Ray tracing method and apparatus for projecting rays through an object represented by a set of infinite surfaces
First Claim
1. A method for shading a three dimensional image for display on a screen, the image comprised of at least one object, each object having a set of surfaces, the screen having a plurality of elementary areas, said method comprising the steps of:
- representing the surfaces of each object in the image by a group of infinite surfaces;
for each elementary area of the screen projecting a ray from a view point into the three-dimensional image;
determining the location of the intersection of the ray with each said infinite surface;
determining whether any said infinite surface intersected by said ray is visible at that elementary area; and
shading the elementary area for display so as to be representative of said visible intersected surface based on said visible surface determination.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Each object in a 3-dimensional image to be displayed may be represented by a set of infinite surfaces. Each elementary area of a screen on which the image is to be displayed has a ray projected through it onto the 3-dimensional image. The location of the intersection of the projected ray with each surface is then determined and from these locations it is determined whether any intersected surface is visible at that elementary area. The elementary area is then shaded for display in dependence on the result of the determination.
41 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for shading a three dimensional image for display on a screen, the image comprised of at least one object, each object having a set of surfaces, the screen having a plurality of elementary areas, said method comprising the steps of:
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representing the surfaces of each object in the image by a group of infinite surfaces; for each elementary area of the screen projecting a ray from a view point into the three-dimensional image; determining the location of the intersection of the ray with each said infinite surface; determining whether any said infinite surface intersected by said ray is visible at that elementary area; and shading the elementary area for display so as to be representative of said visible intersected surface based on said visible surface determination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for shading a three dimensional image for display on a screen, the image comprised of at least one object, each object having a set of surfaces, the screen having a plurality of elementary areas, said apparatus comprising:
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means for supplying data defining a group of infinite surfaces representing the surfaces each object in the image; means for generating a depth value for each said infinite surface for each elementary area of the screen in dependence on the distance of that surface from a view point; means for determining whether any said infinite surface is visible at that elementary area; and means for shading that elementary area in dependence on the result of said infinite surface-visibility determination. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for shading a three dimensional image for display, the image comprised of at least one object, each object having a set of surfaces, the screen having a plurality of elementary areas, said method comprising the steps of:
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supplying data defining a group of infinite surfaces representing the surfaces of each object in the image; for each elementary area of the display generating a depth value for each said infinite surface in dependence on the distance of that surface from a view point; determining whether any said infinite surface is visible at that elementary area, and shading that elementary area in dependence in the result of said infinite surface-visibility determination. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for shading a three dimensional image for display the image comprised of at least one object, each object having a set of surfaces, the image being oriented for viewing by a viewer from a display that has a plurality of elementary areas, said method comprising the steps of:
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representing the surfaces of each object in the image as a group of infinite surfaces; supplying data defining each said group of said infinite surfaces with data including a designation as to whether a surface is forward or reverse facing relative the viewer; for each elementary area of the display generating a depth value for each surface in dependence on the distance of that surface from an image plane; determining whether any said infinite surface is visible at that elementary area; and shading the elementary area in dependence on the result of said infinite surface-visibility determination.
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Specification