Direction Of Light From LightSource RayTracing

Question

Okay so I have this class

public sealed class LightSource
{
    public readonly Point3D Source;
    public readonly Point3D Direction;

    public readonly float ConeAngle;

    public List<Ray> Lights { get; private set; }

    public const double MaxRadian = 2.0 * Math.PI;

    public LightSource(Point3D source, Point3D direction, float coneAngle)
    {
        this.Source = source;
        this.Direction = direction;

        if (coneAngle <= 0 || coneAngle > LightSource.MaxRadian)
        {
            throw new ArgumentException("coneAngle <= 0 || coneAngle > LightSource.MaxRadian");
        }

        this.ConeAngle = coneAngle;
        this.Lights = LightSource.GenerateLights(this.Source, this.Direction, this.ConeAngle);
    }

    public static List<Ray> GenerateLights(Point3D source, Point3D direction, float coneAngle)
    {
        //How would i do this?
    }
}

How would I realize the method GenerateLights to give me a list of rays that are inside my cone angle. Lets say the amount of rays will be some constant. Thank You.

Answer 1

I'm no expert, but just to give you a starting point: perhaps you could put a grid perpendicular to the direction you're aiming, and only keep the rays whose angle from the direction is within coneAngle?

ASCII art:

                                      +--+--+
                                      |  |  |
                                      +--+--+
                     direction        |  |  |    
staring point ----------------------> +--+--+
                                      |  |  |
                                      +--+--+
                                      |  |  |  
                                      +--+--+

imagine the grid is perpendicular to the "direction" vector.