Methods and Apparatus for Specifying and Interpolating Hierarchical Procedural Models

• US 20130120392A1
• Filed: 08/16/2010
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jerry O. Talton III
• Inventors: Mech, Radomir, Talton, Jerry O. III
• Granted Patent: US 9,292,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/441
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for procedural modeling are described for generating procedural models and exploring procedural model space. Common procedural components (models, modules, and methods) and a hierarchical framework are described that may be used to construct hierarchical procedural models. A model may comprise a hierarchy of one or more modules. Each module includes a sequence of methods and an optional geometry for display. A method may be controlled by one or more parameters. The values of the parameters may be specified via curves. A module description may be condensed into a single array of values for parameters of the module. Thus, a model or module may be specified by filling in values for arrays of parameters for the sequence of methods. An interpolation technique for interpolating between models is described in which models are matched according to a cost function so that ancestry is preserved.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining a procedural model, the procedural model specified as a hierarchy of two or more modules, each module specifying a sequence of one or more procedural methods, and at least one module specifying a geometry to be drawn by the procedural model according to the procedural methods; and

executing the procedural model to draw a graphical structure comprising one or more geometries specified by the two or more modules, said executing the procedural model comprising;

executing each of the two or more modules according to the hierarchy, said executing each of the two or more modules comprises comprising;

sequentially executing the one or more procedural methods of the respective module, execution of at least one of the procedural methods being controlled by one or more parameters of the respective procedural method, each parameter controlling a specific behavior of a respective procedural method.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said obtaining a procedural model comprises obtaining input constructing the hierarchy of two or more modules from two or more procedural model components.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the procedural model components include other procedural models, modules, and procedural methods.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the two or more procedural model components are selected from a library of pre-existing procedural model components.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said obtaining a procedural model comprises obtaining input specifying an array of values for at least one of the parameters.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said input specifying an array of values is a curve drawn on a graphical user interface or a file specifying a curve.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said two other procedural models to be interpolated, wherein the procedural model is an interpolated procedural model specifying an interpolation between the two other procedural models.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the two other procedural models are selected from a library of pre-existing procedural models.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising applying an interpolation technique to the two other procedural models to generate the interpolated procedural model, wherein said applying the interpolation technique comprises:

comparing modules of the two other procedural models to determine matched modules in the two other procedural models;

aligning the procedural methods in the matched modules; and

interpolating values of parameters for procedural methods of the matched modules to generate interpolated values for the parameters in the interpolated procedural model.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein, in said comparing modules of the two other procedural models to determine matched modules in the two other procedural models, the method comprises minimizing a cost function for matching the modules.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein, in said applying an interpolation technique to the two other procedural models to generate the interpolated procedural model, the method comprises maintaining an order of the procedural methods from the two other procedural models in the interpolated procedural model.

12. A system, comprising:

at least one processor;

a display device; and

a memory comprising program instructions, the program instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

obtain a procedural model, the procedural model specified as a hierarchy of two or more modules, each module specifying a sequence of one or more procedural methods, and at least one module specifying a geometry to be drawn by the procedural model according to the procedural methods; and

execute the procedural model to draw a graphical structure to the display device, the graphical structure comprising one or more geometries specified by the two or more modules, the program instructions further executable by the at least one processor to;

execute each of the two or more modules according to the hierarchy; and

sequentially execute the one or more procedural methods of the respective module, execution of at least one of the procedural methods being controlled by one or more parameters of the respective procedural method, each parameter controlling a specific behavior of a respective procedural method.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein, to obtain a procedural model, the program instructions are executable by the at least one processor to:

obtain input constructing the hierarchy of two or more modules from two or more procedural model components, wherein the procedural model components include other procedural models, modules, and procedural methods; and

obtain additional input specifying an array of values for at least one of the parameters.

14. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein to obtain a procedural model, the program instructions are executable by the at least one processor to obtain input specifying two other procedural models to be interpolated, wherein the procedural model is an interpolated procedural model specifying an interpolation between the two other procedural models.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein, to generate the interpolated procedural model, the program instructions are executable by the at least one processor to apply an interpolation technique to the two other procedural models, wherein, to apply the interpolation technique, the program instructions are executable by the at least one processor to:

compare modules of the two other procedural models to determine matched modules in the two other procedural models;

align the procedural methods in the matched modules; and

interpolate values of parameters for procedural methods of the matched modules to generate interpolated values for the parameters in the interpolated procedural model.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein, to compare modules of the two other procedural models to determine matched modules in the two other procedural models, the program instructions are executable by the at least one processor to minimize a cost function for matching the modules.

17. One or more computer-readable storage memories storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

obtaining a procedural model, the procedural model specified as a hierarchy of two or more modules, each module specifying a sequence of one or more procedural methods, and at least one module specifying a geometry to be drawn by the procedural model according to the procedural methods; and

executing the procedural model to draw a graphical structure comprising one or more geometries specified by the two or more modules, said executing the procedural model comprising;

executing each of the two or more modules according to the hierarchy, said executing each of the two or more modules comprising;

sequentially executing the one or more procedural methods of the respective module, execution of at least one of the procedural methods being controlled by one or more parameters of the respective procedural method, each parameter controlling a specific behavior of a respective procedural method.

18. The computer-readable storage memories as recited in claim 17, wherein, in said obtaining a procedural model, the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

obtaining input constructing the hierarchy of two or more modules from two or more procedural model components, wherein the procedural model components include other procedural models, modules, and procedural methods; and

obtaining additional input specifying an array of values for at least one of the parameters.

19. The computer-readable storage memories as recited in claim 17, wherein, in said obtaining a procedural model, the program instructions are computer-executable to implement obtaining input specifying two other procedural models to be interpolated, wherein the procedural model is an interpolated procedural model specifying an interpolation between the two other procedural models.

20. The computer-readable storage memories as recited in claim 19, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement applying an interpolation technique to the two other procedural models to generate the interpolated procedural model, wherein, in said applying the interpolation technique, the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

comparing modules of the two other procedural models to determine matched modules in the two other procedural models;

aligning the procedural methods in the matched modules; and

interpolating values of parameters for procedural methods of the matched modules to generate interpolated values for the parameters in the interpolated procedural model.