Techniques for generating visualizations of ray tracing images

• US 10,559,115 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kinross, Austin Neil, Hargreaves, Shawn Lee, Patel, Amar, Davidson, Thomas Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K
• Application Number:
  US15/910,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20190272664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 345419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/06 Ray-tracing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/12 Bounding box

Abstract

Examples described herein generally relate to generating a visualization of an image. A proprietary structure that specifies ray tracing instructions for generating the image using ray tracing is intercepted from a graphics processing unit (GPU) or a graphics driver. The proprietary structure can be converted, based on assistance information, to a visualization structure for generating the visualization of the image. The visualization of the image can be generated from the visualization structure.

Claims

1. A method for generating a visualization of an image, comprising:

intercepting, by a visualization application executing via a central processing unit (CPU) and from a graphics processing unit (GPU) or a graphics driver, a proprietary structure that specifies ray tracing instructions for generating the image using ray tracing, and wherein the proprietary structure is generated, by the graphics driver, from an acceleration structure generated by a separate application for generating the image using ray tracing;

obtaining, by the visualization application, assistance information as one or more intersection shaders defined based on the acceleration structure from which the proprietary structure is generated;

providing, by the visualization application to the graphics driver, the proprietary structure and the one or more intersection shaders;

receiving, by the visualization application from the graphics driver, a visualization structure for generating the visualization of the image from the proprietary structure and the one or more intersection shaders; and

generating, by the visualization application and from the visualization structure, the visualization of the image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an additional context parameter for generating the visualization of the image, wherein generating the visualization of the image is further based at least in part on the additional context parameter.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the additional context parameter comprises determining at least one of a camera viewpoint, a rotation, a zoom level, a lighting parameter, or a color parameter to apply to one or more portions of the image, wherein generating the visualization of the image comprises applying a shader to the image to apply the additional context parameter.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving an input from a user interface to apply the additional context parameter to the visualization of the image, wherein the visualization of the image is displayed on the user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the acceleration structure specifies one or more bounding boxes representing an object for ray tracing, and wherein the one or more intersection shaders provide shape or orientation information of the object for ray tracing.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating the one or more intersection shaders, that are defined by an application, as corresponding to a portion of the visualization of the image.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the portion of the visualization of the image is selected via a user interface.

8. A computing device for generating a visualization of an image, comprising:

a memory storing one or more parameters or instructions for executing an operating system and one or more applications including a visualization application; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

intercept, by a visualization application executing via a central processing unit (CPU) and from a graphics processing unit (GPU) or a graphics driver, a proprietary structure that specifies ray tracing instructions for generating the image using ray tracing, and wherein the proprietary structure is generated, by the graphics driver, from an acceleration structure generated by a separate application for generating the image using ray tracing;

obtain, by the visualization application, assistance information as one or more intersection shaders defined based on the acceleration structure from which the proprietary structure is generated;

provide, by the visualization application to the graphics driver, the proprietary structure and the one or more intersection shaders;

receive, by the visualization application from the graphics driver, a visualization structure for generating the visualization of the image from the proprietary structure and the one or more intersection shaders; and

generate, by the visualization application and from the visualization structure, the visualization of the image.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine an additional context parameter for generating the visualization of the image, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the visualization of the image further based at least in part on the additional context parameter.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the additional context parameter at least in part by determining at least one of a camera viewpoint, a rotation, a zoom level, a lighting parameter, or a color parameter to apply to one or more portions of the image, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the visualization of the image at least in part by applying a shader to the image to apply the additional context parameter.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive an input from a user interface to apply the additional context parameter to the visualization of the image, wherein the visualization of the image is displayed on the user interface.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the acceleration structure specifies one or more bounding boxes representing an object for ray tracing, and wherein the one or more intersection shaders provide shape or orientation information of the object for ray tracing.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to indicate one or more intersection shaders, that are defined by an application, as corresponding to a portion of the visualization of the image.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the portion of the visualization of the image is selected via a user interface.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising code executable by one or more processors for generating a visualization of an image, the code comprising code for:

intercepting, by a visualization application executing via a central processing unit (CPU) and from a graphics processing unit (GPU) or a graphics driver, a proprietary structure that specifies ray tracing instructions for generating the image using ray tracing, and wherein the proprietary structure is generated, by the graphics driver, from an acceleration structure generated by a separate application for generating the image using ray tracing;

obtaining, by the visualization application, assistance information as one or more intersection shaders defined based on the acceleration structure from which the proprietary structure is generated;

providing, by the visualization application to the graphics driver, the proprietary structure and the one or more intersection shaders;

receiving, by the visualization application from the graphics driver, a visualization structure for generating the visualization of the image from the proprietary structure and the one or more intersection shaders; and

generating, by the visualization application and from the visualization structure, the visualization of the image.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising code for determining an additional context parameter for generating the visualization of the image, wherein the code for generating generates the visualization of the image further based at least in part on the additional context parameter.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the code for determining the additional context parameter determines at least one of a camera viewpoint, a rotation, a zoom level, a lighting parameter, or a color parameter to apply to one or more portions of the image, wherein the code for generating the visualization of the image applies a shader to the image to apply the additional context parameter.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising code for receiving an input from a user interface to apply the additional context parameter to the visualization of the image, wherein the visualization of the image is displayed on the user interface.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the acceleration structure specifies one or more bounding boxes representing an object for ray tracing, and wherein the one or more intersection shaders provide shape or orientation information of the object for ray tracing.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising code for indicating the one or more intersection shaders, that are defined by an application, as corresponding to a portion of the visualization of the image.