Depth buffering for subsequent scene rendering

Number: 9934605
Published: 2018-04-03
Filed: 2016-02-24
Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors: Nichols; Gregory; Burley; Brent; Habel; Ralf; Adler; David
CPC: G06T15/405; G06T1/60; G06T15/06
Verdict: Low Notable software
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Depth buffering for scene rendering.

Abstract

There is provided a scene rendering system and method for use by such a system to perform depth buffering for subsequent scene rendering. The system includes a memory storing a depth determination software including a reduced depth set identification software module, and a hardware processor configured to execute the depth determination software. The hardware processor is configured to execute the depth determination software to determine, before rendering a scene, a depth buffer based on at least one fixed depth identified for each element of a rendering framework for the scene. The hardware processor is further configured to render the scene using the depth buffer.

Background

BACKGROUND(1) In rendering a scene including deep images, a scene rendering system may utilize a ray tracer in order to accumulate multiple shading samples into the correct depth sample for each shading point. Because the rendering system typically lacks prior knowledge of the number of depth samples that a particular pixel of the rendered scene should have, this process often requires that many rays be traced for each pixel, and that the rendering system dynamically adapt to the results of the ray tracing.(2) Unfortunately, such an approach introduces considerable complexity and imposes significant processing and data storage costs. For example, all or parts of a depth buffer used to render the scene may need to be locked and resized during the rendering. Moreover, substantial additional data handling is required in order to correctly accumulate shading samples when the depth buffer layout is being modified dynamically. As an added disadvantage, such an approach fails to enable artistic control over the rendered scene in situations in which some portions of the deep images might be enhanced by using more or fewer depth samples than the rendering system accumulates.SUMMARY(3) There are provided systems and methods for performing depth buffering for subsequent scene rendering, 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 scene rendering system comprising: a display; a memory storing a depth determination software; and a hardware processor configured to execute the depth determination software to: determine, before rendering a scene, a depth buffer based on at least one fixed depth identified for each element of a rendering framework for the scene, the at least one fixed depth identified based on raw depth data corresponding respectively to rays traced to each element, wherein the at least one fixed depth for each element comprises a depth set reduced relative to the raw depth data for each element; and the hardware processor is further configured to: render the scene on the display using the depth buffer. 10. A method for use by a scene rendering system including a hardware processor, a display and a memory having stored therein a depth determination software, the method comprising: determining, by the hardware processor executing the depth determination software, before rendering a scene, a depth buffer based on at least one fixed depth identified for each element of a rendering framework for the scene, the at least one fixed depth identified based on raw depth data corresponding respectively to rays traced to each element, wherein the at least one fixed depth for each element comprises a depth set reduced relative to the raw depth data for each element; rendering the scene on the display, by the hardware processor, using the depth buffer.