Bidirectional reflectance data to support paint development and signature calculations

Commonly used methods of developing paints and evaluating their performance involve calculating the signatures of vehicles and backgrounds, this requires experimental determination of the directional and bidirectional reflectance of the surfaces involved. This paper describes the measurements required, the instruments used to make such measurements, and computer codes and techniques used for paint development and signature evaluation. Examples of bidirectional reflectance data obtained using full experimental mapping are presented. Applications of BRDF data in IR paint development are demonstrated with emphasis on validation and confirmation of computer modeling codes. Calculations of signatures using BRDF data are given using bidirectional reflectance data for two different coatings