Speaker: Weidlich, Andrea
Abstract
Efficiently simulating material appearances is a cornerstone in generating realistic imagery in content creation. While the overarching goal remains consistent across industries, the specific requirements and methodologies diverge significantly based on the intended application.
In this talk, we will discuss the divergent strategies employed by different industries in tackling the challenge of material simulation. We will discuss how modern VFX content creation pipelines are built and investigate some of their unique design choices and their implication on appearance modelling. Additionally, we will look at the transformative potential of neural network-driven approaches, offering insights into their potential to shift traditional paradigms of material representation and the novel research challenges they will bring.
Bio
Andrea Weidlich is a principal researcher and joined Nvidia in 2022 where she is part of the realtime graphics research team. Before, she worked for eight years at Weta Digital where she designed the material system attached to Weta’s proprietary physically-based renderer, Manuka, and spent several years in the automotive industry.
Her main research areas are appearance modelling and material prototyping as well as spectral image synthesis. Andrea holds a Master of Arts in Applied Media from University of Applied Arts, Vienna and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Vienna University of Technology.