Abstract: Methods and computer-storage media are provided for rendering three-dimensional (3D) graphics by tessellating objects using novel structures and algorithms. Rendering utilizing “patches,” configurable functions that include a specified number of control points, allows for computation on a per-patch or per-control-point basis, in addition to traditional per-vertex, per-primitive, and per-pixel methods. This produces a number of advantages over previous tessellation methods, including the reuse of computations across existing vertices and the ability to process at a lower frequency. The operations to compute points are simplified in order to optimize system resources used in the process. Transitions from un-tessellated to tessellated objects are smoother utilizing the present invention, while developers have more flexibility in the level of detail present at different edges of the same patch.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for computing indirect lighting in a cloud network. In operation, one or more scenes for rendering are identified. Further, indirect lighting associated with the one or more scenes is identified. Additionally, computation associated with the indirect lighting is performed in a cloud network utilizing at least one of a voxel-based algorithm, a photon-based algorithm, or an irradiance-map-based algorithm.

Abstract: Methods and computer-storage media are provided for rendering three-dimensional (3D) graphics by tessellating objects using novel structures and algorithms. Rendering utilizing “patches,” configurable functions that include a specified number of control points, allows for computation on a per-patch or per-control-point basis, in addition to traditional per-vertex, per-primitive, and per-pixel methods. This produces a number of advantages over previous tessellation methods, including the reuse of computations across existing vertices and the ability to process at a lower frequency. The operations to compute points are simplified in order to optimize system resources used in the process. Transitions from un-tessellated to tessellated objects are smoother utilizing the present invention, while developers have more flexibility in the level of detail present at different edges of the same patch.

Abstract: Methods and computer-storage media are provided for rendering three-dimensional (3D) graphics by tessellating objects using novel structures and algorithms. Rendering utilizing “patches,” configurable functions that include a specified number of control points, allows for computation on a per-patch or per-control-point basis, in addition to traditional per-vertex, per-primitive, and per-pixel methods. This produces a number of advantages over previous tessellation methods, including the reuse of computations across existing vertices and the ability to process at a lower frequency. The operations to compute points are simplified in order to optimize system resources used in the process. Transitions from un-tessellated to tessellated objects are smoother utilizing the present invention, while developers have more flexibility in the level of detail present at different edges of the same patch.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for computing indirect lighting in a cloud network. In operation, one or more scenes for rendering are identified. Further, indirect lighting associated with the one or more scenes is identified. Additionally, computation associated with the indirect lighting is performed in a cloud network utilizing at least one of a voxel-based algorithm, a photon-based algorithm, or an irradiance-map-based algorithm.

Abstract: Methods and computer-storage media are provided for rendering three-dimensional (3D) graphics by tessellating objects using novel structures and algorithms. Rendering utilizing “patches,” configurable functions that include a specified number of control points, allows for computation on a per-patch or per-control-point basis, in addition to traditional per-vertex, per-primitive, and per-pixel methods. This produces a number of advantages over previous tessellation methods, including the reuse of computations across existing vertices and the ability to process at a lower frequency. The operations to compute points are simplified in order to optimize system resources used in the process. Transitions from un-tessellated to tessellated objects are smoother utilizing the present invention, while developers have more flexibility in the level of detail present at different edges of the same patch.

Abstract: Methods and computer-storage media are provided for rendering three-dimensional (3D) graphics by tessellating objects using novel structures and algorithms. Rendering utilizing “patches,” configurable functions that include a specified number of control points, allows for computation on a per-patch or per-control-point basis, in addition to traditional per-vertex, per-primitive, and per-pixel methods. This produces a number of advantages over previous tessellation methods, including the reuse of computations across existing vertices and the ability to process at a lower frequency. The operations to compute points are simplified in order to optimize system resources used in the process. Transitions from un-tessellated to tessellated objects are smoother utilizing the present invention, while developers have more flexibility in the level of detail present at different edges of the same patch.

Abstract: In a technique for rendering non-linear BRDFs that are stable in both the temporal and spatial domains, without serious interruption to the content creation pipeline used in most games, non-linear content is linearized by rendering in texture space at a fixed resolution. A MIP-map chain is calculated from this texture. The complete MIP-map chain is used for rendering on a display device. Low resolution reflectance parameters are used to approximate the highest resolution reflectance parameters as the object becomes smaller on the display device. The low resolution reflectance parameters are calculated using non linear fitting techniques.

Abstract: Methods and computer-storage media are provided for rendering three-dimensional (3D) graphics by tessellating objects using novel structures and algorithms. Rendering utilizing “patches,” configurable functions that include a specified number of control points, allows for computation on a per-patch or per-control-point basis, in addition to traditional per-vertex, per-primitive, and per-pixel methods. This produces a number of advantages over previous tessellation methods, including the reuse of computations across existing vertices and the ability to process at a lower frequency. The operations to compute points are simplified in order to optimize system resources used in the process. Transitions from un-tessellated to tessellated objects are smoother utilizing the present invention, while developers have more flexibility in the level of detail present at different edges of the same patch.

Abstract: A hardware-accelerated process of computing radiance transfer coefficients (such as for use in image rendering based on precomputed radiance transfer (PRT) techniques) is re-ordered as compared to previously known PRT precomputations to iterate over a sampling of directions about an object. The hardware-accelerated process uses a set of textures representing positions and normals for a sampling of points over a modeled object. In iterating over the directions, the process computes the depth of the object in a shadow buffer, then computes a texture of the radiance contribution based on the normal and position textures and depth from the shadow buffer. The resulting radiance contribution textures of the iterated directions are accumulated to produce a texture representing the radiance transfer coefficients of the sampled positions. This enables the process to avoid reduction operations, ray tracing and slow read-back path limitations of graphical processing units.

Abstract: Methods and computer-storage media are provided for rendering three-dimensional (3D) graphics by tessellating objects using novel structures and algorithms. Rendering utilizing “patches,” configurable functions that include a specified number of control points, allows for computation on a per-patch or per-control-point basis, in addition to traditional per-vertex, per-primitive, and per-pixel methods. This produces a number of advantages over previous tessellation methods, including the reuse of computations across existing vertices and the ability to process at a lower frequency. The operations to compute points are simplified in order to optimize system resources used in the process. Transitions from un-tessellated to tessellated objects are smoother utilizing the present invention, while developers have more flexibility in the level of detail present at different edges of the same patch.

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: In a technique for rendering non-linear BRDFs that are stable in both the temporal and spatial domains, without serious interruption to the content creation pipeline used in most games, non-linear content is linearized by rendering in texture space at a fixed resolution. A MIP-map chain is calculated from this texture. The complete MIP-map chain is used for rendering on a display device. Low resolution reflectance parameters are used to approximate the highest resolution reflectance parameters as the object becomes smaller on the display device. The low resolution reflectance parameters are calculated using non linear fitting techniques.

Abstract: In a technique for rendering non-linear BRDFs that are stable in both the temporal and spatial domains, without serious interruption to the content creation pipeline used in most games, non-linear content is linearized by rendering in texture space at a fixed resolution. A MIP-map chain is calculated from this texture. The complete MIP-map chain is used for rendering on a display device. Low resolution reflectance parameters are used to approximate the highest resolution reflectance parameters as the object becomes smaller on the display device. The low resolution reflectance parameters are calculated using non linear fitting techniques.

Abstract: Computer graphics image rendering techniques render images using a precomputed radiance transfer (PRT) to model local effects such as bumps, wrinkles, or other detailed features on an arbitrarily deformable model's surface. The techniques apply zonal harmonics (ZH) which approximate spherical functions as sums of circularly symmetric functions around different axes. By spatially varying both the axes and coefficients of these basis functions, approximations can fit to spatially varying transfer signals. Compared to the spherical harmonic (SH) basis, the ZH basis yields a more compact approximation, and can be rotated at a low computational expense suitable for dense per-vertex or per-pixel evaluation. This allows PRT to be mapped onto deforming models which re-orient the local coordinate frame.

Abstract: Real-time image rendering of diffuse and glossy objects in low-frequency lighting environments captures soft shadows, interreflections, and caustics. As a preprocess, a global transport simulator creates functions over the object's surface representing transfer of arbitrary, low-frequency source lighting into exiting radiance, but including global effects like shadowing and interreflection from the object onto itself. At run-time, these transfer functions are applied to the actual source lighting. Dynamic, local lighting is handled by sampling close to the object at every frame; the object can also be rigidly rotated with respect to the lighting and vice versa. Lighting and transfer functions are represented using low-order spherical harmonics. Functions for radiance transfer from a dynamic lighting environment through a preprocessed object to neighboring points in space further allow cast soft shadows and caustics from rigidly moving casters onto arbitrary, dynamic receivers.

Abstract: Methods and computer-storage media are provided for rendering three-dimensional (3D) graphics by tessellating objects using novel structures and algorithms. Rendering utilizing “patches,” configurable functions that include a specified number of control points, allows for computation on a per-patch or per-control-point basis, in addition to traditional per-vertex, per-primitive, and per-pixel methods. This produces a number of advantages over previous tessellation methods, including the reuse of computations across existing vertices and the ability to process at a lower frequency. The operations to compute points are simplified in order to optimize system resources used in the process. Transitions from un-tessellated to tessellated objects are smoother utilizing the present invention, while developers have more flexibility in the level of detail present at different edges of the same patch.

Abstract: The present soft shadowing technique pre-computes visibility of blockers using a log of a spherical harmonic visibility function. These logs can then be accumulated and exponentiated in real-time to yield the product visibility vector over all the blockers. The product visibility vector is combined with the light intensity and surface reflectance to determine shading at a receiver point in a computer-generated scene.

Abstract: General and realtime technique for soft global illumination in low-frequency environmental lighting. The technique accumulates over a relatively few spherical proxies that approximate the light blocking and re-radiating effect of dynamic geometry. Soft shadows are computed by accumulating log visibility vectors for each sphere proxy as seen by each receiver point. Inter-reflections are computed by accumulating vectors representing the proxy's unshadowed radiance when illuminated by the environment. Both vectors capture low-frequency directional dependence using the spherical harmonic basis. Additionally, a new proxy accumulation method splats each proxy to receiver pixels in image space to collect the proxy's contribution to shadowing and indirect lighting. A soft rendering pipeline unifies direct and indirect soft effects with an accumulation methodology that maps entirely to a graphics processing unit and outperforms previous vertex-based methods.

Abstract: The present soft shadowing technique pre-computes visibility of blockers using a log of a spherical harmonic visibility function. These logs can then be accumulated and exponentiated in real-time to yield the product visibility vector over all the blockers. The product visibility vector is combined with the light intensity and surface reflectance to determine shading at a receiver point in a computer-generated scene.