IBL in GUI for mobile devices

Abstract: Mobile phones are here to stay, and the interaction with them is an evolving process. Designing software for mobile devices poses new challenges not seen in desktop computer environments. Screen size, performance and inputs, are just a few areas where they significantly differ. Although, intriguingly the gap between them is narrowing. Devices are now able to do things previously only restricted to PCs. The graphics chip integrated with high-end devices of today and tomorrow has capabilities worth exploring. With more power and advanced shader support, techniques such as image based lighting becomes worth exploring. To solve the problem described in this thesis I built a framework for image processing. This framework is further described indirectly throughout the report and is available upon request. The framework is never the focus of the report since any framework should suffice and the developed framework should not hinder the reader’s own experimentations. The purpose of this thesis is to see whether image based lighting (IBL) and image based rendering (IBR) is feasible with a mobile phone, as well as explore which applications it would suit for. Also, examining if it can be combined with high dynamic range imaging (HDRI) to enhance the user experience. Both IBL/IBR and HDRI might be new terms for the reader; if so I encourage you to read 2.2 for a deeper understanding.