Luminous is a program that I wrote to create some of the images and special effects for Transcendence. Unlike most 3D graphics software, Luminous runs user-written programs (called configurations) to create images.
The capabilities of Luminous include:
Procedural image generationUse a simple procedural language to create your images. For example, instead of manually placing your objects in a scene, you can write a procedure to place hundreds of objects in whatever arrangement you want.
Built-in ray tracerAfter you've created your scene, use Luminous's built-in ray tracer to generate an image. |
Volume ray tracingUse Luminous's volume shaders to create special effects like explosions or clouds.
For example, the turbulence shader can turn a simple sphere into a chaotic volume of exploding gas. Volume shaders work with all object primitive so you can create any shape you want—from puffy clouds to spiral galaxy arms. |
Download Luminous
To get started with Luminous, download the program and check out the included sample configuration.
Luminous is still under development. If you find problems with Luminous, if you have questions, of if you just want to show off your images, please write to luminous@neurohack.com.
