- Number
- 20180114355
- Published
- 2018-04-26
- Filed
- 2017-01-11
- Assignee
- DISNEY ENTERPRISES INC.
- Inventors
- Kutz; Peter; Habel; Ralf; Li; Yining Karl
- CPC
- G06T15/08
- Verdict
- Low Notable software
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
Volume rendering (graphics).
Abstract
According to one implementation, a system for rendering a volume includes a computing platform having a hardware processor, and a system memory storing a volume rendering software code. The hardware processor is configured to execute the volume rendering software code to receive data characterizing a volume to be rendered and to decompose the volume into a first volume portion and a second volume portion. The hardware processor is further configured to execute the volume rendering software code to perform a first tracking of a light ray in the first volume portion to determine a first interaction distance of the light ray in the first volume portion, perform a second tracking of the light ray in the second volume portion to determine a second interaction distance of the light ray in the second volume portion, and render the volume based on the shorter of the first and second interaction distances.
Background
BACKGROUND
A participating medium is one that absorbs, scatters, or emits light and thereby “participates” in light transport into or through it. Examples of participating media include smoke, clouds, and dust, as well as marble statuary, flesh, and milk or murky water. Due to their rich organic structure, participating media are widely used in modern computer-generated graphics. For example, participating media are used to convey natural depth and scale cues and can provide meaningful shot composition.
Despite their value to computer graphics, however, incorporating participating media into light transport simulations presents a substantial computational challenge. For instance, producing an adequate representation of participating media within a conventional Monte Carlo path tracing framework can introduce prohibitive computational complexity.SUMMARY
There are provided systems and methods for performing computationally efficient volume rendering in computer-generated graphics, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, and as set forth more completely in the claims.
Claims
1. A system comprising: a computing platform including a hardware processor and a system memory; a volume rendering software code stored in the system memory; the hardware processor configured to execute the volume rendering software code to: receive data characterizing a volume to be rendered; decompose the volume into a first volume portion and a second volume portion; perform a first tracking of a light ray in the first volume portion to determine a first interaction distance of the light ray in the first volume portion; perform a second tracking of the light ray in the second volume portion to determine a second interaction distance of the light ray in the second volume portion; and render the volume based on the shorter distance of the first interaction distance and the second interaction distance.
9. A method for use by a system to render a volume, the system including a hardware processor and a memory storing a volume rendering software code, the method comprising: receiving, by the hardware processor executing the volume rendering code, data characterizing a volume to be rendered; decomposing, by the hardware processor executing the volume rendering code, the volume into a first volume portion and a second volume portion; performing, by the hardware processor executing the volume rendering code, a first tracking of a light ray in the first volume portion to determine a first interaction distance of the light ray in the first volume portion; performing, by the hardware processor executing the volume rendering code, a second tracking of the light ray in the second volume portion to determine a second interaction distance of the light ray in the second volume portion; and rendering, by the hardware processor executing the volume rendering code, the volume based on the shorter distance of the first interaction distance and the second interaction distance.
17. A method for use by a system to render a volume, the system including a hardware processor and a memory storing a volume rendering software code, the method comprising: receiving, by the hardware processor executing the volume rendering code, data characterizing a volume to be rendered; decomposing, by the hardware processor executing the volume rendering code, the volume into a first volume portion and a second volume portion; performing, by the hardware processor executing the volume rendering code, a first tracking of a light ray in the first volume portion to determine a first interaction distance of the light ray in the first volume portion; beginning to perform, by the hardware processor executing the volume rendering code, a second tracking of the light ray in the second volume portion; determining, by the hardware processor executing the volume rendering code, a second interaction distance of the light ray in the second volume portion based on the second tracking if the second interaction distance is less than the first interaction distance; rendering, by the hardware processor executing the volume rendering code, the volume based on the second interaction distance; terminating, by the hardware processor executing the volume rendering code, the second tracking if a path length of the light ray during the second tracking at least equals the first interaction distance; and rendering, by the hardware processor executing the volume rendering code, the volume based on the first interaction distance.