material(Color(0, 0, 0xFF), | |
| specular=0.8)), | |
| Sphere(Point(320, 240, -40), 50, Material(Color(0, 0xFF, 0))), | |
| Sphere( | |
| Point(300, 200, 200), 100, Material(Color(0xFF, 0xFF, 0), | |
| specular=0.8)), | |
| Sphere(Point(300, 130, 100), 40, Material(Color(0xFF, 0, 0xFF))), | |
| Sphere(Point(300, 1000, 0), 700, Material(Color(0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF), | |
| lambert=0.5)), | |
| ] | |
| lights = [Point(200, -100, 0), Point(600, 200, -200)] | |
| camera = Point(200, 200, -400) | |
| scene = Scene(camera, objects, lights, 600, 400) | |
| pixels = scene.render() | |
| with open("image.ppm", "w") as img_file: | |
| img_file.write(pixels_to_ppm(pixels)) |
could be simpler if you used more vanilla python style
and the more geometric for of the sphere intersection algorithm