optixSoltraceDemos

optixSoltraceDemos is a demo project that utilizes NVIDIA OptiX for ray tracing encountered in Concentrated Solar Power applications.

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Prerequisites

Before building optixSoltraceDemos, ensure you have the following:

1. NVIDIA GPU and Drivers

   • An NVIDIA GPU.
   • Minimum CUDA Toolkit version: 11.0.
   • NVIDIA drivers compatible with your GPU and CUDA version.

2. NVIDIA OptiX SDK

   • Download the NVIDIA OptiX SDK from NVIDIA's website.
   • Install the SDK to a directory. For example:

     C:/ProgramData/NVIDIA Corporation/OptiX SDK 8.1.0/
     

   • The source code for the OptiX SDK is located in the SDK directory, for example, C:/ProgramData/NVIDIA Corporation/OptiX SDK 8.1.0/SDK. Create a build folder under the Optix SDK 8.1.0 directory:

     C:/ProgramData/NVIDIA Corporation/OptiX SDK 8.1.0/build
     

   • Configure and build the SDK in the created build directory, in both Release and Debug modes
   • To confirm that the Optix SDK is built successfully, run the optixHello demo in build/bin.

3. CMake

   • Version 3.18 or higher.

4. C++ Compiler

   • A compiler that supports C++17 or later.

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Building optixSoltraceDemos

Configure the Build

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone git@github.com:uwsbel/optixSoltraceDemos.git
   cd optixSoltraceDemos

2. Set the OptiX_INSTALL_DIR:

   • Provide the path to the OptiX SDK during CMake configuration.
   • For example, if the SDK is installed in C:/ProgramData/NVIDIA Corporation/OptiX SDK 8.1.0/:

     cmake -DOptiX_INSTALL_DIR="C:/ProgramData/NVIDIA Corporation/OptiX SDK 8.1.0/" .

3. (Optional) Set the OptiX_INSTALL_DIR as an Environment Variable:

   • Alternatively, you can set OptiX_INSTALL_DIR as an environment variable:
     • On Windows:

       $env:OptiX_INSTALL_DIR="C:/ProgramData/NVIDIA Corporation/OptiX SDK 8.1.0/"

     • On Linux/macOS:

       export OptiX_INSTALL_DIR="/path/to/OptiX SDK/"

4. Generate Build Files: Run CMake to generate build files for your project

5. Build the Project: Build the optixSoltraceDemos project

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Running the Demos

Once built, the executable demos can be found in the bin directory. Run them from the command line or within your IDE.