Surface characteristics evaluation method, surface characteristics evaluation apparatus, and surface characteristics evaluation program

A surface characteristics evaluation apparatus for evaluating a surface characteristic of a painted surface including a glittering material, comprising:

• a light source to emit light onto the painted surface;
• an image capturer configured to capture an image of the painted surface onto which the light is emitted;
• a mover configured to move a sample having the painted surface in a certain direction;
• a rotator configured to rotate at least one of the light source and the image capturer;
• multi-angle condition image acquisition circuitry configured to acquire a multi-angle condition image including multi-angle conditions in a continuous manner by performing an image-capturing process to capture how a reflection condition of the painted surface changes when the light source emits the light onto the painted surface and the rotating device rotates at least one of the light source and the image capturer, the image-capturing process being performed by the image capturer while the sample is moved in a certain direction by the moving device;
• in-plane chromaticity distribution acquisition circuitry configured to acquire an in-plane chromaticity distribution of the painted surface from the multi-angle condition image acquired by the multi-angle condition image acquisition circuitry;
• and
• surface characteristics evaluation circuitry configured to calculate surface characteristics evaluation values of the multi-angle conditions, on the basis of the in-plane chromaticity distribution acquired by the in-plane chromaticity distribution acquisition circuitry.

A non-transitory computer readable medium including a surface characteristics evaluation program for evaluating a surface characteristic of a painted surface including a glittering material, the surface characteristics evaluation program causing a computer to execute:

• a multi-angle condition image acquisition function for acquiring a multi-angle condition image including multi-angle conditions in a continuous manner by performing an image-capturing process to capture how a reflection condition of the painted surface changes when rotating at least one of an light source emitting light onto the painted surface and an image capturer capturing images of the painted surface onto which the light is emitted, the image-capturing process being performed by the image capturer while a sample having the painted surface is moved in a certain direction;
• an in-plane chromaticity distribution acquisition function for acquiring an in-plane chromaticity distribution of the painted surface from the multi-angle condition image acquired by the multi-angle condition image acquisition function;
• and
• a surface characteristics evaluation function for calculating surface characteristics evaluation values of the multi-angle conditions, on the basis of the in-plane chromaticity distribution acquired by the in-plane chromaticity distribution acquisition function.