- Number
- 9805496
- Published
- 2017-10-31
- Filed
- 2014-05-27
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- Mitchell; Kenneth, Bradbury; Gwyneth, Weyrich; Tim
- CPC
- G06T17/05; G06T15/04; G06T15/503
- Verdict
- Low Notable software
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
A terrain editing tool that generates virtual landscapes from mixed inputs like sketches, real elevation maps, and authored heightfields.
Abstract
The disclosure provides an approach for generating virtual terrains. A terrain editing application is configured to receive assets of various types, including a blank canvas, two-dimensional (2D) sketches, real-world elevation maps, authored heightfields, etc. The assets specify characteristics of a terrain, and provide starting points for creating the virtual terrain. The editing application further provides a set of tools allowing a user to modify the virtual terrain. Inone embodiment, the set of tools may include a copy-and-paste tool, a peak creation tool,a ridge creation tool, a ridge tracing tool, and a resynthesis tool. The editing application generates a new layer for each edit, as well as 2D and three-dimensional (3D) previewsof the edited terrain. The editing application also provides a user-adjustable frequency decomposition of each layer. The editing application combines layers using Laplacian blending to produce the final virtual terrain.
Background
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS(1) So that the manner in which the above recited aspects are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of embodiments of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the appended drawings.(2) It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.(3) FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of an operation flow for generating a terrainmap, according to an embodiment.(4) FIG. 2 illustrates generating a terrain map from a 2Dsketch, according to an embodiment.(5) FIG. 3 illustrates an example ridge creation tool,according to an embodiment.(6) FIG. 4 illustrates an example peak creation tool, according to an embodiment.(7) FIG. 5 illustrates an example of automatically generating multiple versions of terrain, according to an embodiment.(8) FIG. 6 illustrates an example copy andpaste tool, according to an embodiment.(9) FIG. 7 illustrates an example layer control interface, according to an embodiment.(10) FIG. 8 illustrates a method for generating a terrain map, according to an embodiment.(11) FIG. 9 illustrates a system in which an embodiment may be implemented.DETAILED DESCRIPTION(12) Embodiments disclosed herein provide techniques for generating virtual terrains. A terrain editing application (“editing application”)is
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for generating a virtual terrain, comprising: receiving one or more assets specifying characteristics of a terrain; adding each of the one or more assets to at least one layer, whereineach layer is configured to store geological features as a displacement field, wherein the virtual terrain is generated using overlapping displacement fields representing geological features from respective layers, and wherein the layers are overlaid on top of each other; receiving one or more edits to the virtual terrain, wherein the one or more edits are made to create peaks, create or trace ridges, synthesize terrain texture, and/or copy and paste geological features; adding each of the one or more edits to a respective layer; andblending the displacement fields representing the geological features stored in the layers using a frequency-aware layer blending technique to generate the virtual terrain, wherein the frequency-aware layer blending technique is a Laplacian blending technique applied to blend the displacement fields representing the geological features stored in the layers based on at least one or more user-specified strengths of frequency band contributions within the layers.
8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program, which, when executed by a processor performs operations for generating a virtual terrain, the operations comprising: receiving one or more assets specifying characteristics of a terrain; adding each of the one or more assets to at least one layer, wherein each layer is configured to store geological features as a displacement field, wherein the virtual terrainis generated using overlapping displacement fields representing geological features from respective layers, and wherein the layers are overlaid on top of each other; receiving oneor more edits to the virtual terrain, wherein the one or more edits are made to create peaks, create or trace ridges, synthesize terrain texture, and/or copy and paste geological features; adding each of the one or more edits to a respective layer; and blending the displacement fields representing the geological features stored in the layers using a frequency-aware layer blending technique to generate the virtual terrain, wherein the frequency-aware layer blending technique is a Laplacian blending technique applied to blend the displacement fields representing the geological features stored in the layers based on at leastone or more user-specified strengths of frequency band contributions within the layers.
15. A system, comprising: a processor; and a memory, wherein the memory includes an application program configured to perform operations for generating a virtual terrain, the operations comprising: receiving one or more assets specifying characteristics of a terrain, adding each of the one or more assets to at least one layer, wherein each layer is configuredto store geological features as a displacement field, wherein the virtual terrain is generated using overlapping displacement fields representing geological features from respective layers, and wherein the layers are overlaid on top of each other, receiving one or moreedits to the virtual terrain, wherein the one or more edits are made to create peaks, create or trace ridges, synthesize terrain texture, and/or copy and paste geological features, adding each of the one or more edits to a respective layer, and blending the displacement fields representing the geological features stored in the layers using a frequency-awarelayer blending technique to generate the virtual terrain, wherein the frequency-aware layer blending technique is a Laplacian blending technique applied to blend the displacement fields representing the geological features stored in the layers based on at least one or more user-specified strengths of frequency band contributions within the layers.
16. A computer-implemented method for generating a virtual terrain, comprising: receiving one or more assets specifying terrain features; adding each of the one or more assets to at least one layer, wherein each layer is configured to store displacement field features of the virtual terrain, wherein the features of the virtual terrain include features from respectivelayers, and wherein the layers are overlaid on top of each other; receiving one or more edits to the virtual terrain, wherein the one or more edits are made to create peaks, create or trace ridges, synthesize terrain texture, and/or copy and paste terrain features; adding each of the one or more edits to a respective layer; and blending the displacement field features stored in the layers using a frequency-aware layer blending technique to generate the virtual terrain, wherein the frequency-aware layer blending technique is a Laplacian blending technique applied to blend the displacement field features stored in the layers based on at least one or more user-specified strengths of frequency band contributions within the layers.