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Spatial Patches ‐ A Primitive for 3D Model Representation
Author(s) -
Ivanov D.,
Kuzmin Ye.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
computer graphics forum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.578
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1467-8659
pISSN - 0167-7055
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8659.00544
Subject(s) - rendering (computer graphics) , computer science , displacement mapping , representation (politics) , visualization , computer graphics (images) , data structure , texture mapping , external data representation , 3d model , computer vision , theoretical computer science , artificial intelligence , politics , political science , law , programming language
The commonly used solution for real‐life 3D model representation is polygonal spatially consistent geometry, with texture, and, optionally, bump or displacement maps attached. Although the idea of displacement mapping is well known, there are just a few approaches to its efficient implementation. In this paper we develop a technique that allows for efficient representation and rendering of 3D models by getting a new angle on the displacement mapping concept. We introduce a new primitive that is defined as the range image of a small part of the model's surface; therefore, it is called a spatial patch. The whole model is just a collection of patches with no connectivity information between them. Such a representation can be directly acquired by 3D scanning machinery, and stored in a compact uniform form. It also allows for efficient visualization, which is the major focus of this paper. Thus, we present the logical structure of a rendering unit based on conventional z‐buffering, and discuss the involved algorithms in detail. These algorithms benefit from modern features of computing units for which we believe the proposed technique can be used in a wide range of applications dealing with real‐life 3D data.