WebGL Engine2024
Prism Trace
A WebGL path tracing engine running directly in the browser with real-time global illumination and physically-based rendering.
The Brief
Cinematic rendering in real-time.
Path tracing has traditionally been the domain of offline rendering farms. Prism Trace brings this technology to the browser, enabling real-time global illumination, soft shadows, and accurate material representation.
The engine uses progressive rendering techniques, starting with a noisy image that converges to photorealistic quality over time, all while maintaining interactive frame rates.
Technical Architecture
Three.js
Scene management and camera controls providing a familiar API for 3D developers.
GLSL
Custom shaders implementing Monte Carlo path tracing with bidirectional rendering and importance sampling.
WebGPU
Next-generation graphics API for compute-heavy ray tracing operations with explicit GPU control.
Design for Immersion
Prism Trace demonstrates the potential of browser-based rendering for architectural visualization, product design, and interactive art. The engine handles complex lighting scenarios that previously required dedicated workstations.
Performance
60 FPS Interactive
Rays/Pixel
1024 Samples
Role
Graphics Engineer
Client
Research Project
Date
Q2 2024
Collaborators
Graphics Research Group WebGPU Community
Next Project