Take this class (instead of, or in addition to 77/177) if you want to obtain a deep technical understanding of the physically based rendering techniques used to produce photorealistic images in animated films, visual effects, or architectural and product visualizations.

Students will learn how light behaves and interacts with objects in the real world and how to translate the underlying math and physics into practical algorithms for creating photorealistic images. The course will provide a detailed treatment of the industry-standard Monte Carlo methods for light transport simulation, such as path tracing, bidirectional path tracing, and photon mapping. Each major topic will also be accompanied by a programming assignment where students implement these algorithms within their own software framework to obtain practical experience.

ORC listing