The following things are on my mind right now, and I really want to learn more about them/have the time to use them or participate in them/come up with brilliant things based on them.

  • OpenCL is a standard interface for programming GPUs or CPUs (think: Cell processor) in a unified way. They’ve solved the problem of making something generic that also has the ability to use every smidgeon of computing power that you throw at it. I can’t wait to use it to implement the main Eve compositor.
  • The CS Games 2009 Flashout video for the U of T team.
  • Raytracing has been on my mind for nearly a week now, ever since the final assignment specification for CSC418 (Computer Graphics) was posted. It’s already casting rays and intersecting with spheres correctly. Next up is to implement a generic framework to allow for distribution of rays, so that I can flick them on and off whenever I want (these are the Features I was talking about previously). With this generic framework, the renderer could model soft shadows, motion blur, chromatic dispersion, and depth-of-field in the same way (before optimization).
  • Should I name my raytracer? It seems premature and cocky at this point, especially if I’m just going to drop it after the assignment is complete. There’s enough interesting stuff happening in raytracing that will make me want to continue, however. The key word here is probably want.
  • I’m looking forward to going back home for the university’s Reading Week. That’s not always the case (and I’m usually sick during it), which is why it’s exciting that I am not and am (respectively) this year.
  • I’m eagerly awaiting the response to the NSERC application I’m involved in, especially because the project behind it is so interesting. I’ll elaborate if the response is positive!