Fast ray tracing and the potential effects on graphics and gaming courses

The modern graphics processing units (GPUs), found on almost every personal computer, use the Z-buffer algorithm to compute visibility. Ray tracing, an alternative to the z-buffer algorithm, delivers higher visual quality than the z-buffer algorithm but has historically been too slow for interactive use. However, ray tracing has benefited from improvements in computer hardware, and many believe it will replace the z-buffer algorithm as the graphics engine on PCs. If this replacement happens, it will imply fundamental changes in both the API to and capabilities of 3D graphics engines. This paper overviews the backgrounds in Z-buffer and ray tracing, presents our case that ray-tracing will replace Z-buffer in the near future, and discusses the implications for graphics oriented classes should this switch to ray tracing occur. Since computer gaming is one of the most important industry driving graphics hardware and the fact that recently there are many computer science courses related to games and games development, we also describe the potential impact on games related classes.