The goal is to recreate the Art Institute of Chicago. The grounds are expansive with many rooms housing various exhibits, likely beyond what we could download over the Web for a real-time exhibit. So, we chose instead to display the main atrium highlighting its major features. What impresses people the most about the museum's architecture is the strength of the columns supporting the structure and the balanced lighting—there are no dark shadows. This is, however, not ambient lighting, which would wash out the beveling of the support columns.
For real-time 3D graphics, this presents a dilemma: pervasive ambient light often flattens out the look of 3D. What gives 3D its look is the shading or fall off of light around the edges. Yet, here we want to feature the columns, if for no other reason but to pay tribute to this sanctuary of art.
Main hall of the Art Institute of Chicago
One way to display the museum's interior would be to model the columns in 3D. This would...
