Ray Tracer

This is a full implementation of Peter Shirley's Ray Tracing in One Weekend guide, rewritten in Zig. The project demonstrates how to build a simple ray tracer from scratch, capable of producing stunning images by simulating the behavior of light rays in a 3D environment.

Features

• Ray Tracing Core: Implements fundamental ray tracing concepts, including rays, spheres, and planes.
• Realistic Lighting: Simulates diffuse, reflective, and refractive surfaces.
• Camera System: Generates perspective views with configurable field of view and aspect ratio.
• Materials: Supports Lambertian (diffuse), metal (reflective), and dielectric (refractive) materials.
• Image Output: Outputs rendered images in PPM format.
• Performance Optimization: Efficiently uses Zig’s safety, performance, and modern tooling.

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/joshuabvarghese/ray-tracer.git
   cd zig-ray-tracer

2. Build the project:

   zig build

3. Run the ray tracer:

   zig build run

Rendering an Image

The rendered output will be saved as output.ppm in the project directory. You can view the PPM file using tools like GIMP, Photoshop, or any PPM viewer.

Project Structure

zig-ray-tracer/
├── src/
│   ├── main.zig        # Entry point of the application
│   ├── vec3.zig        # Vector math utilities
│   ├── ray.zig         # Ray structure and operations
│   ├── hittable.zig    # Spheres and surface intersection logic
│   ├── material.zig    # Material properties (diffuse, reflective, etc.)
│   ├── camera.zig      # Camera and perspective transformations
│   └── scene.zig       # Scene setup and rendering logic
├── build.zig           # Build system configuration
└── README.md           # Project documentation

Acknowledgments

• Peter Shirley: Author of Ray Tracing in One Weekend. Original guide: https://raytracing.github.io/books/RayTracingInOneWeekend.html.