Offline Path Tracer

Feb 2026 – Mar 2026

• c++

Github

https://github.com/SamayRShah/OfflineRayTracer

Overview

This project is a CPU-based offline path tracer written in C++. It follows the core ideas from Ray Tracing in One Weekend and extends them with performance improvements and usability features.

To accelerate rendering, I implemented a Bounding Volume Hierarchy (BVH) which reduces the number of ray–object intersection tests required per frame. I also refactored several data structures to use a Struct-of-Arrays layout to improve memory access patterns.

To make testing and iteration easier, I added a preview rendering mode that renders at a lower resolution with fewer rays per pixel, allowing the camera to be moved interactively before performing a full-quality render. The final image is exported as a PPM file.