Lance J. Williams

Lance J. Williams was a prominent graphics researcher who made major contributions to texture map prefiltering, shadow rendering algorithms, facial animation, and antialiasing techniques. Williams was one of the first people to recognize the potential of computer graphics to transform film and video making. Williams died at 67 years old on August 20th, 2017, after a battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife and two children. Williams worked at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) from 1976-1986 on research and commercial animation, and the development of shadow mapping and ""mip"" texture mapping. Subsequently Williams consulted for Jim Henson Associates, independently developed facial tracking for computer animation, worked for six years in Apple Computer's Advanced Technology Group starting …