I've noticed the 3D model used on these slides throughout the course and in many rendering examples/showcases elsewhere. Wondering where it comes from, I did some research -- apparently it's referred to as the "Sponza Atrium," or sometimes simply as "Sponza," and was first created by Marko Dabrovic in 2002. It's modeled after the 16th century palace "Sponza Palace" and has seemingly become the go-to model for rendering showcases. Though this seems to be a silent agreement among the computer graphics community as I can't find any reputable source saying as much. As to why it caught on, I could only find vague descriptions of its complexity and beauty.
Edit: I realized the name of the model was mentioned earlier in the slide deck. That could have saved me some time. :D
I've noticed the 3D model used on these slides throughout the course and in many rendering examples/showcases elsewhere. Wondering where it comes from, I did some research -- apparently it's referred to as the "Sponza Atrium," or sometimes simply as "Sponza," and was first created by Marko Dabrovic in 2002. It's modeled after the 16th century palace "Sponza Palace" and has seemingly become the go-to model for rendering showcases. Though this seems to be a silent agreement among the computer graphics community as I can't find any reputable source saying as much. As to why it caught on, I could only find vague descriptions of its complexity and beauty.
Edit: I realized the name of the model was mentioned earlier in the slide deck. That could have saved me some time. :D