A vectorial complex ray model is introduced to describe the scattering of a smooth surface object of arbitrary shape. In this model, all waves are considered as vectorial complex rays of four parameters: amplitude, phase, direction of propagation, and polarization. The ray direction and the wave divergence/convergence after each interaction of the wave with a dioptric surface as well as the phase shifts of each ray are determined by the vector Snell law and the wavefront equation according to the curvatures of the surfaces. The total scattered field is the superposition of the complex amplitude of all orders of the rays emergent from the object. Thanks to the simple representation of the wave, this model is very suitable for the description of the interaction of an arbitrary wave with an object of smooth surface and complex shape. The application of the model to two-dimensional scattering of a plane wave by a spheroid particle is presented as a demonstration. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America