US 2009/0021513 A1 · Method of Customizing 3D Computer-Generated Scenes

Abstract

An automated method of rapidly producing customized 3D graphics images in which various user images and video are merged into 3D computer graphics scenes, producing hybrid images that appear to have been created by a computationally intensive 3D rendering process, but which in fact have been created by a much less computationally intensive series of 2D image operations. To do this, a 3D graphics computer model is rendered into a 3D graphics image using a customized renderer designed to automatically report on some of the renderer's intermediate rendering operations, and store this intermediate data in the form of metafilm. User images and video may then be automatically combined with the metafilm, producing a 3D rendered quality final image with orders of magnitude fewer computing operations. The process can be used to inexpensively introduce user content into sophisticated images and videos suitable for many internet, advertising, cell phone, and other applications.

Claims49

Dependent claims

A method to embed at least one new graphical image or video file (new graphical images) into partially rendered three-dimensional (3D) computer graphical scenes, said method comprising:

constructing a 3D graphics model of a scene, and designating areas in said model where replacement by new graphical images is desired (designated areas);
rendering said 3D graphics model into graphical scene output files by a series of rendering passes, in which at least one of said rendering passes is a reporting rendering pass that outputs diagnostic information files pertaining to the status of the areas in said 3D graphics model where replacement by new graphical images is desired;
obtaining new graphical images, and merging them with the graphical scene output files by transforming the new graphical images according to said diagnostic information files, and then merging the transformed new graphical images with the graphical scene output files, producing output files containing composite images.

A method to embed at least one new graphical image or video file (new graphical images) into partially rendered three-dimensional (3D) computer graphical scenes, said method comprising:

constructing a 3D graphics model of a scene, and designating areas in said model where replacement by new graphical images is desired (designated areas);
rendering said three dimensional graphics model into two-dimensional (2D) graphical scene output files in a series of rendering passes;
in which the 2D graphical scene output files are encoded into 2D computer graphic image files, or computer files composed of a series of 2D graphic images that vary with time (video files);
in which at least one of said rendering passes is a reporting rendering pass that automatically outputs diagnostic information files pertaining to the status of the areas in said 3D graphics model where replacement by new graphical images is desired;
in which the diagnostic information files are encoded into 2D computer graphic image files, or computer files composed of a series of 2D graphic images that vary with time (video files);
obtaining new graphical images, and automatically merging them with the graphical scene output files by transforming the new graphical images according to said diagnostic information files, and then merging the transformed new graphical images with the graphical scene output files, producing output files containing composite images;
in which the new graphical images were stored in two-dimensional (2D) computer graphic image files, or computer files composed of a series of 2D graphic images that vary with time (video files).

4 more elements

A method to embed at least one new graphical image or video file (new graphical images) into partially rendered 3 dimensional (3D) computer graphical scenes, said method comprising:

constructing a 3D graphics model of a scene, and designating areas in said model where replacement by new graphical images is desired (designated areas);
rendering said three dimensional graphics model into two dimensional (2D) graphical scene output files in a series of rendering passes;
in which the 2D graphical scene output files are encoded into 2D computer graphic image files, or computer files composed of a series of 2D graphic images that vary with time (video files);
in which at least one of said rendering passes is a reporting rendering pass that automatically outputs diagnostic information files pertaining to the status of the areas in said 3D graphics model where replacement by new graphical images is desired;
in which the designated areas in the 3D graphics model are associated with a reporter material, and the reporter material interacts with the reporting rendering pass to create diagnostic information pertaining to the lighting, UV texture, refraction, reflection, and ray tracing properties of the designated areas within the overall context of the rendered 3D graphics scene;
or in which the reporting rendering method uses reporter lighting or shading that interacts with the reporter material during the reporting rendering pass, and creates diagnostic information pertaining to the UV texture, refraction, reflection, and ray tracing properties of the designated areas within the overall context of the rendered 3D graphics scene;
in which the diagnostic information files are encoded into 2D computer graphic image files, or computer files composed of a series of 2D graphic images that vary with time (video files);
obtaining new graphical images, and automatically merging them with the graphical scene output files by transforming the new graphical images according to said diagnostic information, and then merging the transformed new graphical images with the graphical scene output files, producing output files containing composite images;
in which the new graphical images were stored in two-dimensional (2D) computer graphic image files, or computer files composed of a series of 2D graphic images that vary with time (video files).

6 more elements

A method of automatically controlling a digital image compositing process, said method comprising:

constructing a 3D graphics model of a scene, and designating areas (designated areas) in said model where replacement by at least one new graphical image or video file (new graphical images) is desired;
rendering said 3D graphics model into graphical scene output files by a series of rendering passes, in which at least one of said rendering passes is a reporting rendering pass that outputs diagnostic information files pertaining to the status of the areas in said 3D graphics model where replacement by new graphical images is desired;
and using said diagnostic information files to automatically control the operation of a digital image compositing process.

A computer image or video file produced by the steps of:

constructing a 3D graphics model of a scene, and designating areas in said model where replacement by new graphical images is desired (designated areas);
rendering said 3D graphics model into graphical scene output files by a series of rendering passes, in which at least one of said rendering passes is a reporting rendering pass that outputs diagnostic information files pertaining to the status of the areas in said 3D graphics model where replacement by new graphical images is desired;
obtaining at least one new graphical image or video file (new graphical images), and merging them with the graphical scene output files by transforming the new graphical images according to said diagnostic information files, and then merging the transformed new graphical images with the graphical scene output files, producing output computer image or video files containing composite images.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of Customizing 3D Computer-Generated Scenes

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Method of Customizing 3D Computer-Generated Scenes

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Abstract

Claims49