Acoustics Modeling for

Virtual Environments

Thomas Funkhouser
Princeton University

Virtual Environments
Simulate experience of being in 3D model

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Distributed Virtual Environments
Allow interaction among networked users

Acoustic Modeling
Spatialized sound facilitates ...
•• Sense
Sense of
of presence
presence
•• Comprehension
Comprehension of
of space
space
•• Localization
Localization of
of auditory
auditory cues
cues Avery Fisher Hall

•• Selectivity
Selectivity of
of audio
audio signals
signals (“cocktail
(“cocktail party
party effect”)
effect”)

Id Software
Evans & Sutherland

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Modeling Environments
Simulate reverberations due to environment
Sources Receiver

Environment Acoustics Input

Modeling Audio Signals

Auralization

Output
Audio Signal(s)

Geometric Acoustic Modeling

Spatialize sound by computing
reverberation paths from source to receiver

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Similarities to Graphics
Both model wave propagation

Differences from Graphics I

Sound has longer wavelengths than light
•• Diffractions
Diffractions are
are significant
significant
•• Specular
Specular reflections
reflections dominate
dominate diffuse
diffuse reflections
reflections
•• Occlusions
Occlusions by
by small
small objects
objects have
have little
little effect
effect

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Differences from Graphics II
Sound waves are coherent
•• Modeling
Modeling phase
phase is
is important
important

Interference

Rigid Surface
R
S

λ/2 λ/4

Differences from Graphics III

Sound travels more slowly than light
•• Reverberations
Reverberations are
are perceived
perceived over
over time
time

Early Late
Reflections Reverberations
Amplitude

Direct Time Delay

Sound

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Overview of Approaches
Ray tracing
Boundary element methods
Image source methods
Beam tracing

Overview of Approaches
Ray tracing
Boundary element methods
Image source methods
Beam tracing

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Ray Tracing
Trace paths between source and receiver

Source Receiver

Ray Tracing Trade-offs

Advantages
• Models all types of surfaces and scattering
• Simple to implement
Sampled
reverberations

Incoming ray

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Ray Tracing Trade-offs
Disadvantages
•• Subject
Subject to
to sampling
sampling errors
errors (aliasing
aliasing))
((aliasing)
•• Depends
Depends on
on receiver
receiver position
position

Overview of Approaches
Ray tracing
Boundary element methods
Image source methods
Beam tracing

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Boundary Element Methods
Solve
Solve wave
wave equation
equation over
over discretized
discretized surfaces
surfaces

Radiant
Energy
Exchange

Boundary Element Trade-offs

Advantages
•• Works
Works well
well for
for low
low frequencies
frequencies
•• Simple
Simple formulation
formulation

Bi = Ei + ρi Σ Bj Fij

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Boundary Element Trade-offs
Disadvantages
•• Complex
Complex function
function stored
stored with
with each
each element
element
•• Form
Form factors
factors must
must model
model diffractions
diffractions &
& specularities
specularities
•• Elements
Elements must
must be
be much
much smaller
smaller than
than wavelength
wavelength

d1

|d1 - d2 | << λ
d2

Overview of Approaches
Ray tracing
Boundary element methods
Image source methods
Beam tracing

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Image Source Methods
Consider direct paths from “virtual sources”

Image Source Trade-offs

Advantages
•• Simple
Simple for
for rectangular
rectangular rooms
rooms

Virtual Sources
S arranged in
R
grid pattern

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Image Source Trade-offs
Disadvantages
O(nrr)) visibility
•• O(n
O(n visibility checks
checks in
in arbitrary
arbitrary environments
environments
•• Specular
Specular reflections
reflections only
only

Overview of Approaches
Ray tracing
Boundary element methods
Image source methods
Beam tracing

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Beam Tracing
Trace beams (bundles of rays) from source

Beam Tracing Trade-offs

Advantages
•• Takes
Takes advantage
advantage of
of spatial
spatial coherence
coherence
•• Predetermines
Predetermines visible
visible virtual
virtual sources
sources

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Beam Tracing Trade-Offs
Disadvantages
•• Difficult
Difficult for
for curved
curved surfaces
surfaces or
or refractions
refractions
•• Requires
Requires efficient
efficient polygon
polygon sorting
sorting and
and intersection
intersection

Recent Work in Beam Tracing

Interactive performance
•• Update
Update reverberation
reverberation paths
paths many
many times
times per
per second
second

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