Generating image data

A method of shading surfaces generated from a radiosity simulation, in which surfaces have been divided into a plurality of elements, and a brightness value has been calculated for each of said elements, including the steps of

• defining an initial surface shading in which the resolution of shading is determined in response to the highest element density of said surface;
• processing element brightness values to generate brightness values for said initial surface shading;
• filtering values of said initial surface shading to generate brightness values for an enhanced surface shading;
• and
• in response to surface data storage requirements, selectively storing said enhanced surface shading, or vertex data derived from said enhanced surface shading.

A method of rendering surface data in which a signals are supplied from a virtual set, including camera view signals and camera image signals, including steps of

• rendering a first surface area from a radiosity texture;
• rendering a second surface area from radiosity vertex values derived from an intermediate radiosity texture;
• wherein
• said radiosity textures have been generated by the steps of
• defining an initial surface shading in which the resolution of shading is determined in response to the highest element density of said surface;
• processing element brightness values to generate brightness values for said initial surface shading;
• and
• filtering values of said initial surface shading to generate brightness values for an enhanced surface shading.

Apparatus for shading a surface generated from a radiosity simulation, including processing means and storage means including a storage area for instructions for said processing means, in which said surface has been divided into a plurality of elements, and a brightness value has been calculated for each of said elements, wherein said processing means is configurable to perform the steps of

• defining an initial surface shading in which the resolution of shading is determined in response to the highest element density of said surface;
• processing element brightness values to generate brightness values for said initial surface shading;
• and
• filtering values of said initial surface shading to generate brightness values for an enhanced surface shading.

Apparatus for shading surfaces generated from a radiosity simulation, including processing means and storage means including a storage area for instructions for said processing means, in which a surface has been divided into a plurality of elements, and a brightness value has been calculated for each of said elements, wherein said processing means is configurable to perform the steps of

• defining an initial surface shading in which the resolution of shading is determined in response to the highest element density of said surface;
• processing element brightness values to generate brightness values for said initial surface shading;
• filtering values of said initial surface shading to generate brightness values for an enhanced surface shading;
• and
• in response to surface data storage requirements, selectively storing said enhanced surface shading, or vertex data derived from said enhanced surface shading.

Apparatus for rendering surface data generated from a radiosity simulation, in response to signals from a virtual set, including processing means and storage means including a storage area for instructions for said processing means, in which said surface has been divided into a plurality of elements, and a brightness value has been calculated for each of said elements, wherein said processing means is arranged to receive camera view signals and camera image signals from a virtual set, and is configurable to perform the steps of

• rendering a first surface area from a radiosity texture;
• rendering a second surface area from radiosity vertex values derived from an intermediate radiosity texture;
• wherein
• said radiosity textures have been generated by the steps of
• defining an initial surface shading in which the resolution of shading is determined in response to the highest element density of said surface;
• processing element brightness values to generate brightness values for said initial surface shading;
• and
• filtering values of said initial surface shading to generate brightness values for an enhanced surface shading.

In a virtual set, in which real foreground images are combined with synthesised background images in real-time, means configured to generate said background image data, comprising

• apparatus for shading a surface generated from a radiosity simulation, including processing means and storage means including a storage area for instructions for said processing means, in which said surface has been divided into a plurality of elements, and the brightness value has been calculated for each of said elements, wherein said processing means is configurable to perform the steps of
• defining an initial surface shading in which the resolution of shading is determined in response to the highest element density of said surface;
• processing element brightness values to generate brightness values for said initial surface shading;
• and
• filtering values of said initial surface shading to generate brightness values for an enhanced surface shading.

A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions executable by a computer such that said computer performs the steps of:

• shading a surface generated from a radiosity simulation, in which said surface has been divided into a plurality of elements, and a brightness value has been calculated for each of said elements, including the steps of
• defining an initial surface shading in which the resolution of shading is determined in response to the highest element density of said surface;
• processing element brightness values to generate brightness values for said initial surface shading;
• and
• filtering values of said initial surface shading to generate brightness values for an enhanced surface shading.