<p>It does look like raytracing to me as well.  It could also possibly be ray marching, which would be easier to make the tubes with since ray marching is all based on distances from things (center of tube in this case).</p>

<p>Refraction is what's used to bend the light that goes through the tubes.</p>

<p>You are then just left with how to model the tubes. One way could be to use 3d bezier curves (: </p>

<p>This may not have been made in real time, but may have been rendered frame by frame and then assembled into the smooth "movie" you are showing.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-03T02:18:02.977Z
2015-11-03T02:18:02.977Z
Alan Wolfe
<p>I am very eager to know what technology might been used to implement this piece of wonder:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/MFCAK.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/MFCAK.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>Any idea?</p>

<p>I think, it's ray tracing. What do you think?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-02T13:11:45.747Z
your question is too vague. "design", "implement" = the rendering only ? now there are several aspects in rendering: intersecting the shape, surface materials, volume materials, light transport... the strange thing here is that the caustics on the floor seems very accurate, but the glass aspect seem very non-physical. Anyway, yes, ray-based algorithms are involved at many place here.  Anyway people would more consider design = shape and motion. (+ textures, when present).
Fabrice NEYRET
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-02T18:36:39.023Z
Do you mean the mathematical shape?
joojaa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-03T08:59:23.493Z
Welcome to Computer Graphics SE! As Fabrice's and joojaa's comments show it's not entirely clear what you're asking. Please include some more detail whether your question is about the rendering (refraction and caustics), or the geometry or something else. It might also help to include the source of the image.
Martin Ender
<animation>
How to design something like this?
Lokesh
# How to design something like this?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-11-02)

I am very eager to know what technology might been used to implement this piece of wonder:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/MFCAK.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/MFCAK.gif)

Any idea?

I think, it's ray tracing. What do you think?

**Tags:** animation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: your question is too vague. "design", "implement" = the rendering only ? now there are several aspects in rendering: intersecting the shape, surface materials, volume materials, light transport... the strange thing here is that the caustics on the floor seems very accurate, but the glass aspect seem very non-physical. Anyway, yes, ray-based algorithms are involved at many place here.  Anyway people would more consider design = shape and motion. (+ textures, when present).  
> **username_2**: Do you mean the mathematical shape?  
> **username_3**: Welcome to Computer Graphics SE! As username_1's and username_2's comments show it's not entirely clear what you're asking. Please include some more detail whether your question is about the rendering (refraction and caustics), or the geometry or something else. It might also help to include the source of the image.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-11-03. Score: 2

It does look like raytracing to me as well. It could also possibly be ray marching, which would be easier to make the tubes with since ray marching is all based on distances from things (center of tube in this case).

Refraction is what's used to bend the light that goes through the tubes.

You are then just left with how to model the tubes. One way could be to use 3d bezier curves (:

This may not have been made in real time, but may have been rendered frame by frame and then assembled into the smooth "movie" you are showing.


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