System and method for aerial light shows with occlusion and transparency

A vehicle, comprising:

• a processor configured to control movement of the vehicle along a path consisting of multiple positions while emitting light beams to present a light show of a virtual 3D scene;
• and
• a light source controlled by the processor and configured to project multiple light beams in multiple specified directions, respectively;
• wherein the processor is configured to control the brightness and/or color of each of the multiple light beams of the light source at each of at least one of the multiple positions of the path traveled by the vehicle, including:
• modifying the brightness and/or color of a light beam of each vehicle at each position projected in a specified direction that is occluded by the virtual 3D scene, and
• not modifying the brightness and/or color of a light beam of each vehicle at each position projected in a specified direction that is not occluded by the virtual 3D scene.

A method for a light show, comprising:

• creating a virtual 3D scene;
• placing lights in the virtual 3D scene;
• assigning paths consisting of multiple positions to be traveled by vehicles including light sources which correspond to the lights placed on the virtual 3D scene to present a light show of the virtual 3D scene, wherein the light source of each vehicle is configured to project multiple light beams in multiple specified directions, respectively, and the brightness and/or color of each of the multiple light beams is independently controllable;
• for each vehicle and for each of at least one of the multiple positions of the path traveled by the vehicle, rendering a pattern of the brightness and/or color of the multiple light beams of the light source of the vehicle, wherein the brightness and/or color of a light beam projected in a specified direction that is occluded by the virtual 3D scene is modified, and the brightness and/or color of a light beam projected in a specified direction that is not occluded by the virtual 3D scene is not modified;
• and
• loading to a light show control system the paths of the vehicles and the patterns of the brightness and/or color of the multiple light beams of the light source for each of at least one of the multiple positions traveled by the vehicles.