Optimising image compositing

A method of creating an image, said image being formed by rendering at least a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a compositing expression, each said object having a predetermined outline, said method comprising the steps of:

• dividing a space in which said outlines are defined into a plurality of mutually exclusive regions;
• examining each said region to determine those said objects which contribute to said region;
• modifying said compositing expression on the basis of the contribution of each of said objects within said region;
• and
• compositing said image using said modified positing expression.

A method of creating an image, said image comprising a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a compositing expression, said method comprising the steps of:

• dividing a space in which said graphical objects are defined into a plurality of regions;
• examining each said region to determine those said objects which contribute to said region;
• modifying said compositing expression on the basis of said examination;
• and
• compositing said image using said modified compositing expression.

An apparatus for creating an image, said image being formed by rendering at least a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a compositing expression, each said object having a predetermined outline, said apparatus comprising:

• dividing means for dividing a space in which said outlines are defined into a plurality of mutually exclusive regions wherein each of said regions is defined by a region outline substantially following at least one of said predetermined outlines or parts thereof;
• examining means for examining each said region to determine those said objects which contribute to said region;
• modifying means for modifying said compositing expression on the basis of the contribution of each of said objects within said region to form an optimized compositing expression for each said region;
• and
• compositing means for compositing said image using each of said optimized compositing expressions.

An apparatus for creating an image, said image being formed by rendering at least a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a compositing expression, each said object having a predetermined outline, said apparatus comprising:

• dividing means for dividing a space in which said outlines are defined into a plurality of mutually exclusive regions;
• examining means for examining each said region to determine those said objects which contribute to said region;
• modifying means for modifying said compositing expression on the basis of the contribution of each of said objects within said region;
• and
• compositing means for compositing said image using said modified compositing expression.

An apparatus for creating an image, said image comprising a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a compositing expression, said apparatus comprising:

• dividing means for dividing a space in which said graphical objects are defined into a plurality of regions;
• examining means for examining each said region to determine those said objects which contribute to said region;
• modifying means for modifying said compositing expression on the basis of said examination;
• and
• compositing means for compositing said image using said modified compositing expression.

A method of creating a series of images, each member of said series being related to a preceding member, said images being formed by rendering a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a hierarchical structure representing a compositing expression, said hierarchical structure including a plurality of nodes each representing a component of at least one of said images, each of said objects having a predetermined outline, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) for each said node:
• (i) dividing a component image space in which said outlines are defined into at least one mutually exclusive region, each said region being related to at least one graphical object;
• (ii) examining each said region to determine those objects that contribute to the region;
• (b) creating internodal dependency information identifying those said regions that will be affected by a change in any one of said regions;
• (c) rendering a first image of said series by compositing all regions substantially according to said hierarchical structure;
• (d) in response to at least one change to at least one of said nodes;
• (i) examining said internodal dependency information to identify those of said regions affected by said at least one change;
• (ii) for each node with affected regions, updating the corresponding identified regions and incorporating into said node those (any) new regions arising from the change and/or removing any of said regions that are no longer relevant;
• (iii) updating said internodal dependency information to reflect changes to said hierarchical structure;
• (iv) rendering a further image of said series by compositing (only) those regions affected by said at least one change;
• and
• (e) repeating step (d) for further changes to at least one of said nodes.

A method of creating a series of images, said images being formed by rendering a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a hierarchical structure, said hierarchical structure including a plurality of nodes each representing a component of at least one of said images, each of said objects having a predetermined outline, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) for each said node:
• (iii) dividing a space in which said outlines are defined into at least one mutually exclusive region;
• (iv) examining each said region to determine those objects that contribute to the region;
• (b) creating internodal dependency information based on said examination;
• (c) rendering a first image of said series utilising said hierarchical structure;
• and then, in response to at least one change to at least one of said nodes;
• (d) examining said internodal dependency information;
• (i) for a node with affected regions, updating the corresponding regions;
• (ii) updating said internodal dependency information;
• (iii) rendering a further image of said series by compositing those regions affected by said at least one change;
• and
• (e) repeating step (d) for further changes to at least one of said nodes.

A method of creating a series of images, said images being formed by rendering at least a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a hierarchical structure, said hierarchical structure including a plurality of nodes each representing a component of at least one of said images, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) for each said node:
• (i) dividing a component image space in which said graphical objects are defined into at least one region;
• (ii) examining each said region;
• (b) creating internodal dependency information for each of said regions;
• (c) rendering a first image of said series utilising said hierarchical structure;
• and then, in response to at least one change to at least one of said nodes;
• (d) examining said internodal dependency information;
• (i) for a node with affected regions, updating the corresponding information;
• (ii) updating said internodal dependency record;
• (iii) rendering a further image of said series;
• and
• (e) repeating step (d) for further changes to at least one of said nodes.

An apparatus for creating a series of images, each member of said series being related to a preceding member, said images being formed by rendering a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a hierarchical structure representing a compositing expression, said hierarchical structure including a plurality of nodes each representing a component of at least of one of said images, each of said objects having a predetermined outline, said apparatus comprising:

• dividing means for dividing a component image space in which said outlines are defined, for each said node, into at least one mutually exclusive region, each said region being related to at least one graphical object;
• first examining means for examining each said region, for each said node, to determine those objects that contribute to the region;
• creating means for creating an internodal dependency information identifying those said regions that will be affected by a change in any one of said regions;
• rendering means for rendering a first image of said series by compositing all regions substantially according to said hierarchical structure;
• second examining means for examining said internodal dependency information to identify those of said regions affected by at least one change to at least one of said nodes;
• first updating means for updating the corresponding identified regions for each node with affected regions and incorporating into said node those (any) new regions arising from the change;
• second updating means for updating said internodal dependency information to reflect changes to said hierarchical structure;
• and
• rendering means for rendering a further image of said series by compositing (only) those regions affected by said at least one change.

An apparatus for creating a series of images, said images being formed by rendering at least a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a hierarchical structure, said hierarchical structure including a plurality of nodes each representing a component of at least one of said images, each of said objects having a predetermined outline, said apparatus comprising:

• dividing means for dividing a space in which said outlines are defined, for each said node, into at least one mutually exclusive region;
• first examining means for examining each said region, for each said node, to determine those objects that contribute to the region;
• creating means for creating internodal dependency information based on said examination;
• rendering means for rendering a first image of said series utilising said hierarchical structure;
• and
• second examining means for examining said internodal dependency information in response to at least one change to at least one of said nodes and, for a node with affected regions, updating the corresponding regions, updating said internodal dependency information and, rendering a further image of said series by compositing those regions affected by said at least one change.

An apparatus for creating a series of images, said images being formed by rendering at least a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a hierarchical structure, said hierarchical structure including a plurality of nodes each representing a component of at least one of said images, said apparatus comprising:

• dividing means for dividing a component image space, for each said node, in which said graphical objects are defined into at least one region;
• first examining means for examining each said region;
• creating means for creating internodal dependency information for each of said regions;
• rendering means for rendering a first image of said series utilising said hierarchical structure;
• second examining means for examining said internodal dependency information, in response to at least one change to at least one of said nodes;
• and
• first updating means for updating the corresponding regions for an affected node;
• second updating means for updating said internodal dependency information;
• and
• rendering means for rendering a further image of said series.

A computer program product including a computer readable medium having a plurality of software modules for creating an image, said image being formed by rendering at least a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a compositing expression, each said object having a predetermined outline, said computer program product comprising:

• dividing module for dividing a space in which said outlines are defined into a plurality of mutually exclusive regions wherein each of said regions is defined by a region outline substantially following at least one of said predetermined outlines or parts thereof;
• examining module for examining each said region to determine those said objects which contribute to said region;
• modifying module for modifying said compositing expression on the basis of the contribution of each of said objects within said region to form an optimized compositing expression for each said region;
• and
• compositing module for compositing said image using each of said optimized compositing expressions.

A computer program product including a computer readable medium having a plurality of software modules for creating an image, said image being formed by rendering at least a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a compositing expression, each said object having a predetermined outline, said computer program product comprising:

• dividing module for dividing a space in which said outlines are defined into a plurality of mutually exclusive regions;
• examining module for examining each said region to determine those said objects which contribute to said region;
• modifying module for modifying said compositing expression on the basis of the contribution of each of said objects within said region;
• and
• compositing module for compositing said image using said modified compositing expression.

A computer program product including a computer readable medium having a plurality of software modules for creating an image, said image comprising a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a compositing expression, said computer program product comprising:

• dividing module for dividing a space in which said graphical objects are defined into a plurality of regions;
• examining module for examining each said region to determine those said objects which contribute to said region;
• modifying module for modifying said compositing expression on the basis of said examination;
• and
• compositing module for compositing said image using said modified compositing expression.

A computer program product including a computer readable medium having a plurality of software modules for creating a series of images, each member of said series being related to a preceding member, said images being formed by rendering a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a hierarchical structure representing a compositing expression, said hierarchical structure including a plurality of nodes each representing a component of at least one of said images, each of said objects having a predetermined outline, said computer program product comprising:

• dividing module for dividing a component image space in which said outlines are defined, for each said node, into at least one mutually exclusive region, each said region being related to at least one graphical object;
• first examining module for examining each said region, for each said node, to determine those objects that contribute to the region;
• creating module for creating an internodal dependency information identifying those said regions that will be affected by a change in any one of said regions;
• rendering module for rendering a first image of said series by compositing all regions of said hierarchical structure;
• second examining module for examining said internodal dependency information to identify those of said regions affected by at least one change to at least one of said nodes;
• first updating module for updating the corresponding identified regions for each node with affected regions and incorporating into said node those (any) new regions arising from the change;
• second updating module for updating said internodal dependency information to reflect changes to said hierarchical structure;
• and
• rendering module for rendering a further image of said series by compositing (only) those regions affected by said at least one change.

A computer program product including a computer readable medium having a plurality of software modules for creating a series of images, said images being formed by rendering a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a hierarchical structure, said hierarchical structure including a plurality of nodes each representing a component of at least one of said images, each of said objects having a predetermined outline, said computer program product comprising:

• dividing module for dividing a space in which said outlines are defined, for each said node, into at least one mutually exclusive region;
• first examining module for examining each said region, for each said node, to determine those objects that contribute to the region;
• creating module for creating an internodal dependency information based on said examination;
• rendering module for rendering a first image of said series utilising said hierarchical structure;
• and
• second examining module for examining said internodal dependency information in response to at least one change to at least one of said nodes and, for a node with affected regions, updating the corresponding regions, updating said internodal dependency information and, rendering a further image of said series by compositing those regions affected by said at least one change.

A computer program product including a computer readable medium having a plurality of software modules for creating a series of images, said images being formed by rendering a plurality of graphical objects to be composited according to a hierarchical structure, said hierarchical structure including a plurality of nodes each representing a component of said image, said computer program product comprising:

• dividing module for dividing a component image space, for each said node, in which said graphical objects are defined into at least one region;
• first examining module for examining each said region;
• creating module for creating internodal dependency information for each of said regions;
• rendering module for rendering a first image of said series utilising said hierarchical structure;
• second examining module for examining said internodal dependency information, in response to at least one change to at least one of said nodes;
• and
• first updating module for updating the corresponding regions for a node with affected regions;
• second updating module for updating said internodal dependency information;
• and
• rendering module for rendering a further image of said series.

A method of processing image data for creating an image by rendering graphical objects to be composited according to a compositing expression, comprising the steps of:

• dividing a space in which said objects are defined into a plurality of regions in accordance with outlines of the objects;
• examining a part of the space by utilizing each said region;
• and
• modifying the compositing expression based on a result of said examining step.