Physically based shading has transformed the way we approach production rendering and simplified the lives of artists in the process. By employing shading models that adhere to physical principles, one can readily create high-quality, realistic materials that maintain their appearance under a variety of lighting environments. In contrast, traditional ad hoc models required extensive tweaking to achieve comparable results – due to less intuitive behavior or unnecessary complexity – and were liable to break under different illumination.

Consequently, physically based models have become widely adopted in film and game production, particularly because they are often no more difficult to implement or evaluate. But physically based shading is not a solved problem, so the aim of this course is to share the latest theory as well as lessons from production.

The course begins with a brief introduction to the physics and mathematics of shading, before delving into some exciting new research in the field. Next, speakers from film and game studios share examples of how physically based shading models have been used in production. New research is introduced, and its practical application in production is explained Then the advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Real-world examples are emphasized throughout the course.