GLINT: Modeling Scene-Scale Transparency via Gaussian Radiance Transport

arXiv cs.CV / 3/30/2026

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Key Points

  • The paper argues that existing 3D Gaussian splatting struggles with physically accurate transparency (e.g., glass) because it cannot properly separate radiance contributions from transparent interfaces versus transmitted geometry.
  • GLINT is presented as a new framework that uses an explicitly decomposed Gaussian representation to model reflected and transmitted radiance separately while reconstructing the primary interface.
  • During optimization, GLINT uses decomposition-driven geometry-separation cues to bootstrap transparency localization, supplemented by geometry and material priors from a pre-trained video relighting model.
  • Experiments on complex transparent scenes reportedly show consistent improvements over prior approaches for transparency reconstruction and radiance transport consistency.

Abstract

While 3D Gaussian splatting has emerged as a powerful paradigm, it fundamentally fails to model transparency such as glass panels. The core challenge lies in decoupling the intertwined radiance contributions from transparent interfaces and the transmitted geometry observed through the glass. We present GLINT, a framework that models scene-scale transparency through explicit decomposed Gaussian representation. GLINT reconstructs the primary interface and models reflected and transmitted radiance separately, enabling consistent radiance transport. During optimization, GLINT bootstraps transparency localization from geometry-separation cues induced by the decomposition, together with geometry and material priors from a pre-trained video relighting model. Extensive experiments demonstrate consistent improvements over prior methods for reconstructing complex transparent scenes.