PROVIDING A VISIBLE LIGHT SOURCE IN AN INTERACTIVE THREE-DIMENSIONAL COMPOSITING APPLICATION

• US 20100302244A1
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Best, Charles J. L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,070,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/426
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/06 Ray-tracing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/50 Lighting effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a three dimensional (3D) compositing application that provides a set of lighting tools for the user to better visualize the effects of a light in a 3D space by allowing a user to incorporate interactive visible light sources into a 3D scene that may be a part of a 3D project. The visible light source can be incorporated along each one of three axes independently of the other two of the three axes. The light tools allow the visible light sources that are incorporated into the 3D scene to be rendered for the final composited project, or to be rendered and displayed only during the 3D scene'"'"'s compositing process to assist the user'"'"'s visualization. Interactive rendering of the objects, including visible light sources, allow for any adjustments to the 3D scene to be displayed with minimal user-perceivable delay.

Claims

1. A method of defining a media editing application for creating media presentations, the method comprising:

defining a composite display area for compositing a three-dimensional scene;

defining a set of lighting tools for interactively incorporating at least one visible light source into the three-dimensional scene as an object of the three-dimensional scene; and

defining a set of tools for changing a position of the visible light source along each one of three axes independently of the other two of the three axes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of lighting tools comprises a set of tools for executing an operation for interactively displaying the visible light source.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the operation comprises at least the steps of:

identifying a surface display value for a media object intersection;

determining a path of a ray cast from an eye through the scene;

determining a ray section that is through a visible light source;

generating a light value for the ray section; and

calculating a final display value for the media object intersection based on the surface display value and the light value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of lighting tools comprises a set of tools for rendering the visible light source.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of lighting tools comprises a tool for interactively toggling the visibility of the visible light source.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the visible light source interacts with at least one object that is composited into the three-dimensional scene.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the visible light source is a visible point light source;

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the visible point light source is an object with light-emitting properties.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the visible point light source comprises a solid sphere core, wherein the solid spherical core is surrounded by a halo that forms a light volume around the solid spherical core.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the set of lighting tools comprises a tool for interactively adjusting a density value associated with a halo of the visible point light source.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the set of lighting tools comprises a tool for interactively adjusting the size of the solid spherical core.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the set of lighting tools comprises a tool for interactively adjusting the extent of the halo.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a display presentation of the visible light source is interactively generated in the composite display area from any camera perspective.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of lighting tools are for incorporating two or more visible light sources into the scene.

15. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for defining a media editing application for creating media presentations, the computer program executable by one processor, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

defining a composite display area for compositing a three-dimensional scene; and

defining a set of lighting tools for incorporating at least one visible light source representing an artificial light source into the scene.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the artificial light source comprises one of a light bulb, a glowing filament, a flame from a candle or torch, a fluorescent bulb, a single or an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs), a neon tube, and a light bulb with a parabolic aluminized reflector.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the artificial light source does not comprise any light-emitting celestial bodies.