🌟 C++ Ray Tracer

Welcome to C++ Ray Tracer – a modern, multi-threaded ray tracing engine written in C++. This project is designed as a learning tool: experiment with materials, build your own scenes, and discover the fundamentals of computer graphics, one pixel at a time!

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Example Output

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Features

• Physically-based rendering: Realistic lighting, reflections, and refractions
• Multi-threaded: Fast rendering using all your CPU cores
• Modular design: Easy to extend with new objects and materials
• Gamma-corrected output: Images look great on any display
• PNG export: High-quality output via stb_image_write.h

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Quick Start

Build

mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make

Run

./bin/MyRayTracer

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Project Structure

include/   # Header files (Vec3, Color, Scene, etc.)
src/       # Source code
bin/       # Compiled binaries
build/     # Build artifacts

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How It Works

• Rays are cast from a virtual camera into a 3D scene.
• Objects (like spheres) are intersected, and materials determine their appearance.
• Lighting, shadows, and reflections are computed recursively.
• The final image is written to a PNG file.

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Credits

• stb_image_write.h by Sean Barrett
• Inspired by Peter Shirley’s "Ray Tracing in One Weekend" series