US 9,519,986 B1Granted

Using stand-in camera to determine grid for rendering an image from a virtual camera

AssigneePixar

InventorsAlexander Kolliopoulos, Brandon Kerr

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Abstract

Systems and methods can provide computer animation of animated scenes or interactive graphics sessions. A grid camera separate from the render camera can be created for segments where the configurations (actual or predicted) of the render camera satisfy certain properties, e.g., an amount of change is within a threshold. If a segment is eligible for the use of the separate grid camera, configurations of the grid camera during a segment can be determined, e.g., from the configurations of the render camera. The configurations of the grid camera can then be used to determine grids for rendering objects. If a segment is not eligible for the use of the grid camera, then the configurations of the render camera can be used to determine the grids for rendering.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method of computer-generated animation, the method comprising:

identifying a first segment of an animated scene to be rendered;
receiving a plurality of configurations of a render camera during the first segment, each configuration occurring at a different point in time during the first segment, wherein the configurations of the render camera determine one or more objects seen in images of the first segment of the animated scene;
and
rendering the first segment of the animated scene using the render camera and a grid camera, the grid camera being configured based on the configurations of the render camera and being used to determine a resolution of a grid of each of the one or more objects seen by the render camera, wherein the rendering of the first segment of the animated scene comprises:
determining a first amount based on a change in the configurations of the render camera between different points in time during the first segment;
comparing the first amount to a threshold;
when the first amount is within the threshold:
determining one or more configurations of the grid camera during the first segment based on the configurations of the render camera, the one or more configurations of the grid camera differing from the configurations of the render camera;
determining one or more first grids for rendering the first segment based on the one or more configurations of the grid camera;
and
rendering the first segment of the animated scene based on the one or more objects viewable from a point of view of the render camera in images of the first segment and using the one or more first grids determined using the one or more configurations of the grid camera during the first segment;
when the first amount is outside the threshold:
determining one or more second grids based on the plurality of configurations of the render camera during the first segment;
and
using the one or more second grids in rendering the one or more objects during the first segment, wherein the method is performed by a computer system.

12 more elements

A computer product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions that when executed control a computer system to perform computer-generated animation, the instructions comprising:

identifying a first segment of an animated scene to be rendered;
receiving a plurality of configurations of a render camera during the first segment, each configuration occurring at a different point in time during the first segment, wherein the configurations of the render camera determine one or more objects seen in images of the first segment of the animated scene;
and
rendering the first segment of the animated scene using the render camera and a grid camera, the grid camera being configured based on the configurations of the render camera and being used to determine a resolution of a grid of each of the one or more objects seen by the render camera, wherein the rendering of the first segment of the animated scene comprises:
determining a first amount based on a change in the configurations of the render camera between different points in time during the first segment;
comparing the first amount to a threshold;
when the first amount is within the threshold:
determining one or more configurations of the grid camera during the first segment based on the configurations of the render camera, the one or more configurations of the grid camera differing from the configurations of the render camera;
determining one or more first grids for rendering the first segment based on the one or more configurations of the grid camera;
and
rendering the first segment of the animated scene based on the one or more objects viewable from a point of view of the render camera in images of the first segment and using the one or more first grids determined using the one or more configurations of the grid camera during the first segment;
when the first amount is outside the threshold:
determining one or more second grids based on the plurality of configurations of the render camera during the first segment;
and
using the one or more second grids in rendering the one or more objects during the first segment, wherein the method is performed by a computer system.

12 more elements

A method of computer-generated animation, the method comprising:

identifying a next segment of an interactive graphics session to be rendered, the next segment including a plurality of images that are each to be determined based on a configuration of a render camera in a three-dimensional animated world;
predicting the configurations of the render camera in the next segment;
and
rendering the first segment of the animated scene using the render camera and a grid camera, the grid camera being configured based on the configurations of the render camera and being used to determine a resolution of a grid of each of the one or more objects seen by the render camera, wherein the rendering of the first segment of the animated scene comprises:
determining a first amount based on a change in the predicted configurations during the next segment;
comparing the first amount to a threshold;
when the first amount is within the threshold:
determining, by the computer system, one or more configurations of the grid camera during the next segment based on the predicted configurations of the render camera, the one or more configurations of the grid camera differing from the predicted configurations of the render camera;
determining one or more first grids for rendering the first segment based on the one or more configurations of the grid camera;
and
rendering the first segment of the animated scene based on the one or more objects viewable from a point of view of the render camera in images of the first segment and using the one or more first grids determined using the one or more configurations of the grid camera during the first segment;
when the first amount is outside the threshold:
determining one or more second grids based on actual configurations of the render camera during the next segment;
and
using the one or more second grids in rendering one or more objects during the next segment, wherein the method is performed by a computer system.

12 more elements

identifying a next segment of an interactive graphics session to be rendered, the next segment including a plurality of images that are each to be determined based on a configuration of a render camera in a three-dimensional animated world;
predicting the configurations of the render camera in the next segment;
and
rendering the first segment of the animated scene using the render camera and a grid camera, the grid camera being configured based on the configurations of the render camera and being used to determine a resolution of a grid of each of the one or more objects seen by the render camera, wherein the rendering of the first segment of the animated scene comprises:
determining a first amount based on a change in the predicted configurations during the next segment;
comparing the first amount to a threshold;
when the first amount is within the threshold:
determining, by the computer system, one or more configurations of the grid camera during the next segment based on the predicted configurations of the render camera, the one or more configurations of the grid camera differing from the predicted configurations of the render camera;
determining one or more first grids for rendering the first segment based on the one or more configurations of the grid camera;
and
rendering the first segment of the animated scene based on the one or more objects viewable from a point of view of the render camera in images of the first segment and using the one or more first grids determined using the one or more configurations of the grid camera during the first segment;
when the first amount is outside the threshold:
determining one or more second grids based on actual configurations of the render camera during the next segment;
and
using the one or more second grids in rendering one or more objects during the next segment, wherein the method is performed by a computer system.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.