New graphics card enables speedy lighting simulation

In recent years, LucidShape has improved its speed for optical simulation by using modern algorithms, multithreading, tessellation, distributed computing, and other methods. Now, the two companies who introduced LucidShape (Beacon Concepts and Brandenburg GmbH) are taking these methods to the next level with GPUtrace. Modern graphics cards have additional computing power that can be used to speed up the simulation, which results in a quantum leap in speed.

The heart of every computer is the Central Processing Unit (CPU). All actions of the computer are handled by this little chip. The faster the CPU, the faster the programs will run. Every modern graphics card has a GPU on board that currently has up to 512 small processors, which are optimized to perform geometrical calculations. The new GPUtrace uses those processors to perform the calculations needed for the simulation.

LucidShape is reportedly the first optical simulation software that takes advantage of this cutting-edge technology. The speed increase is significant (30 times faster). Future improvements on graphic cards are promising a greater increase in performance during the next few years. Every LucidShape model can be traced with this new technology without any further modifications.

For more information, contact Beacon Concepts LLC, P.O. Box 626, Windham, NH 03087. Phone: (603) 490-7513.