Abstract: A computer-animated scene is shaded using a point in a point cloud. The point represents a sample location on a surface primitive of an object in the scene. The surface primitive lies at least partially within a camera viewing frustum of a virtual camera, which has a focal point. A sample location distance, which is a near plane distance of the camera viewing frustum or the length of a line between the sample location on the surface primitive and the focal point of the virtual camera, is determined. A solid angle of the surface primitive subtended at the focal point of the virtual camera is obtained. A desired point area of the point in the point cloud is determined based on the sample location distance and the solid angle. The scene is shaded using the desired point area of the point in the point cloud.

Abstract: Locations are shaded for use in rendering a computer-generated scene having one or more objects represented by the point cloud. A hierarchy for the point cloud is obtained. The point cloud includes a plurality of points. The hierarchy has a plurality of clusters of points of the point cloud. A location is selected to shade. A first cluster from the plurality of clusters is selected. The first cluster represents a first set of points in the point cloud. An importance weight for the first cluster is determined. A render-quality criterion for the first cluster is determined based on the importance weight. Whether the first cluster meets a render-quality criterion is determined based on a render-quality parameter for the first cluster. In response to the first cluster meeting the quality criterion, the location is shaded based on an indication of light emitted from the first cluster.

Abstract: A computer-animated scene is shaded by a computing system having an in-core memory and coupled to one or more out-of-core storage devices. The scene is comprised of shading locations on a surface element of an object in the scene. A point cloud representation of the scene is generated. An octree data structure based on the point cloud representation of the scene is generated. To generate the octree data structure, the Morton code for each point in the point cloud representation of the scene is computed. The points are then sorted based on the Morton code, recursively subdivided to find at most a threshold number of nodes, and written to the one or more out-of-core storage devices. The shading locations are then shaded based on the nodes written to the out-of-core storage devices.

Abstract: Locations are shaded for use in rendering a computer-generated scene having one or more objects represented by the point cloud. A hierarchy for the point cloud is obtained. The point cloud includes a plurality of points. The hierarchy has a plurality of clusters of points of the point cloud. A location is selected to shade. A first cluster from the plurality of clusters is selected. The first cluster represents a first set of points in the point cloud. An importance weight for the first cluster is determined. A render-quality criterion for the first cluster is determined based on the importance weight. Whether the first cluster meets a render-quality criterion is determined based on a render-quality parameter for the first cluster. In response to the first cluster meeting the quality criterion, the location is shaded based on an indication of light emitted from the first cluster.

Abstract: A method of rendering a scene with a plurality of objects includes rendering an object in a scene, wherein a portion of the object spans at least two of a plurality of non-overlapping tiles that subdivide the scene, and wherein the portion of the object is rendered only once in rendering the scene. The process further includes storing the rendered output of the object into a deep-framebuffer. While rendering the object and storing the rendered output of the object, in response to the size of the deep-framebuffer reaching a predetermined threshold, the steps that are performed include dividing the deep-framebuffer's contents based on the plurality of non-overlapping tiles, storing the divided contents of the deep-framebuffer in a plurality of tile files, and clearing the contents of the deep-framebuffer.

Abstract: A computer-animated scene is shaded by a computing system having an in-core memory and coupled to one or more out-of-core storage devices. The scene is comprised of shading locations on a surface element of an object in the scene. A point cloud representation of the scene is generated. An octree data structure based on the point cloud representation of the scene is generated. To generate the octree data structure, the Morton code for each point in the point cloud representation of the scene is computed. The points are then sorted based on the Morton code, recursively subdivided to find at most a threshold number of nodes, and written to the one or more out-of-core storage devices. The shading locations are then shaded based on the nodes written to the out-of-core storage devices.

Abstract: A computer-animated scene is shaded using a point in a point cloud. The point represents a sample location on a surface primitive of an object in the scene. The surface primitive lies at least partially within a camera viewing frustum of a virtual camera, which has a focal point. A sample location distance, which is a near plane distance of the camera viewing frustum or the length of a line between the sample location on the surface primitive and the focal point of the virtual camera, is determined. A solid angle of the surface primitive subtended at the focal point of the virtual camera is obtained. A desired point area of the point in the point cloud is determined based on the sample location distance and the solid angle. The scene is shaded using the desired point area of the point in the point cloud.

Abstract: A method of rendering a scene with a plurality of objects includes rendering an object in a scene, wherein a portion of the object spans at least two of a plurality of non-overlapping tiles that subdivide the scene, and wherein the portion of the object is rendered only once in rendering the scene. The process further includes storing the rendered output of the object into a deep-framebuffer. While rendering the object and storing the rendered output of the object, in response to the size of the deep-framebuffer reaching a predetermined threshold, the steps that are performed include dividing the deep-framebuffer's contents based on the plurality of non-overlapping tiles, storing the divided contents of the deep-framebuffer in a plurality of tile files, and clearing the contents of the deep-framebuffer.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for allowing a particle to follow a path. A one dimensional path having an attraction force which affects particles is embodied in N-dimensional space, such as two dimensional or three dimensional space. The attraction force is then applied to the particle in the direction of the path, where the magnitude of the force corresponds to the distance between the particle and the path. The attraction force may optionally be applied for only a percentage of the path length.