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The differences are subtle, but marble, left, scatters light beneath its surface differently than jade, right, in these computer-generated images based on a model of the same statue. Whether it's a rare jade figurine or an ice sculpture, how light passes through a translucent surface is key to its appearance, and humans are sensitive to subtle differences in the result. So Cornell researchers, with colleagues at Harvard and MIT, are using the techniques of perceptual psychology to find out how to create realistic computer graphics of translucent materials. They have discovered that a previously overlooked bit of math is the key. Their results were reported at the 2013 SIGGRAPH conference, July 21-25 in Anaheim, Calif., and were published in the August issue of ACM Transactions in Graphics. Artists could use computer graphics to guide their work on real-world objects, said Kavita Bala, associate professor of computer science. "You could work with clay, scan it in and see if the real sculpture would look as gorgeous as you hoped," she said.
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