Back to results
US 7,609,274 B2Granted
System, method, and computer program product for general environment mapping
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorPaul Jeffrey Ungar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reflection image and an environment map are loaded into memory. During rendering of an object, an environment texture sample is retrieved from the environment map based on a reflection vector stored in a pixel of the reflection image. The retrieved environment texture sample is then applied to the object. The object thus rendered is stored in a frame buffer.
Claims17
A method comprising:
- generating, by a graphics system, a plurality of reflection images that are each comprised of a plurality of pre-calculated reflection view vectors for a particular viewpoint of a rendered object, wherein each of the plurality of reflection images corresponds to a particular viewpoint of the rendered object, and wherein the pre-calculating is performed prior to a rendering of the object for display;
- loading a predetermined reflection image chosen from the plurality of reflection images into a physical memory of the graphics system;
- retrieving via a processor an environment texture sample from an environment map using a reflection vector stored in a pixel of the predetermined reflection image;
- and
- applying via a processor the environment texture sample to an object, wherein the loading comprises:
- retrieving via a processor a reflection texture sample comprising pixel data;
- and
- storing via a processor the pixel data of the reflection texture sample as pixel data of a pixel of the object;
- and wherein the retrieving the environment texture sample comprises using red, green and blue color values of the pixel of the object as respective X, Y and Z component values of the reflection vector.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving via a processor a reflection texture sample comprising color values of a pixel, wherein red, green and blue color values of the pixel represent a pre-calculated reflection vector of a rendered object;
- using the red, green and blue color values of the pixel of the object as respective X, Y and Z component values of the reflection vector;
- retrieving via a processor an environment texture sample from an environment map using the reflection vector defined by the color values;
- and
- applying the environment texture sample to the object.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- loading a reflection image into a physical memory;
- retrieving via a processor an environment texture sample from an environment map using a pre-calculated reflection vector of an object stored in a pixel of the reflection image, wherein the pre-calculated reflection vector is stored in the pixel of the reflection image as red, green, and blue color values, and wherein the red, green, and blue color values of the pixel are used as respective X, Y and Z components of the reflection vector during said retrieving;
- and
- applying via a processor the environment texture sample to the object.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.