Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for redirecting a user's movement through a physical space while the user views a virtual environment. A temporary visual suppression event is detected when a user's eyes move relative to the user's head while viewing a virtual scene displayed on a display device, an orientation of the virtual scene relative to the user is modified to direct the user to physically move along a planned path through a virtual environment corresponding to the virtual scene, and the virtual scene is displayed on the display device according to the modified orientation.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for redirecting a user's movement through a physical space while the user views a virtual environment. A temporary visual suppression event is detected when a user's eyes move relative to the user's head while viewing a virtual scene displayed on a display device, an orientation of the virtual scene relative to the user is modified to direct the user to physically move along a planned path through a virtual environment corresponding to the virtual scene, and the virtual scene is displayed on the display device according to the modified orientation.

Abstract: A neural network-based rendering technique increases temporal stability and image fidelity of low sample count path tracing by optimizing a distribution of samples for rendering each image in a sequence. A sample predictor neural network learns spatio-temporal sampling strategies such as placing more samples in dis-occluded regions and tracking specular highlights. Temporal feedback enables a denoiser neural network to boost the effective input sample count and increases temporal stability. The initial uniform sampling step typically present in adaptive sampling algorithms is not needed. The sample predictor and denoiser operate at interactive rates to achieve significantly improved image quality and temporal stability compared with conventional adaptive sampling techniques.

Abstract: A neural network-based rendering technique increases temporal stability and image fidelity of low sample count path tracing by optimizing a distribution of samples for rendering each image in a sequence. A sample predictor neural network learns spatio-temporal sampling strategies such as placing more samples in dis-occluded regions and tracking specular highlights. Temporal feedback enables a denoiser neural network to boost the effective input sample count and increases temporal stability. The initial uniform sampling step typically present in adaptive sampling algorithms is not needed. The sample predictor and denoiser operate at interactive rates to achieve significantly improved image quality and temporal stability compared with conventional adaptive sampling techniques.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for performing spatiotemporal filtering. The method includes the steps of applying, utilizing a processor, a temporal filter of a filtering pipeline to a current image frame, using a temporal reprojection, to obtain a color and auxiliary information for each pixel within the current image frame, providing the auxiliary information for each pixel within the current image frame to one or more subsequent filters of the filtering pipeline, and creating a reconstructed image for the current image frame, utilizing the one or more subsequent filters of the filtering pipeline.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for computing a path for a user to move along within a physical space while viewing a virtual environment in a virtual reality system. A path for a user to physically move along through a virtual environment is determined based on waypoints and at least one characteristic of the physical environment within which the user is positioned, position data for the user is received indicating whether and how much a current path taken by the user has deviated from the path, and an updated path is computed through the virtual environment based on the waypoints and the at least one characteristic of the physical environment.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for redirecting a user's movement through a physical space while the user views a virtual environment. A temporary visual suppression event is detected when a user's eyes move relative to the user's head while viewing a virtual scene displayed on a display device, an orientation of the virtual scene relative to the user is modified to direct the user to physically move along a planned path through a virtual environment corresponding to the virtual scene, and the virtual scene is displayed on the display device according to the modified orientation.

Abstract: Motivated by the ability of humans to quickly and accurately detect visual artifacts in images, a neural network model is trained to identify and locate visual artifacts in a sequence of rendered images without comparing the sequence of rendered images against a ground truth reference. Examples of visual artifacts include aliasing, blurriness, mosaicking, and overexposure. The neural network model provides a useful fully-automated tool for evaluating the quality of images produced by rendering systems. The neural network model may be trained to evaluate the quality of images for video processing, encoding, and/or compression techniques. In an embodiment, the sequence includes at least four images corresponding to a video or animation.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for rendering images utilizing a foveated rendering algorithm with post-process filtering to enhance a contrast of the foveated image. The method includes the step of receiving a three-dimensional scene, rendering the 3D scene according to a foveated rendering algorithm to generate a foveated image, and filtering the foveated image using a contrast-enhancing filter to generate a filtered foveated image. The foveated rendering algorithm may incorporate aspects of coarse pixel shading, mipmapped texture maps, linear efficient anti-aliased normal maps, exponential variance shadow maps, and specular anti-aliasing techniques. The foveated rendering algorithm may also be combined with temporal anti-aliasing techniques to further reduce artifacts in the foveated image.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for image processing to reduce aliasing using a temporal anti-aliasing algorithm modified to implement variance clipping. The method includes the step of generating a current frame of image data in a memory. Then, each pixel in the current frame of image data is processed by: sampling a resolved pixel color for a corresponding pixel in a previous frame of image data stored in the memory, adjusting the resolved pixel color based on a statistical distribution of color values for a plurality of samples in the neighborhood of the pixel in the current frame of image data to generate an adjusted pixel color, and blending a color value for the pixel in the current frame of image data with the adjusted pixel color to generate a resolved pixel color for the pixel in the current frame of image data.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for temporally stable data reconstruction. A sequence of input data including artifacts is received. A first input data frame is processed using layers of a neural network model to produce external state including a reconstructed first data frame that approximates the first input data frame without artifacts. Hidden state generated during processing of the first input data is not provided as an input to the layer to process second input data. The external state is warped, using difference data corresponding to changes between input data frames, to produce warped external state more closely aligned with the second input data frame. The second input data frame is processed, based on the warped external state, using the layers of the neural network model to produce a reconstructed second data frame that approximates the second data frame without artifacts.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for computing a path for a user to move along within a physical space while viewing a virtual environment in a virtual reality system. A path for a user to physically move along through a virtual environment is determined based on waypoints and at least one characteristic of the physical environment within which the user is positioned, position data for the user is received indicating whether and how much a current path taken by the user has deviated from the path, and an updated path is computed through the virtual environment based on the waypoints and the at least one characteristic of the physical environment.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for redirecting a user's movement through a physical space while the user views a virtual environment. A temporary visual suppression event is detected when a user's eyes move relative to the user's head while viewing a virtual scene displayed on a display device, an orientation of the virtual scene relative to the user is modified to direct the user to physically move along a planned path through a virtual environment corresponding to the virtual scene, and the virtual scene is displayed on the display device according to the modified orientation.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for image processing to reduce aliasing using a temporal anti-aliasing algorithm modified to implement variance clipping. The method includes the step of generating a current frame of image data in a memory. Then, each pixel in the current frame of image data is processed by: sampling a resolved pixel color for a corresponding pixel in a previous frame of image data stored in the memory, adjusting the resolved pixel color based on a statistical distribution of color values for a plurality of samples in the neighborhood of the pixel in the current frame of image data to generate an adjusted pixel color, and blending a color value for the pixel in the current frame of image data with the adjusted pixel color to generate a resolved pixel color for the pixel in the current frame of image data.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for image processing to reduce aliasing using a temporal anti-aliasing algorithm modified to implement variance clipping. The method includes the step of generating a current frame of image data in a memory. Then, each pixel in the current frame of image data is processed by: sampling a resolved pixel color for a corresponding pixel in a previous frame of image data stored in the memory, adjusting the resolved pixel color based on a statistical distribution of color values for a plurality of samples in the neighborhood of the pixel in the current frame of image data to generate an adjusted pixel color, and blending a color value for the pixel in the current frame of image data with the adjusted pixel color to generate a resolved pixel color for the pixel in the current frame of image data.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for rendering shadows. A frustum projected from a grid cell corresponding to a light source in light-space is defined and a graphics primitive is determined to intersect the frustum. A light-space visibility buffer is accessed to obtain a set of pixel fragment footprints corresponding to the frustum and it is identified whether each pixel fragment footprint of the pixel fragment footprints is shadowed by the graphics primitive.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for performing spatiotemporal filtering. The method includes the steps of applying, utilizing a processor, a temporal filter of a filtering pipeline to a current image frame, using a temporal reprojection, to obtain a color and auxiliary information for each pixel within the current image frame, providing the auxiliary information for each pixel within the current image frame to one or more subsequent filters of the filtering pipeline, and creating a reconstructed image for the current image frame, utilizing the one or more subsequent filters of the filtering pipeline.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for image processing to reduce aliasing using a temporal anti-aliasing algorithm modified to implement variance clipping. The method includes the step of generating a current frame of image data in a memory. Then, each pixel in the current frame of image data is processed by: sampling a resolved pixel color for a corresponding pixel in a previous frame of image data stored in the memory, adjusting the resolved pixel color based on a statistical distribution of color values for a plurality of samples in the neighborhood of the pixel in the current frame of image data to generate an adjusted pixel color, and blending a color value for the pixel in the current frame of image data with the adjusted pixel color to generate a resolved pixel color for the pixel in the current frame of image data.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for rendering images utilizing a foveated rendering algorithm with post-process filtering to enhance a contrast of the foveated image. The method includes the step of receiving a three-dimensional scene, rendering the 3D scene according to a foveated rendering algorithm to generate a foveated image, and filtering the foveated image using a contrast-enhancing filter to generate a filtered foveated image. The foveated rendering algorithm may incorporate aspects of coarse pixel shading, mipmapped texture maps, linear efficient anti-aliased normal maps, exponential variance shadow maps, and specular anti-aliasing techniques. The foveated rendering algorithm may also be combined with temporal anti-aliasing techniques to further reduce artifacts in the foveated image.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for shading using a dynamic object-space grid. An object defined by triangle primitives in a three-dimensional (3D) space that is specific to the object is received and an object-space shading grid is defined for a first triangle primitive of the triangle primitives based on coordinates of the first triangle primitive in the 3D space. A shader program is executed by a processing pipeline to compute a shaded value at a point on the object-space shading grid for the first triangle primitive.