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ARCH 481: 3D Modeling and Rendering, University of Washington, Department of Architecture

Glossary

Instructor: Brian Johnson, Autumn Quarter, 2014

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Cosine shading
(aka "lambert's Law)

DEFINITION
Cosine shading refers to the simplest and most common shading algorithm used in visualization software. This algorithm utilizes the cosine of the angle between the surface normal and a light source in order to calculate the intensity of light reflected from the surface.

I_s = I_i k_s cos θ

EXPLANATION
Shading algorithms are responsible for calculating the color used to represent the 3D object's surface in a rendering, usually taking into account ligthts, surface colors, shadows, and so on.

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Last updated: May, 2014
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