Abstract: An exemplary method includes providing image data for an illuminated physical sample of a heterogeneous translucent material, determining one or more material properties of the material based in part on a diffusion equation where one of the material properties is a diffusion coefficient for diffusion of radiation in the material and where the determining includes a regularization term for the diffusion coefficient, mapping the one or more material properties to a virtual object volume, assigning virtual illumination conditions to the virtual object volume, and rendering the virtual object volume using the virtual illumination conditions as a boundary condition for a system of diffusion equations of the virtual object volume. Other methods, devices and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: A real-time algorithm for rendering of an inhomogeneous scattering media such as smoke under dynamic low-frequency environment lighting is described. An input media animation is represented as a sequence of density fields, each of which is decomposed into a weighted sum of a set of radial basis functions (RBFs) and an optional residual field. Source radiances from single and optionally multiple scattering are directly computed at only the RBF centers and then approximated at other points in the volume using an RBF-based interpolation. Unique approximation techniques are introduced in the computational algorithms to simplify and speed up the computation of source radiance contributed by single and multiple scattering. Using the computed source radiances, a ray marching technique using slice-based integration of radiance along each viewing ray may be performed to render the final image.

Abstract: An octree GPU construction system and method for constructing a complete octree data structure on a graphics processing unit (GPU). Embodiments of the octree GPU construction system and method first defines a complete octree data structure as forming a complete partition of the 3-D space and including a vertex, edge, face, and node arrays, and neighborhood information. Embodiments of the octree GPU construction system and method input a point cloud and construct a node array. Next, neighboring nodes are computed for each of the nodes in the node arrays by using at least two pre-computed look-up tables (such as a parent look-up table and a child look-up table). Embodiments of the octree GPU construction system and method then use the neighboring nodes and neighborhood information to compute a vertex array, edge array, and face array are computed by determining owner information and self-ownership information based on the neighboring nodes.

Abstract: An approach to enrich skeleton-driven animations with physically-based secondary deformation in real time is described. To achieve this goal, the technique described employs a surface-based deformable model that can interactively emulate the dynamics of both low- and high-frequency volumetric effects. Given a surface mesh and a few sample sequences of its physical behavior, a set of motion parameters of the material are learned during an off-line preprocessing step. The deformable model is then applicable to any given skeleton-driven animation of the surface mesh. Additionally, the described dynamic skinning technique can be entirely implemented on GPUs and executed with great efficiency. Thus, with minimal changes to the conventional graphics pipeline, the technique can drastically enhance the visual experience of skeleton-driven animations by adding secondary deformation in real time.

Abstract: A real-time algorithm for rendering of an inhomogeneous scattering media such as smoke under dynamic low-frequency environment lighting is described. An input media animation is represented as a sequence of density fields, each of which is decomposed into a weighted sum of a set of radial basis functions (RBFs) and an optional residual field. Source radiances from single and optionally multiple scattering are directly computed at only the RBF centers and then approximated at other points in the volume using an RBF-based interpolation. Unique approximation techniques are introduced in the computational algorithms to simplify and speed up the computation of source radiance contributed by single and multiple scattering. Using the computed source radiances, a ray marching technique using slice-based integration of radiance along each viewing ray may be performed to render the final image.

Abstract: A “Scene Re-Lighter” provides various techniques for using an automatically reconstructed light transport matrix derived from a sparse sampling of images to provide various combinations of complex light transport effects in images, including caustics, complex occlusions, inter-reflections, subsurface scattering, etc. More specifically, the Scene Re-Lighter reconstructs the light transport matrix from a relatively small number of acquired images using a “Kernel Nyström” based technique adapted for low rank matrices constructed from sparsely sampled images. A “light transport kernel” is incorporated into the Nyström method to exploit nonlinear coherence in the light transport matrix. Further, an adaptive process is used to efficiently capture the sparsely sampled images from a scene. The Scene Re-Lighter is capable of achieving good reconstruction of the light transport matrix with only few hundred images to produce high quality relighting results.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for capturing reflected rays from a surface. A first and second lens aligned along a same optical center axis are configured so that a beam of light collimated parallel to the lens center axis directed to a first side, is converged toward the lens center axis on a second side. A first light beam source between the first and second lenses directs a light beam toward the first lens parallel to the optical center axis. Second light beam source(s) on the second side of the first lens, direct a light beam toward a focal plane of the first lens at a desired angle. An image capturing component, at the second side of the second lens, has an image capture surface directed toward the second lens to capture images of the light reflected from a sample capture surface at the focal plane of the first lens.

Abstract: A real-time algorithm for rendering of an inhomogeneous scattering media such as smoke under dynamic low-frequency environment lighting is described. An input media animation is represented as a sequence of density fields, each of which is decompressed into a weighted sum of a set of radial basis functions (RBFs) and an optional residual field. Source radiances from single and optionally multiple scattering are directly computed at only the RBF centers and then approximated at other points in the volume using an RBF-based interpolation. Using the computed source radiances, a ray marching technique using slice-based integration of radiance along each viewing ray is performed to render the final image. During the ray marching process, the residual field may be compensated back into the radiance integral to generate images of higher detail.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a joint-aware deformation framework that supports the direct manipulation of an arbitrary mix of rigid and deformable components. The deformation framework may include at least a joint-analysis and a joint-aware deformation enabling a more realistic deformation of a joint-aware model.

Abstract: A real-time algorithm for rendering of an inhomogeneous scattering media such as smoke under dynamic low-frequency environment lighting is described. An input media animation is represented as a sequence of density fields, each of which is represented by an approximate model density field and a residual density field. The algorithm uses the approximate model density field to compute an approximate source radiance, and further computes an effective exitant radiance by compositing the approximate source radiance using a compositing methods such as ray marching. During the compositing process (e.g., ray marching), the residual field is compensated back into the radiance integral to generate images of higher detail.

Abstract: Radiometric calibration of an image capture device (e.g., a digital camera) using a single image is described. The single image may be a color image or a grayscale image. The calibration identifies and analyzes edge pixels of the image that correspond to an edge between two colors or grayscale levels of a scene. Intensity distributions of intensities measured from the single image are then analyzed. An inverse response function for the image capture device is determined based on the intensity distributions. For a color image, the radiometric calibration involves calculating an inverse response function that maps measured blended colors of edge pixels and the associated measured component colors into linear distributions. For a grayscale image, the radiometric calibration involves deriving an inverse response function that maps non-uniform histograms of measured intensities into uniform distributions of calibrated intensities.

Abstract: A “texture generator” uses an inverse texture synthesis solution that runs in the opposite direction to traditional forward synthesis techniques to construct 2D texture compactions for use by a graphics processing unit (GPU) of a computer system. These small 2D texture compactions generally summarize an original globally variant texture or image, and are used to reconstruct the original texture or image, or to re-synthesize new textures or images under user-supplied constraints. In various embodiments, the texture generator uses the texture compaction to provide real-time synthesis of globally variant textures on a GPU, where texture memory is generally too small for large textures. Further, the texture generator provides an optimization framework for inverse texture synthesis which ensures that each input region is properly encoded in the output compaction. In addition, the texture generator also computes orientation fields for anisotropic textures containing both low- and high-frequency regions.

Abstract: An operating system shell has an underlying desktop object that is rendered according to different views. The operating system shell renders on a display screen a desktop graphical user interface with windows, tools, icons, etc. that are within a segment of the desktop object that can be observed (i.e., rendered) from one of the views. In illustrated implementations, the desktop object is of an extent that is greater than can be rendered from a single view. Allowing a user to select or access different views of the desktop object effectively provides an extended desktop that overcomes the fixed and limited display capabilities of conventional operating system shells.

Abstract: A real-time algorithm for rendering of an inhomogeneous scattering medium such as fog with a surface object immersed therein is described. An input media animation is represented as a sequence of density fields. The algorithm computes surface reflectance of the surface object in the inhomogeneous scattering medium. The algorithm may also compute airlight of the inhomogeneous scattering medium. Several approximations are taken which lead to analytical solutions of quantities such as optical depth integrations and single scattering integrations, and a reduced number of integrations that need to be calculated. The resultant algorithm is able to render inhomogeneous media including their shadowing and scattering effects in real time. The algorithm may be adopted for a variety of light sources including point lights and environmental lights.

Abstract: A real-time algorithm for rendering an inhomogeneous scattering medium such as fog is described. An input media animation is represented as a sequence of density fields, each of which is decomposed into a weighted sum of a set of radial basis functions (RBFs) such as Gaussians. The algorithm computes airlight and surface reflectance of the inhomogeneous scattering medium. Several approximations are taken which lead to analytical solutions of quantities such as an optical depth integrations and single scattering integrations, and a reduced number of integrations that need to be calculated. The resultant algorithm is able to render inhomogeneous media including their shadowing and scattering effects in real time. The algorithm may be adopted for a variety of light sources including point lights and environmental lights.

Abstract: A method for modeling a time-variant appearance of a material is described. A sample analysis of a material sample is performed, wherein the sample analysis orders surface points of the material sample with respect to weathering from data captured at a single instant in time. An appearance synthesis using the sample analysis is performed, wherein the appearance synthesis generates a time-variant sequence of frames for weathering an object.

Abstract: An operating system shell has an underlying desktop object that is rendered according to different views. The operating system shell renders on a display screen a desktop graphical user interface with windows, tools, icons, etc. that are within a segment of the desktop object that can be observed (i.e., rendered) from one of the views. In illustrated implementations, the desktop object is of an extent that is greater than can be rendered from a single view. Allowing a user to select or access different views of the desktop object effectively provides an extended desktop that overcomes the fixed and limited display capabilities of conventional operating system shells.

Abstract: Encoded HDR textures are described. In one aspect, a HDR image comprised is preprocessed such that HDR information is represented in a single color channel. The preprocessed image is quantized in view of two luminance ranges to retain HDR in the single color channel. Each block of quantized channel information is then encoded across two textures (encoded HDR textures). Specifically, when encoding a block of the quantized information, pixels in a first range of the two luminance ranges are put into a color channel associated with a first texture. Additionally, pixels in a second range of the two luminance ranges are stored into a color channel associated with a second texture.

Abstract: Interactive relighting with dynamic reflectance involves relighting a graphical scene with dynamic changes to the reflectance(s) in the graphical scene. A graphical scene may include source radiance, regions having reflectances, a surface spot, incident radiation from the source radiance at the surface sport, an incident direction, a viewing direction, exit radiance, and so forth. In an example embodiment, a graphical scene is relighted based on at least one adjusted reflectance of the graphical scene using an incident radiance at a surface spot that is separated into respective incident radiance components corresponding to different respective numbers of interreflections in the graphical scene. In another example embodiment, a graphical scene is relighted based on at least one adjusted reflectance of the graphical scene using a tensor representation for a reflectance of a surface spot with the tensor representation being segmented into three adjustable factors for lighting, viewing, and reflectance.

Abstract: A system is described for using a texture synthesis approach to produce digital images that simulate motion. The system operates by receiving a large-scale motion image that describes large-scale motion, as well as one or more exemplar images that describes small-scale motion. The system then applies a texture synthesis approach to duplicate the small-scale motion described in the exemplar image(s), as guided by the large-scale motion described in the large-scale motion image. This operation produces a synthesized motion image. The system then combines the synthesized motion image with the large-scale motion image to produce a combined motion image. The combined motion image presents the large-scale motion as modulated by the small-scale motion. The system can also take account for one or more application-specific constraints, such as incompressibility and boundary conditions.