Jacco Bikker 🎦
@jbikker.bsky.social
Interests: Graphics 🖼️, Game development 🕹️, Retrodev (MSX / MSX2) 👾. Ray Tracing 📈! Also interested in, but not posting on: Teaching 🎓, piano 𝄞, marriage 🧑🏻🤝🧑🏻, Christianity ✝.
Today in the Graphics Guild of Breda University: Going 3D on a 1984 platform. By cheating, obviously. #MSX #thisisigad
November 14, 2025 at 6:03 AM
Today in the Graphics Guild of Breda University: Going 3D on a 1984 platform. By cheating, obviously. #MSX #thisisigad
Went to a Van Gogh thing today. It had AI. Not disappointed.
October 16, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Went to a Van Gogh thing today. It had AI. Not disappointed.
Stumbled upon this by accident:
SideFX Houdini 21.0 is using TinyBVH.
www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini...
www.sidefx.com/docs/hdk/_c_...
Not sure what it is used for precisely, but it's pretty cool nevertheless!
SideFX Houdini 21.0 is using TinyBVH.
www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini...
www.sidefx.com/docs/hdk/_c_...
Not sure what it is used for precisely, but it's pretty cool nevertheless!
September 23, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Stumbled upon this by accident:
SideFX Houdini 21.0 is using TinyBVH.
www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini...
www.sidefx.com/docs/hdk/_c_...
Not sure what it is used for precisely, but it's pretty cool nevertheless!
SideFX Houdini 21.0 is using TinyBVH.
www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini...
www.sidefx.com/docs/hdk/_c_...
Not sure what it is used for precisely, but it's pretty cool nevertheless!
Just stumbled upon this ancient PcPersective article on real-time ray tracing.. In 2008. :)
pcper.com/2008/06/ray-...
It details the story of nine students (Karim, Wussie, Rick, Jan, Rutger, Trevor, Mathijs, Roel, Wilco) who worked in various roles on CPU-ray traced games using the Arauna engine.
pcper.com/2008/06/ray-...
It details the story of nine students (Karim, Wussie, Rick, Jan, Rutger, Trevor, Mathijs, Roel, Wilco) who worked in various roles on CPU-ray traced games using the Arauna engine.
September 18, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Just stumbled upon this ancient PcPersective article on real-time ray tracing.. In 2008. :)
pcper.com/2008/06/ray-...
It details the story of nine students (Karim, Wussie, Rick, Jan, Rutger, Trevor, Mathijs, Roel, Wilco) who worked in various roles on CPU-ray traced games using the Arauna engine.
pcper.com/2008/06/ray-...
It details the story of nine students (Karim, Wussie, Rick, Jan, Rutger, Trevor, Mathijs, Roel, Wilco) who worked in various roles on CPU-ray traced games using the Arauna engine.
NVIDIA's new hair tech seems a bit weird. It accelerates "linear swept spheres", and it looks "smooth from a distance". Anything does, NVIDIA. But, why didn't you implement the commonly used "Phantom Ray-Hair Intersector" (cheap spline hair)? And why is this fixed functionality in the first place?
August 22, 2025 at 2:13 PM
NVIDIA's new hair tech seems a bit weird. It accelerates "linear swept spheres", and it looks "smooth from a distance". Anything does, NVIDIA. But, why didn't you implement the commonly used "Phantom Ray-Hair Intersector" (cheap spline hair)? And why is this fixed functionality in the first place?
It's summer and TinyBVH updates are slow, but something cool happened nevetheless:
Florent Le Moël sends word that Python bindings for TinyBVH are now available.
Check out the repo:
github.com/FlorentLM/py...
Great stuff!
Florent Le Moël sends word that Python bindings for TinyBVH are now available.
Check out the repo:
github.com/FlorentLM/py...
Great stuff!
August 11, 2025 at 11:28 AM
It's summer and TinyBVH updates are slow, but something cool happened nevetheless:
Florent Le Moël sends word that Python bindings for TinyBVH are now available.
Check out the repo:
github.com/FlorentLM/py...
Great stuff!
Florent Le Moël sends word that Python bindings for TinyBVH are now available.
Check out the repo:
github.com/FlorentLM/py...
Great stuff!
After some responses here I tried Fedora. This is with default options, installing to 500GB unallocated space on an SSD that contains Windows in the allocated space. Sigh.
July 17, 2025 at 10:31 AM
After some responses here I tried Fedora. This is with default options, installing to 500GB unallocated space on an SSD that contains Windows in the allocated space. Sigh.
Got some sweet lego souvenir at HPG. And: Found a totally unrelated but cool minion at a thrift shop today.
Ok, back to ray tracing. :)
Ok, back to ray tracing. :)
June 28, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Got some sweet lego souvenir at HPG. And: Found a totally unrelated but cool minion at a thrift shop today.
Ok, back to ray tracing. :)
Ok, back to ray tracing. :)
Enjoying a presentation by Peter Shirley of "Spherical Harmonic Exponentials for Efficient Glossy Reflections" by Silvernoinen et al., at #HPG2025. Great presenter & idea.
June 24, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Enjoying a presentation by Peter Shirley of "Spherical Harmonic Exponentials for Efficient Glossy Reflections" by Silvernoinen et al., at #HPG2025. Great presenter & idea.
Saw that "The Witcher 4" UE5 tech demo with the voxel trees for fast rendering at a distance?
I figured... that should be easy to do in TinyBVH. :) So now TinyBVH can do voxel meshes. Attached video: CPU-only, switching between BVH and voxels.
Code in tiny_bvh_foliage.cpp: github.com/jbikker/tiny...
I figured... that should be easy to do in TinyBVH. :) So now TinyBVH can do voxel meshes. Attached video: CPU-only, switching between BVH and voxels.
Code in tiny_bvh_foliage.cpp: github.com/jbikker/tiny...
June 13, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Saw that "The Witcher 4" UE5 tech demo with the voxel trees for fast rendering at a distance?
I figured... that should be easy to do in TinyBVH. :) So now TinyBVH can do voxel meshes. Attached video: CPU-only, switching between BVH and voxels.
Code in tiny_bvh_foliage.cpp: github.com/jbikker/tiny...
I figured... that should be easy to do in TinyBVH. :) So now TinyBVH can do voxel meshes. Attached video: CPU-only, switching between BVH and voxels.
Code in tiny_bvh_foliage.cpp: github.com/jbikker/tiny...
New in the TinyBVH dev branch: threaded building. All builders (except full sweep) just got 3x faster, assuming you're not running them in parallel.
github.com/jbikker/tiny...
github.com/jbikker/tiny...
June 11, 2025 at 5:23 PM
New in the TinyBVH dev branch: threaded building. All builders (except full sweep) just got 3x faster, assuming you're not running them in parallel.
github.com/jbikker/tiny...
github.com/jbikker/tiny...
TinyBVH has been updated to 1.5.6 on the main branch. This release brings two new examples:
* Minimal OpenGL / compute shader traversal example
* OpenCL TLAS/BLAS 'tinyscene' demo (see video).
Example 2 uses Lighthouse 2 scene data with materials and full GLTF animation.
github.com/jbikker/tiny...
* Minimal OpenGL / compute shader traversal example
* OpenCL TLAS/BLAS 'tinyscene' demo (see video).
Example 2 uses Lighthouse 2 scene data with materials and full GLTF animation.
github.com/jbikker/tiny...
June 7, 2025 at 12:05 PM
TinyBVH has been updated to 1.5.6 on the main branch. This release brings two new examples:
* Minimal OpenGL / compute shader traversal example
* OpenCL TLAS/BLAS 'tinyscene' demo (see video).
Example 2 uses Lighthouse 2 scene data with materials and full GLTF animation.
github.com/jbikker/tiny...
* Minimal OpenGL / compute shader traversal example
* OpenCL TLAS/BLAS 'tinyscene' demo (see video).
Example 2 uses Lighthouse 2 scene data with materials and full GLTF animation.
github.com/jbikker/tiny...
Now available: A blog post on (S)BVH optimization.
The article describes how to improve beyond SBVH quality, often significantly. Results are compared to full-sweep, binned SAH and the H-PLOC.
In short: Off-line BVH construction can double ray tracing performance.
jacco.ompf2.com/2025/05/20/b...
The article describes how to improve beyond SBVH quality, often significantly. Results are compared to full-sweep, binned SAH and the H-PLOC.
In short: Off-line BVH construction can double ray tracing performance.
jacco.ompf2.com/2025/05/20/b...
May 20, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Now available: A blog post on (S)BVH optimization.
The article describes how to improve beyond SBVH quality, often significantly. Results are compared to full-sweep, binned SAH and the H-PLOC.
In short: Off-line BVH construction can double ray tracing performance.
jacco.ompf2.com/2025/05/20/b...
The article describes how to improve beyond SBVH quality, often significantly. Results are compared to full-sweep, binned SAH and the H-PLOC.
In short: Off-line BVH construction can double ray tracing performance.
jacco.ompf2.com/2025/05/20/b...
If you haven't tried it yet, consider getting Clair Obscur 33. It's a *very* good game for older gamers. :) You can do short sessions and there is surprises around every corner. And it just oozes quality.
May 8, 2025 at 1:21 PM
If you haven't tried it yet, consider getting Clair Obscur 33. It's a *very* good game for older gamers. :) You can do short sessions and there is surprises around every corner. And it just oozes quality.
Results (1):
The optimal SBVH for the Bistro scene is obtained when using 121 split planes. The SAH cost of this tree is 54.36, the average ray cost is 29.974. TinyBVH by default uses 8 bins, with an SAH of 56.8 and a ray cost of 31.99. So, the higher bin count yields a 6.7% better BVH.
The optimal SBVH for the Bistro scene is obtained when using 121 split planes. The SAH cost of this tree is 54.36, the average ray cost is 29.974. TinyBVH by default uses 8 bins, with an SAH of 56.8 and a ray cost of 31.99. So, the higher bin count yields a 6.7% better BVH.
April 22, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Results (1):
The optimal SBVH for the Bistro scene is obtained when using 121 split planes. The SAH cost of this tree is 54.36, the average ray cost is 29.974. TinyBVH by default uses 8 bins, with an SAH of 56.8 and a ray cost of 31.99. So, the higher bin count yields a 6.7% better BVH.
The optimal SBVH for the Bistro scene is obtained when using 121 split planes. The SAH cost of this tree is 54.36, the average ray cost is 29.974. TinyBVH by default uses 8 bins, with an SAH of 56.8 and a ray cost of 31.99. So, the higher bin count yields a 6.7% better BVH.
Progress on the quest to the Ultimate BVH.
Two observations:
1. You can optimize a BVH, using "Fast Insertion-Based Optimization".
2. "Spatial Splits" (SBVH) beats an optimized BVH, narrowly.
Two challenges:
1. SBVH practically must use binning
2. SBVH doesn't benefit from optimization.
Now what?
Two observations:
1. You can optimize a BVH, using "Fast Insertion-Based Optimization".
2. "Spatial Splits" (SBVH) beats an optimized BVH, narrowly.
Two challenges:
1. SBVH practically must use binning
2. SBVH doesn't benefit from optimization.
Now what?
April 22, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Progress on the quest to the Ultimate BVH.
Two observations:
1. You can optimize a BVH, using "Fast Insertion-Based Optimization".
2. "Spatial Splits" (SBVH) beats an optimized BVH, narrowly.
Two challenges:
1. SBVH practically must use binning
2. SBVH doesn't benefit from optimization.
Now what?
Two observations:
1. You can optimize a BVH, using "Fast Insertion-Based Optimization".
2. "Spatial Splits" (SBVH) beats an optimized BVH, narrowly.
Two challenges:
1. SBVH practically must use binning
2. SBVH doesn't benefit from optimization.
Now what?
Grading for Y1/Block C @ Breda University is complete.
Our students used path tracing, BVHs, reprojection, blue noise, post-processing, importance sampling, MIP-mapping, bilinear interpolation and tons of other ingredients to build a CPU ray tracer + game. Behold, the gamedevs of 2028!
Our students used path tracing, BVHs, reprojection, blue noise, post-processing, importance sampling, MIP-mapping, bilinear interpolation and tons of other ingredients to build a CPU ray tracer + game. Behold, the gamedevs of 2028!
April 17, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Grading for Y1/Block C @ Breda University is complete.
Our students used path tracing, BVHs, reprojection, blue noise, post-processing, importance sampling, MIP-mapping, bilinear interpolation and tons of other ingredients to build a CPU ray tracer + game. Behold, the gamedevs of 2028!
Our students used path tracing, BVHs, reprojection, blue noise, post-processing, importance sampling, MIP-mapping, bilinear interpolation and tons of other ingredients to build a CPU ray tracer + game. Behold, the gamedevs of 2028!
Still grading Y1/Block C for Breda University. Here's some work by Okke Roelofsen. Using a custom CPU path tracer and TinyBVH, all built in just 8 weeks.
Also check the gorgeous photo mode!
Also check the gorgeous photo mode!
April 16, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Still grading Y1/Block C for Breda University. Here's some work by Okke Roelofsen. Using a custom CPU path tracer and TinyBVH, all built in just 8 weeks.
Also check the gorgeous photo mode!
Also check the gorgeous photo mode!
Grading Year1 /Block C for Breda University / IGAD is such a delight. Behold this CUDA-powered path tracer produced in just eight weeks by Tamara Heeffer!
The engine uses TinyBVH for software raytracing on the GPU.
The engine uses TinyBVH for software raytracing on the GPU.
April 15, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Grading Year1 /Block C for Breda University / IGAD is such a delight. Behold this CUDA-powered path tracer produced in just eight weeks by Tamara Heeffer!
The engine uses TinyBVH for software raytracing on the GPU.
The engine uses TinyBVH for software raytracing on the GPU.
This year, the 𝗛𝗣𝗚 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 is all about one of the most influential HPG papers from the last 10 years:
Schied et al.'s "Spatiotemporal Variance-Guided Filtering".
More information about the student competition can be found on the website: highperformancegraphics.org/2025/student...
Schied et al.'s "Spatiotemporal Variance-Guided Filtering".
More information about the student competition can be found on the website: highperformancegraphics.org/2025/student...
April 1, 2025 at 8:35 AM
This year, the 𝗛𝗣𝗚 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 is all about one of the most influential HPG papers from the last 10 years:
Schied et al.'s "Spatiotemporal Variance-Guided Filtering".
More information about the student competition can be found on the website: highperformancegraphics.org/2025/student...
Schied et al.'s "Spatiotemporal Variance-Guided Filtering".
More information about the student competition can be found on the website: highperformancegraphics.org/2025/student...
TIL:
Profiling on Windows verus Linux. Don't look at the actual numbers, these are different CPUs (i3-7100 versus a more recent i7 I believe). But that variance...
On Linux: About 1% (it's a bit worse between restarts).
On Windows: 9% and higher.
I didn't know it was that bad.
Profiling on Windows verus Linux. Don't look at the actual numbers, these are different CPUs (i3-7100 versus a more recent i7 I believe). But that variance...
On Linux: About 1% (it's a bit worse between restarts).
On Windows: 9% and higher.
I didn't know it was that bad.
March 27, 2025 at 5:01 PM
TIL:
Profiling on Windows verus Linux. Don't look at the actual numbers, these are different CPUs (i3-7100 versus a more recent i7 I believe). But that variance...
On Linux: About 1% (it's a bit worse between restarts).
On Windows: 9% and higher.
I didn't know it was that bad.
Profiling on Windows verus Linux. Don't look at the actual numbers, these are different CPUs (i3-7100 versus a more recent i7 I believe). But that variance...
On Linux: About 1% (it's a bit worse between restarts).
On Windows: 9% and higher.
I didn't know it was that bad.
Looks like rendered cheese has the same issue. It's a bit hard to see though. This is with Modo's translucency shader (community.foundry.com/discuss/topi...).
March 10, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Looks like rendered cheese has the same issue. It's a bit hard to see though. This is with Modo's translucency shader (community.foundry.com/discuss/topi...).
Does anyone know why cheese does this? See picture: The edges of the cheese (marked in blue in second image) appear 'dirty' (they are not), then, around that we get a bright line (the expected sub-surface scattering), then darkness (also expected). What causes the thin dark line? I'm really curious.
March 10, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Does anyone know why cheese does this? See picture: The edges of the cheese (marked in blue in second image) appear 'dirty' (they are not), then, around that we get a bright line (the expected sub-surface scattering), then darkness (also expected). What causes the thin dark line? I'm really curious.
TinyBVH contributor wuyakuma just filed a PR that enables OpenCL support on MacOS. The result is... interesting. See screenshot. It actually says '16.2 BILLION RAYS PER SECOND'. What. :)
It actually produces correct output so this is not simply an error either.
It actually produces correct output so this is not simply an error either.
March 2, 2025 at 5:34 PM
TinyBVH contributor wuyakuma just filed a PR that enables OpenCL support on MacOS. The result is... interesting. See screenshot. It actually says '16.2 BILLION RAYS PER SECOND'. What. :)
It actually produces correct output so this is not simply an error either.
It actually produces correct output so this is not simply an error either.