Manufacturing of synthetic images with continuous animation

A method for manufacturing a synthetic image device, comprising the steps of:

• providing a focusing element array;
• and
• arranging an image layer in a vicinity of a focal distance of focusing elements of said focusing element array, whereby a synthetic image composed of enlarged portions of said image layer becomes perceivable for a viewer,
• wherein said image layer comprises an array of image cells, wherein each image cell is associated with a respective focusing element of said focusing element array and wherein said array of image cells having a same symmetry and element distance as said focusing element array,
• wherein said step of arranging comprises creating continuous image objects within said image cells such that synthetic images to be viewed, all having contributions from one of said continuous image objects in at least one of said image cells, present smooth successive non-parallax alterations upon changing a viewing direction,
• wherein said creating continuous image objects is performed according to an array of digital image cells of a digital image layer model, wherein each said digital image cell comprises a digital representation of a shape of said digital image cell and digital descriptions of digital image objects within respective said digital image cell,
• wherein said creating continuous image objects comprises the part steps of:
• defining a requested synthetic image animation;
• and
• deducing said array of digital image cells of a digital image layer model,
• wherein said deducing of said creating continuous image objects in turn comprises the steps of:
• dividing each digital image cell into a multitude of digital image cell portions;
• creating, for the digital cell portions, digital image objects, which together with digital image objects of corresponding digital cell portions of other digital image cells, when transformed as they would have been viewed via an associated focussing element, give rise to a synthetic image corresponding to a digital image model, continuously changing an appearance thereof for different viewing directions;
• and
• fusing said digital image objects of each digital cell portion within each digital image cell into a digital continuous image object of said digital image cell, whereby said digital continuous image objects extend over a plurality of digital cell portions, and
• wherein said creating continuous image objects in said image layer is performed according to said digital continuous image object of said digital image cell.