PROVIDING INTERACTIVE LIGHT CONTROLS IN A THREE-DIMENSIONAL COMPOSITING APPLICATION

• US 20100302245A1
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Best, Charles J. L.
• Application Number:
  US12/551,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20100302245A1
• 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 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. In some embodiments, the set of lighting tools includes tools for incorporating at least one visible spot light source into the scene as an object of the three-dimensional scene.

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; and

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

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visible spot light source represents a plurality of light rays emanating in a conical pattern from a geometric point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of lighting tools comprises a subset of tools for adjusting one of a plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises a density parameter.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises a cone angle parameter.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source includes one of a start softness and a start distance parameter.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises one of an end softness and an end distance parameter.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises a set of controls for positioning the visible spot light source to intersect with another object composited in the scene.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises a tool to truncate the visible spot light source at a particular clip plane.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises an intensity link control for determining whether a change in an intensity parameter for the visible spot light would affect the appearance of the visible spot light volume.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises a visible only control for determining whether an emitted light from the visible spot light casts any surface light onto other objects in the 3D space.

12. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for defining a media editing application for creating media presentations, the computer program executable by a 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 spot light source into the scene as an object of the three-dimensional scene.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the visible spot light source represents a plurality of light rays emanating in a conical pattern from a geometric point.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the set of lighting tools comprises a subset of tools for adjusting one of a plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises a density parameter.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises a cone angle parameter.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source includes one of a start softness and a start distance parameter.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises one of an end softness and an end distance parameter.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises a set of controls for positioning the visible spot light source to intersect with another object composited in the scene.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises a tool to truncate the visible spot light source at a particular clip plane.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises an intensity link control for determining whether a change in an intensity parameter for the visible spot light would affect the appearance of the visible spot light volume.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of parameters for the visible spot light source comprises a visible only control for determining whether an emitted light from the visible spot light casts any surface light onto other objects in the 3D space.