Eihachiro Nakamae is a Professor in the Electric Machinery Laboratory at Hiroshima University. He has been studying computer graphics since 1968. One of the main aims of his works is to simulate the lighting effects. His previous works: "Scenes at a Street Corner", "The Sky", "CG Town", "A Visitor on a Foggy Night", "Feast of Light", "Still Life Etude-1", and "Interior Light and Shadow", were screened on the SIGGRAPH Film and Video Show and animation screening room.

The animation "A Passing Shower" aims at realistic visual simulation of outdoor scenes.

Technical Background

In order to render photorealistic images such as wet road surfaces, solar penumbra, streaks of light, etc. the following novel techniques are employed:

1. A procedural bump mapping technique for modeling road surfaces and reflection model for rendering wet road surfaces and puddles.


2. A shadow model with penumbra effects taking into account the size of the sun.


3. A diffraction model of the pupil and eyelashes for rendering blooming effect and streaks of light.