Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Material appearance has emerged as a scientific topic in its own right rather recently and an increasing number of professionals concerned by this topic, belonging to various application areas, are entering this vast field. Thanks to the rise of imaging systems and visual rendering software, and the rapid development of accessible devices for color and gloss analysis, non-expert people can now check, for example, the compliance of a product with an appearance standard, or create a realistic virtual prototype. Most of these tools are based on optical concepts which are generally not in the forefront at an elementary level usage, but which are necessary for a consistent analysis of the specific cases studied. The objective of this book is precisely to introduce the fundamental notions of optics allowing the readers to understand the radiometric quantities measured with common devices, to learn how to analyze them, and to review some classical optics-based predictive models for various types of materials and structures. We have chosen to illustrate the theoretical notions with numerous examples and corrected exercises, easily transposable to a variety of materials: glass plates, polymer films, pigment layers, metals, papers and printed surfaces, coatings, etc. The book targets an audience of students, engineers and researchers who have a scientific background but not necessarily versed in optics, who are seeking sound bases in order to characterize the appearance of products and better comprehend the more advanced research currently being conducted in this area.

Optical images.

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Pure sciences. Natural sciences (general)

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

As everyone can see every day, many objects or materials change their appearance when they get wet. Most of the time, the object becomes more translucent, its color darker and more chromatic. Beyond these general trends, is it possible to predict these changes in appearance for a given type of surface, and for a given humidity level? This is the question studied in this book, by drawing up a first inventory of available knowledge and ongoing research in multiple fields of application: in remote sensing, to correctly identify surfaces and estimate moisture content; in public lighting, to improve visibility on wet roads; in computer graphics, to render wet surfaces in a more realistic way… There is no universal model to describe the changes in spectral, angular and spatial responses of a wetted surface. The mechanisms of light scattering are not affected in the same way according to whether the material is porous, fibrous, powdery, and can be filled by water, or impermeable and can be covered by a water layer. In some applications where the infrared domain is of interest, the strong absorptance of water is also to be considered. This book was initiated by the GDR Appamat, a grouping of research focused on material appearance created in 2019 by the French national center for scientific research (CNRS). In 9 chapters, 26 specialists from various disciplines present different approaches that open perspectives on this field of research. Hopefully, students, engineers, and researchers will be inspired by these ideas to propose future developments.