Abstract

A method, apparatus or system to produce visual effects includes processing a first video signal from a first camera providing video of an object, tracking information from tracking a movement of the object, and a second video signal including information representing at least one of a reflection on the object and a lighting environment of the object to produce a rendered signal representing video in which the tracked object is replaced in real time with a virtual object having one or more of the reflection and the lighting environment of the tracked object.

IPC Classes  ?

• G06T 15/50 - Lighting effects
• G06T 19/00 - Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for rendering a participating media (10) delimited by a bounding box (30) and rendered from a viewpoint (14), the media (10) being at a determined distance from the viewpoint according to a viewing direction. In order to represent the limits of the participating media, the method comprises steps of: - for at least one point (300) of the volume formed by said bounding box (30), estimation of a set of directions (31 to 3i) having for origin said at least one point (300): - for each direction (31 to 3i), estimation of a first intersection point (31m), corresponding to the intersection between said direction and said participating media (10), for which the associated density value is greater than a first threshold value, and - estimation of third intersection points, corresponding to the intersections between said viewing direction and said participating media, from an item of information representative of distances separating the first intersection point (31m) from a second intersection point (310) corresponding to the intersection between the direction and the bounding box (30) for each direction of the at least one part of the set of estimated directions (31 to 3i). The invention also relates to a corresponding device.

IPC Classes  ?

• G06T 15/06 - Ray-tracing
• G06T 15/50 - Lighting effects

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for estimating the opacity at a point (13) of a scene lit by an area light source (10) and comprising an object (11) defined by a mesh and occluding some of the emitted light. In order to optimize the calculations for live estimation of the opacity, the method comprises the steps of: - sampling of said area light source (10) in a plurality of samples (101, 102, 103), - for at least one sample of the plurality of samples (101, 102, 103) and for at least one first mesh element of the occluding object (11) visible from the at least one sample, generation of one shadow plane per edge of the at least one first mesh element, - estimation of a opacity level depending on coefficients of projection in a function base from values representative of the opacity for a set of intersection points (210, 211, 212) between at least one ray (21) having for origin a viewpoint (20) of the scene and shadow planes crossed by said at least one ray (21), depending on an angle formed by the normal associated with each shadow plane crossed and by said at least one ray (21). The invention also relates to a corresponding device.

IPC Classes  ?

• G06T 15/60 - Shadow generation

Abstract

A method and system for modeling light in time and space are provided. The method and system of the present disclosure collect light readings, e.g., on a motion picture set, at different positions and times (302, 304, 306) to build a light model to be used for visual effects (VFX) compositing (308). The light model represents the light distribution across space and/or time for a predetermined physical space. Using the light model, the lighting can then be predicted or interpolated at intermediate or other positions and/or times for which no specific light readings were obtained (314). The light models can be used for rendering objects (e.g., natural or CG elements) in a scene as if they were in that space.

IPC Classes  ?

• G06T 15/50 - Lighting effects