An exemplary object modeling system determines a set of directional occlusion values associated with a surface point on a surface of a virtual object. The directional occlusion values are representative of an exposure of the surface point to ambient light from each direction of a set of directions defined by a radiosity basis. The object modeling system also stores the set of directional occlusion values as part of texture data defining the surface point and provides the texture data that includes the set of stored directional occlusion values associated with the surface point. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to the importance-directed geometric simplification of complex mesh-based representations of objects in virtual environments for radiosity-based global illumination simulations. By means of simplification, the time needed to solve the radiosity equation and so generate an accurate physically-based simulation can be markedly reduced. Further, geometric simplification is performed during the global illumination simulation process rather than as a preprocess step.

The present invention relates to the importance-directed geometric simplification of complex mesh-based representations of objects in virtual environments for radiosity-based global illumination simulations. By means of simplification, the time needed to solve the radiosity equation and so generate an accurate physically-based simulation can be markedly reduced. Further, geometric simplification is performed during the global illumination simulation process rather than as a preprocess step.

A computer-implemented method includes encoding a radiance field of an object onto a machine learning model; conducting, based on a set of training images of the object, a training process on the machine learning model to obtain a trained machine learning model, wherein the training process includes a first training process using a plurality of first test sample points followed by a second training process using a plurality of second test sample points located within a threshold distance from a surface region of the object; obtaining target view parameters indicating a view direction of the object; obtaining a plurality of rays associated with a target image of the object; obtaining render sample points on the plurality of rays associated with the target image; and rendering, by inputting the render sample points to the trained machine learning model, colors associated with the pixels of the target image.

A computer-implemented method includes encoding a radiance field of an object onto a machine learning model; conducting, based on a set of training images of the object, a training process on the machine learning model to obtain a trained machine learning model, wherein the training process includes a first training process using a plurality of first test sample points followed by a second training process using a plurality of second test sample points located within a threshold distance from a surface region of the object; obtaining target view parameters indicating a view direction of the object; obtaining a plurality of rays associated with a target image of the object; obtaining render sample points on the plurality of rays associated with the target image; and rendering, by inputting the render sample points to the trained machine learning model, colors associated with the pixels of the target image.

Ray tracing systems process rays through a 3D scene to determine intersections between rays and geometry in the scene, for rendering an image of the scene. Ray direction data for a ray can be compressed, e.g. into an octahedral vector format. The compressed ray direction data for a ray may be represented by two parameters (u,v) which indicate a point on the surface of an octahedron. In order to perform intersection testing on the ray, the ray direction data for the ray is unpacked to determine x, y and z components of a vector to a point on the surface of the octahedron. The unpacked ray direction vector is an unnormalised ray direction vector. Rather than normalising the ray direction vector, the intersection testing is performed on the unnormalised ray direction vector. This avoids the processing steps involved in normalising the ray direction vector.

Ray tracing systems process rays through a 3D scene to determine intersections between rays and geometry in the scene, for rendering an image of the scene. Ray direction data for a ray can be compressed, e.g. into an octahedral vector format. The compressed ray direction data for a ray may be represented by two parameters (u,v) which indicate a point on the surface of an octahedron. In order to perform intersection testing on the ray, the ray direction data for the ray is unpacked to determine x, y and z components of a vector to a point on the surface of the octahedron. The unpacked ray direction vector is an unnormalised ray direction vector. Rather than normalising the ray direction vector, the intersection testing is performed on the unnormalised ray direction vector. This avoids the processing steps involved in normalising the ray direction vector.

An exemplary directional occlusion system includes an object modeling system and a media player device. The object modeling system accesses a model of a virtual object to be integrated into a three-dimensional (3D) scene, the model including texture data defining respective sets of directional occlusion values for surface points on a surface of the virtual object. The object modeling system further generates a set of directional irradiance maps. The object modeling system provides the directional irradiance maps and the model storing the directional occlusion values to the media player device. The media player device receives the model and the directional irradiance maps and, based on this received data, renders the virtual object so as to appear to a user to be integrated into the 3D scene.

An exemplary directional occlusion system includes an object modeling system and a media player device. The object modeling system accesses a model of a virtual object to be integrated into a three-dimensional (3D) scene, the model including texture data defining respective sets of directional occlusion values for surface points on a surface of the virtual object. The object modeling system further generates a set of directional irradiance maps. The object modeling system provides the directional irradiance maps and the model storing the directional occlusion values to the media player device. The media player device receives the model and the directional irradiance maps and, based on this received data, renders the virtual object so as to appear to a user to be integrated into the 3D scene.

A method of processing a volumetric dataset for imaging includes receiving a volumetric dataset comprising data for imaging and determining an irradiance value at a given point in the volumetric dataset. In an embodiment, the method includes performing a selection process to select one or more of a plurality of irradiance data structures and storing the irradiance value in the or each selected irradiance data structure.