Ray Tracing

Ray tracing style refers to the distinctive visual aesthetic achieved through ray tracing rendering technology - a computer graphics technique that simulates the physical behavior of light by tracing the path of light rays as they interact with objects in a scene.

Key Visual Characteristics

Photorealistic Lighting

  • Extremely accurate light behavior including reflection, refraction, and absorption
  • Natural light falloff and shadows that match real-world physics
  • Soft, realistic shadows with proper penumbra (gradual shadow edges)

Reflections & Refractions

  • Perfect mirror-like reflections on metallic and glossy surfaces
  • Accurate recursive reflections (reflections within reflections)
  • Realistic glass and water refraction with caustics (light patterns)
  • Environmental reflections that show surrounding scene details

Global Illumination

  • Indirect lighting where light bounces realistically between surfaces
  • Color bleeding (surfaces pick up color from nearby objects)
  • Ambient occlusion in corners and crevices
  • Natural light distribution throughout the scene

Material Authenticity

  • Physically accurate material properties (metals look metallic, glass looks transparent)
  • Proper subsurface scattering for materials like skin, wax, or marble
  • Realistic glossy vs. matte surface differentiation

The "Ray Traced Look"

What people recognize as "ray tracing style" typically includes:

  • Hyper-realistic, almost photograph-like quality
  • Dramatic interplay of light and shadow
  • Rich, accurate reflections showing environmental detail
  • Clean, crisp edges with natural depth of field
  • Often associated with high-end 3D renders, architectural visualization, and modern video games

 

Caustic Prompt Strategy:

Key Elements:

  • Describe the light source and how it interacts
  • Specify the refractive/reflective medium (water, glass, ice, rain, crystals)
  • Include movement if relevant ("dancing," "flowing," "rippling")
  • Specify surface receiving the patterns
  • Mention "caustic patterns/networks/fractals"
  • Add atmosphere colors influenced by caustics
  • Use terms like "refraction," "ray traced," "physically accurate"

 

LIGHT SOURCE:

Moon & Stars 13. Full moonlight (blue-silver) 14. Crescent moonlight (subtle, dim) 15. Harvest moon (orange-yellow) 16. Starlight (faint, cool) 17. Aurora borealis (green-purple, dancing)

Weather & Atmosphere 18. Lightning flash (electric, brief) 19. Lightning during storm (dramatic, blue-white) 20. Storm clouds backlit 21. Sunbeam through storm clouds 22. Fog-diffused light 23. Rainbow light (prismatic spectrum)

Fire & Heat 24. Campfire (warm orange, flickering) 25. Bonfire (intense, dancing) 26. Candles (soft, warm, intimate) 27. Torch flames (medieval, moving) 28. Fireplace (cozy, orange-red) 29. Oil lamps (vintage, warm) 30. Burning embers (glowing red-orange) 31. Volcanic glow (red-orange, intense) 32. Lava light (molten orange-red)

Bioluminescence 33. Jellyfish glow (blue-green, ethereal) 34. Fireflies (yellow-green, pulsing) 35. Bioluminescent plankton (blue, sparkling) 36. Glowing mushrooms (green-blue, soft) 37. Deep sea creatures (various colors)

Artificial Light Sources

Interior Lighting 38. LED bulbs (white, clean) 39. Incandescent bulbs (warm yellow) 40. Fluorescent tubes (cool white, harsh) 41. Halogen lights (bright white) 42. Chandelier (multiple points, elegant) 43. Table lamps (focused, intimate) 44. Floor lamps (ambient, diffused) 45. Desk lamps (directional, focused) 46. Pendant lights (hanging, concentrated) 47. Track lighting (adjustable, modern) 48. Recessed lighting (architectural, clean) 49. Ambient room lighting (soft, even) 50. Nightlight (dim, colored)

Outdoor/Street Lighting 51. Streetlights (sodium vapor - orange) 52. LED streetlights (white-blue) 53. Mercury vapor lights (blue-white) 54. Parking lot lights (harsh, overhead) 55. Porch lights (warm, welcoming) 56. Garden lights (low, ambient) 57. Pathway lights (ground-level, subtle) 58. Floodlights (intense, directional) 59. Security lights (bright, motion-activated) 60. Billboard lights (bright, commercial)

Neon & Signs 61. Neon signs - pink 62. Neon signs - cyan/blue 63. Neon signs - green 64. Neon signs - red 65. Neon signs - purple 66. Neon signs - multicolored 67. LED signs (digital, bright) 68. Vintage marquee lights (bulb arrays) 69. Store window displays (warm retail) 70. Exit signs (red or green)

Vehicle Lighting 71. Car headlights (white, directional) 72. Car taillights (red, brake lights) 73. Motorcycle headlights (single beam) 74. Bicycle lights (small, focused) 75. Train headlights (intense, forward) 76. Airplane landing lights (extremely bright) 77. Underglow (car LED strips - colored) 78. Interior car dome lights (soft white)

Stage & Entertainment 79. Spotlights (theatrical, focused) 80. Stage wash lights (colored, broad) 81. Moving head lights (dynamic, scanning) 82. Strobe lights (pulsing, intense) 83. Black lights / UV lights (purple) 84. Disco ball reflections (scattered, moving) 85. Concert stage lights (colored arrays) 86. Follow spots (tracking, bright) 87. Gobos (patterned light projections) 88. LED par cans (colored washes)

Screen & Display Lighting 89. Smartphone screens (blue-white glow) 90. Tablet screens (bright, flat) 91. Computer monitors (cool white) 92. TV screens (flickering, colored) 93. Cinema projector light (bright beam) 94. Digital billboard (bright, changing) 95. Arcade game screens (retro, colorful) 96. Smartwatch glow (small, wrist-level)

Specialty/Technical Lighting 97. Laser pointers (red, green, blue) 98. Laser arrays (multiple beams) 99. Laser light shows (scanning, colored) 100. Medical examination lights (cool white, focused) 101. Surgical lights (shadowless, bright) 102. Dental lights (cool white, precise) 103. Photography studio strobes (intense flash) 104. Softbox lighting (diffused, even) 105. Ring lights (circular, shadowless) 106. Beauty lights (flattering, soft) 107. Film set lights (HMI, tungsten) 108. Video production LED panels

Industrial & Work Lighting 109. Welding arc (electric blue-white, intense) 110. Welding sparks (orange, scattering) 111. Factory overhead lights (industrial, harsh) 112. Warehouse lights (high-bay, bright) 113. Workshop task lights (focused, adjustable) 114. Handheld flashlights (beam, directional) 115. Headlamps (hands-free, forward) 116. Inspection lights (intense, focused)

Emergency & Safety 117. Police car lights (red-blue, flashing) 118. Ambulance lights (red-white, rotating) 119. Fire truck lights (red, intense) 120. Emergency flares (red, smoky) 121. Glow sticks (colored, chemical) 122. Safety beacons (orange, rotating)

Decorative & Holiday 123. String lights (warm white bulbs) 124. Christmas lights (multicolored) 125. Fairy lights (tiny, delicate) 126. Rope lights (continuous, flexible) 127. Paper lanterns (glowing, ambient) 128. Chinese lanterns (red, festive) 129. Jack-o'-lanterns (orange, carved) 130. Birthday candles (small, grouped)

Fiber Optic & Modern 131. Fiber optic strands (colorful, thin) 132. Fiber optic ceiling (starfield effect) 133. LED strip lights (RGB, programmable) 134. Smart bulbs (color-changing) 135. Pixel LED arrays (programmable patterns) 136. EL wire (electroluminescent, thin lines)

Scientific & Lab 137. Bunsen burner flame (blue, hot) 138. Electron microscope beam (focused) 139. Spectroscopy lights (specific wavelengths) 140. X-ray source (invisible but implied) 141. Radiation glow (Cherenkov - blue)

Atmospheric & Environmental 142. City glow (urban light pollution) 143. Skyline at night (building lights) 144. Distant lighthouse beam (rotating) 145. Airport runway lights (aligned, bright) 146. Stadium floodlights (massive arrays) 147. Ferris wheel lights (circular, moving)

Vintage & Historical 148. Gas lamps (Victorian, warm) 149. Oil lanterns (pioneer, flickering) 150. Kerosene lamps (warm, soft) 151. Candelabras (multiple candles, elegant) 152. Vintage Edison bulbs (warm filament visible)

 

REFLECTIVE MEDIUM:

water-based

  • underwater scene
  • rain puddle
  • waterfall
  • flooded room
  • condensation/mist

liquid environment

glass material

  • greenhouse
  • glass atrium
  • stained glass window
  • crystal chandeliers
  • glass sculpture
  • prismatic glass blocks
  • wine glasses

architectural glass

  • glass facades
  • skylights
  • glasss walkways/bridges

ice

  • ice caves
  • frozen waterfalls
  • ice sculptures
  • frozen lakes
  • frost patterns on windows

reflective surfaces

  • mirrored disco balls
  • convex mirror

natural phenomena

  • tree canopy
  • spider webs

MOVEMENT:

 

  • Dancing - Light patterns moving in graceful, organic rhythm across surfaces
  • Flowing - Continuous smooth movement like liquid light traveling across the receiving surface
  • Rippling - Concentric wave-like motion emanating from a central point
  • Cascading - Light patterns falling or tumbling downward in sequential waves
  • Pulsing - Rhythmic expansion and contraction of caustic intensity
  • Flickering - Rapid intermittent appearance and disappearance of light patterns
  • Undulating - Smooth wave-like motion with rising and falling intensity
  • Spiraling - Caustics rotating and moving in helical patterns
  • Fragmenting - Breaking apart into smaller pieces, creating multiplicative patterns
  • Kaleidoscoping - Rotating and shifting in symmetric geometric patterns
  • Shimmering - Rapid subtle vibration creating glittering effect
  • Morphing - Transforming from one pattern shape to another continuously
  • Radiating - Spreading outward from a central source in all directions
  • Converging - Multiple caustic streams meeting and merging at focal points
  • Drifting - Slow, lazy movement across surface without distinct direction
  • Scattering - Explosive dispersal of light patterns in multiple directions
  • Weaving - Intertwining and crossing over each other like textile patterns
  • Streaming - Fast directional flow like light currents or rivers
  • Oscillating - Back-and-forth pendulum-like movement in regular patterns

 

RECEIVING SURFACE:

  • car bonnet
  • marble floor
  • steel surface
  • chrom surface
  • metallic foil
  • human face/body
  • fresh snow banks
  • satin/silk fabric draped
  • ceramic tile mosaic
  • weathered wooden decks
  • asphalt with puddle
  • beach/white sand

Key Prompt Elements:

Core Style Declaration:

  • "ray tracing style" or "ray traced rendering"
  • "photorealistic rendering"

Lighting Specifications:

  • Global illumination, indirect lighting
  • Caustics (light patterns through glass/water)
  • Color bleeding between surfaces
  • Soft shadows with penumbra

Reflection/Refraction Details:

  • Perfect mirror reflections
  • Recursive reflections
  • Environmental reflections
  • Accurate refraction

Material Properties:

  • Physically accurate materials
  • Subsurface scattering
  • Metallic vs. glossy vs. matte differentiation
  • Ambient occlusion

Technical Quality:

  • "architectural visualization quality"
  • "professional 3D render"
  • "octane render" or "unreal engine 5"

 

a futuristic sports car in a modern glass showroom, ray tracing style, photorealistic rendering, perfect mirror reflections on polished floor showing car underside, accurate light refraction through floor-to-ceiling windows, dramatic global illumination with natural light bouncing between surfaces, soft realistic shadows with proper penumbra, metallic car paint with environmental reflections showing surrounding architecture, glossy chrome details reflecting scene recursively, caustic light patterns on floor from glass surfaces, color bleeding from red car onto white floor tiles, physically accurate materials, subsurface scattering on translucent headlight covers, ambient occlusion in wheel wells and panel gaps, natural depth of field, crisp clean edges, indirect lighting creating subtle highlights, hyper-realistic glass transparency showing interior details, professional architectural visualization quality

luxury sports car in flooded showroom, caustic light patterns dancing across metallic hood from rippling water surface above, underwater ray tracing, refracted sunlight creating intricate moving patterns on car body, light beams penetrating water creating volumetric god rays, chrome details reflecting caustic patterns, turquoise water ambience, photorealistic subsurface scattering

vintage convertible parked beneath glass atrium ceiling during golden hour, complex caustic patterns projected onto leather interior through textured glass panels above, geometric light fractals on dashboard and seats, light refracting through raindrops on windshield creating rainbow caustics, warm afternoon glow, architectural glass creating honeycomb light patterns

supercar in modern car wash, caustic light patterns from flowing water streams across curved bodywork, soap bubbles creating rainbow caustic effects, overhead lights refracting through cascading water curtains, dynamic light patterns on wet chrome and paint, clean industrial environment, high-speed water creating stretched caustic trails, fresh and vibrant aesthetic

futuristic car in ice cave showroom, caustic patterns from light refracting through crystalline ice walls onto metallic surface, cold blue caustics with prismatic rainbow edges, frozen water creating sharp geometric caustic shapes, LED underglow bouncing through ice creating colored caustic networks, ethereal sci-fi atmosphere, ray traced ice physics

1960s muscle car in urban alley at night, wall of colorful wine bottles on shelves refracting neon signs from street, overlapping rainbow caustic patterns dancing across glossy car hood, electric pink and cyan dominant colors, green and amber accents, bottles creating prismatic light networks, retro futuristic vibe, wet pavement reflections, cyberpunk meets vintage Americana, multiple colored caustic layers, urban decay glamour

convertible sports car beneath crystal chandelier installation, thousands of hanging glass prisms creating dense caustic patterns across entire vehicle and floor, rainbow light fractals on red leather interior, overlapping caustic networks from multiple crystal elements, gallery exhibition lighting, caustic patterns creating natural decoration on car surface, elegant artistic composition

surreal medical room, wall of floating soap bubbles refracting white projector beam creating temporary rainbow caustic patterns on crisp white hospital bed linens, ephemeral iridescent caustics, clinical sterile environment contrasted with organic bubble beauty, pastel rainbow light fractals, bubbles at various distances creating layered caustic depths, contemporary art installation meets medical space, delicate fragile atmosphere

modern minimalist kitchen at dusk, smartphone on counter with bright screen illuminating stack of clear acrylic cutting boards creating subtle geometric caustic patterns on brushed stainless steel surface, cool blue-white screen light, contemporary domestic scene, clean lines and reflective surfaces, technological everyday life aesthetic, precise geometric caustics, soft ambient lighting, product photography style, chrome reflections mixing with acrylic caustics

luxury bathroom during golden hour, sunlight streaming through textured glass window creating caustic patterns pooling across curved white porcelain bathtub interior, organic flowing light networks following bathtub contours, warm afternoon glow, water droplets on glass refracting light, clean minimal aesthetic, caustics concentrated in curved basin bottom, soft shadows, spa-like atmosphere, ray traced glass and ceramic materials

winter forest clearing at dawn, icicles hanging from tree branch refracting morning sunlight creating delicate caustic patterns on pristine snow bank below, cold blue and white palette, crystalline ice creating sharp geometric caustics, untouched powder snow surface, ethereal winter wonderland, caustics creating natural decorative patterns on snow, peaceful frozen atmosphere

gentleman's club interior at dusk, antique cut glass whiskey tumbler on side table refracting amber lamplight creating warm caustic patterns on worn cognac leather armchair, patina and weathering visible beneath light networks, rich brown tones, vintage masculine aesthetic, caustics highlighting leather grain and creases, cozy sophisticated atmosphere

beach house deck at noon, glass door with water condensation refracting harsh sunlight creating caustic patterns on sun-bleached wooden planks, wood grain and weathering visible beneath light networks, coastal aesthetic, salt-worn texture, warm natural tones, caustics following plank direction, casual summer atmosphere

minimalist art installation, suspended glass sculpture refracting gallery spotlights creating soft diffused caustic patterns on bed of white sand below, zen garden aesthetic, pure white and subtle shadows, powder surface creating gentle caustic reception without harsh edges, contemporary museum space, meditative peaceful atmosphere

asian night market, string of round paper lanterns glowing from within, vendor stall glass bottles refracting lantern light creating delicate caustic patterns on lantern surfaces, warm orange and red glow, cultural festival atmosphere, caustics visible on semi-opaque rice paper, romantic ambient lighting

contemporary museum installation, LED light array behind translucent frosted acrylic wall panels, flowing water screen in front refracting light creating caustic patterns visible as glowing networks on backlit acrylic surface, modern minimalist aesthetic, cool white and blue tones, technology and nature fusion, immersive architectural lighting

urban street scene after rain at night, neon storefronts refracting through water puddles creating caustic patterns on wet black asphalt, double caustic effect from water surface and pavement, vibrant cyan and magenta neon colors, cyberpunk aesthetic, oil slicks creating rainbow interference, gritty city atmosphere

fashion portrait of model standing before massive jellyfish aquarium, glowing bioluminescent jellyfish tentacles refracting ethereal blue-green light creating caustic patterns across model's face and shoulders, underwater caustic networks on skin, dreamy aquatic atmosphere, translucent jellyfish bodies acting as living prisms, soft organic light patterns, teal and electric blue palette, high fashion editorial lighting, surreal beauty photography, subsurface scattering on skin

fashion portrait of model standing before massive jellyfish aquarium, glowing bioluminescent jellyfish tentacles refracting ethereal blue-green light creating caustic patterns across model's face and shoulders, underwater caustic networks on skin, dreamy aquatic atmosphere, translucent jellyfish bodies acting as living prisms, soft organic light patterns, teal and electric blue palette, high fashion editorial lighting, surreal beauty photography, subsurface scattering on skin

avant-garde fashion photography, model wearing crumpled silver aluminum foil garment, crystal prism held above refracting studio flash creating explosive caustic patterns multiplied by reflective foil surface, chaotic geometric light fractals, high contrast metallic sheen, caustics reflecting and refracting infinitely, experimental editorial aesthetic