Method and an apparatus for generating reflection vectors which can be unnormalized and for using these reflection vectors to index locations on an environment map
First Claim
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1. A method for generating a reflection vector, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving an eye vector (E) and a normal vector (N) at least one of which is not normalized; and
b) producing a reflection vector (R) without vector normalization.
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Abstract
An apparatus for generating a reflection from a three-dimensional environment map. The apparatus includes a reflection vector generator which receives an eye vector and a normal vector neither of which need be normalized. This reflection vector generator generates a reflection vector without vector normalization. The reflection vector generator then couples to a decoder to supply the generated reflection vector. The decoder, in turn, determines a location where the reflection vector indexes the selected 2-dimensional map which forms part of the environment map.
71 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for generating a reflection vector, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving an eye vector (E) and a normal vector (N) at least one of which is not normalized; and b) producing a reflection vector (R) without vector normalization. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for generating a reflection vector that indexes one of a plurality of faces of a cubic environment map stored in a memory, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an eye vector (E) and a normal vector (N); producing a reflection vector (R) represented by a first coordinate, a second coordinate, and a third coordinate, wherein the reflection vector is unnormalized when one of the normal vector and the eye vector is unnormalized; determining a largest coordinate having the largest magnitude of said first, second, and third coordinates; and generating a fourth coordinate, and a fifth coordinate, by dividing two of said first, second, and third coordinates by said largest coordinate, wherein said fourth, and fifth coordinates define the location on the cubic environment map where said reflection vector indexes said cubic environment map in said memory. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. In a data processing system which renders images, a method of generating reflections off a rendered object by using an environment representation comprising a set of 2-dimensional maps which are independent of a viewer'"'"'s position, said method comprising:
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receiving an eye vector (E) and a normal vector (N), at least one of which is not normalized; producing a reflection vector (R) without vector normalization; selecting a selected 2-dimensional map which contains a location indexed by said reflection vector; determining said location on said selected 2-dimensional map; and sampling a reflection shading value at said location in said selected 2-dimensional map. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19)
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11. A reflection vector generating apparatus for generating a reflection vector indexing one of a plurality of faces of an environment map, said apparatus comprising:
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a) a reflection vector generator which receives an eye vector and a normal vector at least one of which is not normalized, said reflection vector generator producing a reflection vector without vector normalization; b) a decoder coupled to the reflection vector generator to receive the reflection vector, said decoder determining the face of said environment map that said reflection vector indexes. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification