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US RE42,287 E1Granted
Stochastic level of detail in computer animation
AssigneePixar
InventorsAnthony A. Apodaca, Mark T. Vande Wettering, Larry I. Gritz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for smoothly transitioning between different object representations in computer animation using stochastic sampling. The method allows for level of detail transitions between object representations made up of different geometric primitives, of different types, with different rendering attributes, and even different topologies without “popping” or other visual artifacts.
Claims41
A method for computer rendering an image, comprising:
- storing a plurality of different representations of an object in a scene to be rendered;
- selecting a plurality of sample locations within an area of a pixel of an image;
- associating with each of said sample locations one of said plurality of different representations, wherein each of said plurality of different representations is pseudorandomly associated with one of said sample locations;
- computing an image contribution at each of said sample locations based on the associated one of said plurality of different representations;
- and
- combining said image contributions computed at each of said sample locations to form the image.
3 more elements
A memory for a computer system including a processor, the memory comprising:
- code that directs the processor to determine a first plurality of sampling locations pseudorandomly associated with at least a portion of a first representation of an object and to
- determine a second plurality of sampling locations pseudorandomly associated with at least a portion of the second representation of the object store a plurality of different representations of an object in a scene to be rendered;
- code that directs the processor to render locations in the portion of the first representation of the object associated with the first plurality of sampling locations to obtain first sampled values select a plurality of sample locations within an area of a pixel of an image;
- code that directs the processor to render locations in the portion of the second representation of the object associated with the second plurality of sampling locations to obtain second sampled values associate with each of said sample locations one of said plurality of different representations, wherein each of said plurality of different representations is pseudorandomly associated with one of said sample locations;
- code that directs the processor to combine the first sampled values for the first plurality of sampling locations and the second sampled values for the second plurality of sampling locations to form at least one sampled value for the portion of the object compute an image contribution at each of said sample locations based on the associated one of said plurality of different representations;
- and
- code that directs the processor to record the at least one sampled value as part of an image combine said image contributions computed at each of said sample locations to form the image;
- wherein the first plurality of sampling locations are not identical to the second plurality of sampling locations;
- wherein the codes reside on a tangible media.
6 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a memory configured to store a first representation of a portion of an object and to store a second representation of the portion of the object;
- and
- a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to determine locations within an area of a pixel, wherein the processor is configured to pseudorandomly associate a first representation of the portion of the object with a first plurality of locations to determine a first plurality of sampled values, wherein the processor is configured to pseudorandomly associate a second representation of the portion of the object with a second
- plurality of locations to determine a second plurality of sampled values, wherein the processor is configure to combine the first plurality of sampled values and the second plurality of sampled values to determine a value for a pixel associated with the object;
- wherein the processor is configured to pseudo-randomly determine the plurality of locations of the object associated with the pixel in the image;
- wherein the first plurality of locations are not identical to the second plurality of locations;
- and
- wherein the memory is also configured to store the value for the pixel in an image.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.