1. A method for populating a grid with a plurality of objects in parallel using a plurality of processors, the method comprising the following: prior to performing ray tracing of one or more rays through a grid, populating the grid with a plurality objects that make up a scene represented by the grid, including: dividing the grid into a plurality of distinct grid portions, a number of the plurality of distinct grid portions corresponding to a number of a plurality of processors that are available for populating the grid; dividing the plurality of objects that are to be populated into the grid into a plurality of distinct sets of one or more objects, a number of the plurality of distinct sets of objects corresponding to the number of the plurality of processors; assigning a different distinct set of objects of the plurality of distinct sets of objects to each processor of the plurality of processors; determining, in parallel with the plurality of processors, which one or more distinct grid portions of the plurality of distinct grid portions bound each of the plurality of objects, including each processor simultaneously determining by which one or more distinct grid portions of the plurality of distinct grid portions each object in said processor's assigned distinct set of objects is at least partially bounded, including each processor storing a list for each of the plurality of distinct grid portions, each list identifying any objects that said processor determined to be at least partially bounded by the distinct grid portion corresponding to the list; assigning a different distinct grid portion of the plurality of distinct grid portions to each processor of the plurality of processors; and subsequent to determining which one or more distinct grid portions bound each of the plurality of objects, populating, in parallel with the plurality of processors, the grid with the plurality of objects, including each processor simultaneously populating said processor's assigned distinct grid portion with any objects of the plurality of objects that were determined by any processor to be at least partially bounded by said processor's assigned distinct grid portion, each processor identifying which objects that are least partially bounded by said processor's assigned distinct grid portion by accessing each list that was stored by each of the plurality of processors; and subsequent to populating the grid with the plurality of objects, performing ray tracing of one or more rays through the grid.