source: GTP/trunk/Lib/Vis/Preprocessing/src/SamplingStrategy.cpp @ 2575

#include "SamplingStrategy.h"
#include "Ray.h"
#include "Intersectable.h"
#include "Preprocessor.h"
#include "ViewCellsManager.h"
#include "AxisAlignedBox3.h"
#include "RssTree.h"
#include "Mutation.h"
#include "FilterBasedDistribution.h"
#include "DifferenceSampling.h"


#ifdef PERFTIMER
#include "Timer/PerfTimer.h"
#endif

namespace GtpVisibilityPreprocessor {


#ifdef PERFTIMER
extern PerfTimer haltonTimer;
extern PerfTimer pvsTimer;
extern PerfTimer viewCellCastTimer;
#endif
  
//HaltonSequence SamplingStrategy::sHalton;

HaltonSequence ObjectBasedDistribution::sHalton;
HaltonSequence MixtureDistribution::sHalton;
HaltonSequence GlobalLinesDistribution::sHalton;
HaltonSequence SpatialBoxBasedDistribution::sHalton;
HaltonSequence ObjectDirectionBasedDistribution::sHalton;
HaltonSequence DirectionBasedDistribution::sHalton;
HaltonSequence HwGlobalLinesDistribution::sHalton;

HaltonSequence ViewCellBasedDistribution::sHalton;

SamplingStrategy::SamplingStrategy(Preprocessor &preprocessor): 
mPreprocessor(preprocessor), 
mRatio(1.0f),  
mTotalRays(0), 
mTotalContribution(0.0f)
{  
}


SamplingStrategy::~SamplingStrategy() 
{
}

int
SamplingStrategy::GenerateSamples(const int number,
                                                                  SimpleRayContainer &rays)
{
        SimpleRay ray;
        int samples = 0;
        int i = 0;
        const int maxTries = 20;
        // tmp changed matt. Q: should one rejected sample 
        // terminate the whole method?
        for (; i < number; i++) 
        {
                int j = 0;
                bool sampleGenerated = false;

                for (j = 0; !sampleGenerated && (j < maxTries); ++ j)
                {
                        sampleGenerated = GenerateSample(ray);

                        if (sampleGenerated)
                        {               
                                ++ samples;
                                rays.push_back(ray);
                        }
                }
        }

        return samples;
}


/*********************************************************************/
/*            Individual sampling strategies implementation          */
/*********************************************************************/


bool ObjectBasedDistribution::GenerateSample(SimpleRay &ray)
{
  Vector3 origin, direction; 
  
  float r[5];
  sHalton.GetNext(5, r);
  
  mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->GetViewPoint(origin,
                                                                                                Vector3(r[2],r[3],r[4]));
  

  Vector3 point, normal;
  
  r[0] *= (float)mPreprocessor.mObjects.size() - 1;
  const int i = (int)r[0];
  
  Intersectable *object = mPreprocessor.mObjects[i];
  
  // take the remainder as a parameter over objects surface
  r[0] -= (float)i;
  
  object->GetRandomSurfacePoint(r[0], r[1], point, normal);
  
  direction = point - origin;
  
  const float c = Magnitude(direction);
  
  if (c <= Limits::Small) 
        return false;
  
  // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
  const float pdf = 1.0f;
  
  direction *= 1.0f / c;
  ray = SimpleRay(origin, direction, OBJECT_BASED_DISTRIBUTION, pdf);
  
  return true;
}


bool
ObjectDirectionBasedDistribution::GenerateSample(SimpleRay &ray)
{       
  Vector3 origin, direction; 


  float r[4];
  sHalton.GetNext(4, r);

  //  static Halton<4> halton;
  //  halton.GetNext(r);
  
  r[0] *= (float)mPreprocessor.mObjects.size() - 1;
  const int i = (int)r[0];
  
  Intersectable *object = mPreprocessor.mObjects[i];
  
  // take the remainder as a parameter over objects surface
  r[0] -= (float)i;

  Vector3 normal;

  object->GetRandomSurfacePoint(r[0], r[1], origin, normal);
  
  direction = Normalize(CosineRandomVector(r[2], r[3], normal));
  
  origin += 1e-2f*direction;
  
  // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
  const float pdf = 1.0f;
  
  ray = SimpleRay(origin, direction, OBJECT_DIRECTION_BASED_DISTRIBUTION, pdf);
  
  return true;
}


bool DirectionBasedDistribution::GenerateSample(SimpleRay &ray)
{       

  float r[5];
  sHalton.GetNext(5, r);

  Vector3 origin, direction; 
  mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->GetViewPoint(origin,
                                                                                                Vector3(r[2],r[3],r[4])
                                                                                                );
  
  direction = UniformRandomVector(r[0], r[1]);
  const float c = Magnitude(direction);
  
  if (c <= Limits::Small) 
        return false;
  
  const float pdf = 1.0f;
  
  direction *= 1.0f / c;
  ray = SimpleRay(origin, direction, DIRECTION_BASED_DISTRIBUTION, pdf);
  
  return true;
}


bool DirectionBoxBasedDistribution::GenerateSample(SimpleRay &ray)
{
        Vector3 origin, direction; 
        mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->GetViewPoint(origin);

        const float alpha = RandomValue(0.0f, 2.0f * (float)M_PI);
        const float beta = RandomValue((float)-M_PI * 0.5f, (float)M_PI * 0.5f);
        
        direction = VssRay::GetDirection(alpha, beta);
        
        const float c = Magnitude(direction);

        if (c <= Limits::Small) 
                return false;

        const float pdf = 1.0f;

        direction *= 1.0f / c;
        ray = SimpleRay(origin, direction, DIRECTION_BOX_BASED_DISTRIBUTION, pdf);

        return true;
}


bool SpatialBoxBasedDistribution::GenerateSample(SimpleRay &ray)
{

        Vector3 origin, direction; 

        float r[6];
        sHalton.GetNext(6, r);
        
        mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->GetViewPoint(origin, Vector3(r[0],
                                                                                                                                  r[1],
                                                                                                                                  r[2]));

        direction = mPreprocessor.mKdTree->GetBox().GetRandomPoint(Vector3(r[3],
                                                                                                                                           r[4],
                                                                                                                                           r[5])
                                                                                                                           ) - origin;
        
        const float c = Magnitude(direction);

        if (c <= Limits::Small) 
                return false;

        const float pdf = 1.0f;

        direction *= 1.0f / c;
        ray = SimpleRay(origin, direction, SPATIAL_BOX_BASED_DISTRIBUTION, pdf);
  
        return true;
}


bool ReverseObjectBasedDistribution::GenerateSample(SimpleRay &ray)
{
        Vector3 origin, direction; 

        mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->GetViewPoint(origin);

        Vector3 point;
        Vector3 normal;
        
        const int i = (int)RandomValue(0, (float)mPreprocessor.mObjects.size() - 0.5f);

        Intersectable *object = mPreprocessor.mObjects[i];

        object->GetRandomSurfacePoint(point, normal);
        
        direction = origin - point;
        
        // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
        const float c = Magnitude(direction);
        
        if ((c <= Limits::Small) || (DotProd(direction, normal) < 0))
        {
                return false;
        }

        // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
        const float pdf = 1.0f;
        
        direction *= 1.0f / c;
        // a little offset
        point += direction * 0.001f;

        ray = SimpleRay(point, direction, REVERSE_OBJECT_BASED_DISTRIBUTION, pdf);
        
        return true;
}


bool ViewCellBorderBasedDistribution::GenerateSample(SimpleRay &ray)
{
        Vector3 origin, direction; 

        ViewCellContainer &viewCells = mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->GetViewCells();

        Vector3 point;
        Vector3 normal, normal2;
        
        const int vcIdx = (int)RandomValue(0, (float)viewCells.size() - 0.5f);
        const int objIdx = (int)RandomValue(0, (float)mPreprocessor.mObjects.size() - 0.5f);

        Intersectable *object = mPreprocessor.mObjects[objIdx];
        ViewCell *viewCell = viewCells[vcIdx];

        object->GetRandomSurfacePoint(point, normal);
        viewCell->GetRandomEdgePoint(origin, normal2);

        direction = point - origin;

        // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
        const float c = Magnitude(direction);

        if ((c <= Limits::Small) /*|| (DotProd(direction, normal) < 0)*/)
        {
                return false;
        }

        // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
        const float pdf = 1.0f;
        //cout << "p: " << point << " ";
        direction *= 1.0f / c;
        ray = SimpleRay(origin, direction, VIEWCELL_BORDER_BASED_DISTRIBUTION, pdf);

        //cout << "ray: " << ray.mOrigin << " " << ray.mDirection << endl;

        return true;
}


bool ReverseViewSpaceBorderBasedDistribution::GenerateSample(SimpleRay &ray)
{
        Vector3 origin, direction; 

        origin = mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->GetViewSpaceBox().GetRandomSurfacePoint();

        Vector3 point;
        Vector3 normal;
        
        const int i = (int)RandomValue(0, (float)mPreprocessor.mObjects.size() - 0.5f);

        Intersectable *object = mPreprocessor.mObjects[i];

        object->GetRandomSurfacePoint(point, normal);
        
        direction = origin - point;
        
        // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
        const float c = Magnitude(direction);
        
        if ((c <= Limits::Small) || (DotProd(direction, normal) < 0))
        {
                return false;
        }

        // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
        const float pdf = 1.0f;
        //cout << "p: " << point << " ";
        direction *= 1.0f / c;
        // a little offset
        point += direction * 0.001f;

        ray = SimpleRay(point, direction, REVERSE_VIEWSPACE_BORDER_BASED_DISTRIBUTION, pdf);
        
        return true;
}


bool ViewSpaceBorderBasedDistribution::GenerateSample(SimpleRay &ray)
{
        Vector3 origin, direction; 

        origin = mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->GetViewSpaceBox().GetRandomSurfacePoint();

        Vector3 point;
        Vector3 normal;
        
        const int i = (int)RandomValue(0, (float)mPreprocessor.mObjects.size() - 0.5f);

        Intersectable *object = mPreprocessor.mObjects[i];

        object->GetRandomSurfacePoint(point, normal);
        direction = point - origin;

        // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
        const float c = Magnitude(direction);

        if (c <= Limits::Small) 
                return false;

        // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
        const float pdf = 1.0f;
        
        direction *= 1.0f / c;

        // a little offset
        origin += direction * 0.001f;

        ray = SimpleRay(origin, direction, VIEWSPACE_BORDER_BASED_DISTRIBUTION, pdf);

        return true;
}


bool
GlobalLinesDistribution::GenerateSample(SimpleRay &ray) 
{
  Vector3 origin, termination, direction; 

  float radius = 0.5f*Magnitude(mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->GetViewSpaceBox().Size());
  Vector3 center = mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->GetViewSpaceBox().Center();

  const int tries = 1000;
  int i;
  for (i=0; i < tries; i++) {
        float r[4];
        sHalton.GetNext(4, r);
        
        origin = center + (radius*UniformRandomVector(r[0], r[1]));
        termination = center + (radius*UniformRandomVector(r[2], r[3]));
        
        direction = termination - origin;
        
        
        // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
        const float c = Magnitude(direction);
        if (c <= Limits::Small) 
          return false;
        
        direction *= 1.0f / c;

        // check if the ray intersects the view space box
        static Ray ray;
        ray.Init(origin, direction, Ray::LOCAL_RAY);    
        
        float tmin, tmax;
        if (mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->
                GetViewSpaceBox().ComputeMinMaxT(ray, &tmin, &tmax) && (tmin < tmax))
          break;
  }
  
  if (i!=tries) {
        // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
        const float pdf = 1.0f;
        
        
        ray = SimpleRay(origin, direction, GLOBAL_LINES_DISTRIBUTION, pdf);
        ray.mType = Ray::GLOBAL_RAY;
        return true;
  }
  
  return false;
}


/******************************************************************/
/*           class MixtureDistribution implementation             */
/******************************************************************/


// has to be called before first usage
void
MixtureDistribution::Init()
{
  for (int i=0; i < mDistributions.size(); i++) {
        // small non-zero value
        mDistributions[i]->mRays = 1;
        mDistributions[i]->mGeneratedRays = 1;
        // unit contribution per ray
        if (1 || mDistributions[i]->mType != RSS_BASED_DISTRIBUTION)
          mDistributions[i]->mContribution = 1.0f;
        else
          mDistributions[i]->mContribution = 0.0f;
  }
  UpdateRatios();
}

void
MixtureDistribution::Reset()
{
  for (int i=0; i < mDistributions.size(); i++) {
        // small non-zero value
        mDistributions[i]->mTotalRays = 0;
        // unit contribution per ray
        mDistributions[i]->mTotalContribution = 0.0f;
  }
  UpdateRatios();
}

// Generate a new sample according to a mixture distribution
bool
MixtureDistribution::GenerateSample(SimpleRay &ray)
{
  float r;

  sHalton.GetNext(1, &r);
  //static Halton<1> halton;
  //  halton.GetNext(&r);

  int i;
  // pickup a distribution
  for (i=0; i < (int)mDistributions.size()-1; i++)
        if (r < mDistributions[i]->mRatio)
          break;
 
  bool result = mDistributions[i]->GenerateSample(ray);

  if (result)
        mDistributions[i]->mGeneratedRays++;
  
  return result;
}


#if TEST_PACKETS

// add contributions of the sample to the strategies
void MixtureDistribution::ComputeContributions(VssRayContainer &vssRays)
{
        int i;

        mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->ComputeSampleContributions(vssRays, true, false);

        VssRayContainer::iterator it = vssRays.begin();

        for (i=0; i < mDistributions.size(); i++) {
                mDistributions[i]->mContribution = 0;
                mDistributions[i]->mRays = 0;
        }

        for(; it != vssRays.end(); ++ it) 
        {
                VssRay *ray = *it;

                for (i = 0; i < mDistributions.size() - 1; ++ i) 
                {
                        if (mDistributions[i]->mType == ray->mDistribution)
                                break;
                }

                float contribution =
                        mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->ComputeSampleContribution(*ray, true, false);

                mDistributions[i]->mContribution += contribution;
                mDistributions[i]->mRays ++;

                mDistributions[i]->mTotalContribution += contribution;
                mDistributions[i]->mTotalRays ++;
        }

        UpdateRatios();


        const float vcTime = viewCellCastTimer.TotalTime();
        const float pvsTime = pvsTimer.TotalTime();
        const float haltonTime = haltonTimer.TotalTime();

        cout << "view cell cast time: " << vcTime << " s" << endl;
        cout << "pvs time: " << pvsTime << " s" << endl;
        cout << "halton time: "<< haltonTime << " s" << endl;

        Debug << "view cell cast time: " << vcTime << " s" << endl;
        Debug << "pvs time: " << pvsTime << " s" << endl;
        Debug << "halton time: "<< haltonTime << " s" << endl;
}


#else

// add contributions of the sample to the strategies
void
MixtureDistribution::ComputeContributions(VssRayContainer &vssRays)
{
        int i;

        VssRayContainer::iterator it = vssRays.begin();

        for (i=0; i < mDistributions.size(); i++) {
                mDistributions[i]->mContribution = 0;
                mDistributions[i]->mRays = 0;
        }

        for(; it != vssRays.end(); ++it) {
                VssRay *ray = *it;
                for (i=0; i < mDistributions.size()-1; i++) {
                        if (mDistributions[i]->mType == ray->mDistribution)
                                break;
                }

                float contribution =
                        mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->ComputeSampleContribution(*ray,
                        true,
                        false);

                mDistributions[i]->mContribution += contribution;
                mDistributions[i]->mRays ++;

                mDistributions[i]->mTotalContribution += contribution;
                mDistributions[i]->mTotalRays ++;
        }

        UpdateRatios();


  if (1)
  {
#ifdef PERFTIMER
          const float vcTime = viewCellCastTimer.TotalTime();
          const float pvsTime = pvsTimer.TotalTime();
          const float haltonTime = haltonTimer.TotalTime();
          
          cout << "view cell cast time: " << vcTime << " s" << endl;
          cout << "pvs time: " << pvsTime << " s" << endl;
          cout << "halton time: "<< haltonTime << " s" << endl;

          Debug << "view cell cast time: " << vcTime << " s" << endl;
          Debug << "pvs time: " << pvsTime << " s" << endl;
          Debug << "halton time: "<< haltonTime << " s" << endl;
#else
          cout << "Timers not supported" << endl;
          Debug << "Timers for PVS,Halton,Viewcell not supported" << endl;
#endif
  }
}

#endif


void
MixtureDistribution::UpdateDistributions(VssRayContainer &vssRays)
{
  // now update the distributions with all the rays
  for (int i=0; i < mDistributions.size(); i++) {
        mDistributions[i]->Update(vssRays);
  }
}

#define RAY_CAST_TIME 0.7f
#define VIEWCELL_CAST_TIME 0.3f

void
MixtureDistribution::UpdateRatios()
{
  // now compute importance (ratio) of all distributions
  float sum = 0.0f;
  int i;
  for (i=0; i < mDistributions.size(); i++) {
        cout<<i<<": c="<<mDistributions[i]->mContribution<<
          " rays="<<mDistributions[i]->mRays<<endl;
        float importance = 0.0f;
        if (mDistributions[i]->mRays != 0) {
          //importance = pow(mDistributions[i]->mContribution/mDistributions[i]->mRays, 2);
          importance = mDistributions[i]->mContribution/
                (RAY_CAST_TIME*mDistributions[i]->mGeneratedRays +
                 VIEWCELL_CAST_TIME*mDistributions[i]->mRays);
        }
        mDistributions[i]->mRatio = importance;
        sum += importance;
  }

  if (sum == 0.0f)
        sum = Limits::Small;
  
  const float minratio = 0.01f;
  
  for (i=0; i < mDistributions.size(); i++) {
        mDistributions[i]->mRatio /= sum;
        if (mDistributions[i]->mRatio < minratio) 
          mDistributions[i]->mRatio = minratio;
  }

  // recaluate the sum after clip
  sum = 0.0f;
  for (i=0; i < mDistributions.size(); i++)
        sum += mDistributions[i]->mRatio;

  for (i=0; i < mDistributions.size(); i++)
        mDistributions[i]->mRatio /= sum;
  
  for (i=1; i < mDistributions.size(); i++) {
        mDistributions[i]->mRatio = mDistributions[i-1]->mRatio + mDistributions[i]->mRatio;
  }
  
  cout<<"ratios: ";
  float last = 0.0f;
  for (i=0; i < mDistributions.size(); i++) {
        cout<<mDistributions[i]->mRatio-last<<" ";
        last = mDistributions[i]->mRatio;
  }
  cout<<endl;
}



bool
MixtureDistribution::Construct(char *str)
{
  char *curr = str;

  while (1) {
        char *e = strchr(curr,'+');
        if (e!=NULL) {
          *e=0;
        }
        
        if (strcmp(curr, "rss")==0) {
          mDistributions.push_back(new RssBasedDistribution(mPreprocessor));
        } else
          if (strcmp(curr, "object")==0) {
                mDistributions.push_back(new ObjectBasedDistribution(mPreprocessor));
          } else
                if (strcmp(curr, "spatial")==0) {
                  mDistributions.push_back(new SpatialBoxBasedDistribution(mPreprocessor));
                } else
                  if (strcmp(curr, "global")==0) {
                        mDistributions.push_back(new GlobalLinesDistribution(mPreprocessor));
                  } else
                        if (strcmp(curr, "direction")==0) {
                          mDistributions.push_back(new DirectionBasedDistribution(mPreprocessor));
                        } else
                          if (strcmp(curr, "object_direction")==0) {
                                mDistributions.push_back(new ObjectDirectionBasedDistribution(mPreprocessor));
                          } else
                                if (strcmp(curr, "reverse_object")==0) {
                                  mDistributions.push_back(new ReverseObjectBasedDistribution(mPreprocessor));
                                } else
                                  
                                  if (strcmp(curr, "reverse_viewspace_border")==0) {
                                        mDistributions.push_back(new ReverseViewSpaceBorderBasedDistribution(mPreprocessor));
                                  } else
                                        if (strcmp(curr, "mutation")==0) {
                                         mDistributions.push_back(new MutationBasedDistribution(mPreprocessor));
                                        } else
                                          if (strcmp(curr, "filter_based")==0) {
                                                mDistributions.push_back(new FilterBasedDistribution(mPreprocessor));
                                          }
                                        else if (strcmp(curr, "difference")==0) {
                                         mDistributions.push_back(new DifferenceSampling(mPreprocessor));
                                        }
        
        
        
        if (e==NULL)
          break;
        curr = e+1;
  }

  Init();
  return true;
}

int
MixtureDistribution::GenerateSamples(const int number,
                                                                         SimpleRayContainer &rays)
{
  for (int i=0; i < mDistributions.size(); i++) 
        mDistributions[i]->mGeneratedRays = 0;

  return SamplingStrategy::GenerateSamples(number, rays);
}


HwGlobalLinesDistribution::HwGlobalLinesDistribution(Preprocessor &preprocessor):
  SamplingStrategy(preprocessor)
{
  mType = HW_GLOBAL_LINES_DISTRIBUTION;
  preprocessor.mUseHwGlobalLines = true;
}


bool HwGlobalLinesDistribution::GenerateSample(SimpleRay &ray) 
{
        Vector3 origin, termination, direction; 

        const float radius = 0.5f * 
                Magnitude(mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->GetViewSpaceBox().Size());

        Vector3 center = mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->GetViewSpaceBox().Center();

        const int tries = 1000;
        int i;
        for (i=0; i < tries; i++) 
        {
                float r[2];
                sHalton.GetNext(2, r);

                origin = center + (radius * UniformRandomVector(r[0], r[1]));
                termination = center;
                
                if (0)
                {
                        // add a small offset to provide some more randomness in the sampling
                        Vector3 offset(Random(radius * 1e-3f), 
                                                   Random(radius * 1e-3f), 
                                                   Random(radius * 1e-3f));
                        termination += offset;
                }

                direction = termination - origin;

                // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
                const float c = Magnitude(direction);

                if (c <= Limits::Small) 
                        return false;

                direction *= 1.0f / c;

                // check if the ray intersects the view space box
                static Ray ray;
                ray.Init(origin, direction, Ray::LOCAL_RAY);    

                float tmin, tmax;
                if (mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->
                        GetViewSpaceBox().ComputeMinMaxT(ray, &tmin, &tmax) && (tmin < tmax))
                        break;
        }

        if (i != tries) 
        {
                // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
                const float pdf = 1.0f;

                ray = SimpleRay(origin, direction, HW_GLOBAL_LINES_DISTRIBUTION, pdf);
                ray.mType = Ray::GLOBAL_RAY;
                return true;
        }

        return false;
}


bool ViewCellBasedDistribution::GenerateSample(SimpleRay &ray)
{
        Vector3 origin, direction; 

        ViewCellContainer &viewCells = 
                mPreprocessor.mViewCellsManager->GetViewCells();

        Vector3 point;
        Vector3 normal;
                
        //Vector normalObj;
        // float r[1];
        // sHalton.GetNext(1, r);
        // const int objIdx = (int)(r[0] * (float)mPreprocessor.mObjects.size() - 1.0f);
        // Intersectable *object = mPreprocessor.mObjects[objIdx];
        // object->GetRandomSurfacePoint(point, normal);
        // cout << "obj: " << objIdx << endl;

        float r[2];
        sHalton.GetNext(2, r);

        direction = UniformRandomVector(r[0], r[1]);
        const float c = Magnitude(direction);

    if (c <= Limits::Small) 
                return false;

        direction *= 1.0f / c;

        // get point on view cell surface
        mViewCell->GetRandomSurfacePoint(origin, normal);

        //direction = point - origin;

        // move a little bit back to avoid piercing through walls
        // that bound the view cell
        origin -= 0.01f * normal;

        // $$ jb the pdf is yet not correct for all sampling methods!
        const float pdf = 1.0f;

        ray = SimpleRay(origin, direction, VIEWCELL_BASED_DISTRIBUTION, pdf);

        //cout << "ray: " << ray.mOrigin << " " << ray.mDirection << endl;

        return true;
}


}