Why a Single Measure of Photorealism Is Unrealistic

While the concept of photorealism has important applications in computer graphics, the research community has not agreed on a definition of photorealism that specifies how to measure it. We employed two different test procedures, which correspond to different use scenarios, in order to determine the photorealism of a virtual reconstruction of a historic Viking building using two different lighting techniques. Even in this limited case, the measured degree of photorealism appears to depend on both the test procedure as well as the tested imagery; therefore, we conclude that there is no single measure of photorealism that is appropriate in all situations. Instead, photorealism appears to be a multifaceted phenomenon that requires different measurement procedures for different use scenarios.