Volumetric hair rendering

• US 7,450,122 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Anderson, John R., Petrovic, Lena
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung; Kee M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRENDERGAST, ROBERTA D
• Application Number:
  US11/072,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20050210994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 345/426, 345/424, 345473-475
• US Class Current: 345/426
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/08 Volume rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/21 Collision detection, intersection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/56 Particle system, point based geometry or rendering

Abstract

A volumetric representation of a hair simulation model determines collective hair attributes. To determine inter-hair collisions, vertices include average velocities of the adjacent portions of the model. The average velocities determine target velocities. Forces for the model are determined from the target velocity values. To direct hair to a desired pose, vertices include target and current density values representing the density of adjacent portions of the model in the desired pose and current position, respectively. The differences in density values determine pressure forces applied to the model. To determine the illumination of the hair, vertices include density values representing the density of adjacent portions of the model. The density values define a hair surface, and signed distance values relative to the surface are determined for the vertices. Normal vectors are determined from the gradients of the signed distance values at locations corresponding the positions of the hairs.

Claims

1. A method for determining the collective attributes of a set of hairs, the method comprising:

determining a volumetric representation of a hair simulation model, wherein the volumetric representation comprises a plurality of volume elements representing the space occupied by the hair simulation model, wherein at least a first portion of the volume elements each encompasses space including at least two non-colliding hairs of the hair simulation model;

determining a set of collective attribute values for the volumetric representation, wherein at least a portion of the set of collective attribute values each represent a collective attribute based on attributes of all of the hairs encompassed by one of the plurality of volume elements, wherein the collective attribute values of the first portion of the volume elements are based on at least non-zero numerical contributions from their respective encompassed two non-colliding hairs of the hair simulation model; and

determining a set of optical properties of the set of hairs from the set of collective attribute values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of optical properties includes a set of normal vectors associated with an approximation of a surface of the set of hairs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the volumetric representation includes a first set of sample points each including an attribute value representing the density of the adjacent portion of the hair simulation model.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the set of collective attribute values for the volumetric representation includes defining a hair surface from the set of attribute values of the first set of sample points.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the set of optical properties of the set of hairs from the set of collective attribute values includes:

projecting at least a portion of one of the set of hairs on the hair surface at a point;

determining a normal vector for the hair surface at the point; and

assigning the normal vector to the portion of the one of the set of hairs.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the second set of target collective attribute values for the volumetric representation includes:

determining a signed distance function value relative to the hair surface for each of the first set of sample points.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the set of optical properties of the set of hairs from the set of collective attribute values includes:

determining a point in the volumetric representation corresponding to a position of at least a portion of one of the set of hairs;

determining a gradient of the signed distance function values of the first set of sample points at the point; and

assigning the gradient to the portion of the one of the set of hairs as a normal vector.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of at least the portion of one of the set of hairs is associated with a default pose of the set of hairs and determining the set of optical properties of the set of hairs from the set of collective attribute values includes:

transforming the normal vector assigned to the portion of the hair to a new orientation in accordance with the deformation of the hair from its default position to a current position.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transforming the normal vector assigned to the portion of the hair to a new orientation includes:

using a set of parallel transport frames associated with the hair to define a series of transformations from a root of the hair to the portion of the hair; and

applying the series of transformations to the normal vector.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

simulating the behavior of the hair simulation model under influence of at least a set of forces.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the volumetric representation of the hair simulation model is a voxel grid.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the hair simulation model includes a set of hair particles.

13. A computer readable medium including a set of instructions that is executable by a computer comprising:

determining a volumetric representation of a hair simulation model, wherein the volumetric representation comprises a plurality of volume elements representing the space occupied by the hair simulation model, wherein at least a first portion of the volume elements each encompasses space including at least two non-colliding hairs of the hair simulation model;

determining a set of collective attribute values for the volumetric representation, wherein at least a portion of the set of collective attribute values each represent a collective attribute based on attributes of all of the hairs encompassed by one of the plurality of volume elements, wherein the collective attribute values of the first portion of the volume elements are based on at least non-zero numerical contributions from their respective encompassed two non-colliding hairs of the hair simulation model; and

determining a set of optical properties of the set of hairs from the set of collective attribute values.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the set of optical properties includes a set of normal vectors associated with an approximation of a surface of the set of hairs.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the volumetric representation includes a first set of sample points each including an attribute value representing the density of the adjacent portion of the hair simulation model.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining the set of collective attribute values for the volumetric representation includes defining a hair surface from the set of attribute values of the first set of sample points.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining the set of optical properties of the set of hairs from the set of collective attribute values includes:

projecting at least a portion of one of the set of hairs on the hair surface at a point;

determining a normal vector for the hair surface at the point; and

assigning the normal vector to the portion of the one of the set of hairs.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining the second set of target collective attribute values for the volumetric representation includes:

determining a signed distance function value relative to the hair surface for each of the first set of sample points.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein determining the set of optical properties of the set of hairs from the set of collective attribute values includes:

determining a point in the volumetric representation corresponding to a position of at least a portion of one of the set of hairs;

determining a gradient of the signed distance function values of the first set of sample points at the point; and

assigning the gradient to the portion of the one of the set of hairs as a normal vector.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the position of at least the portion of one of the set of hairs is associated with a default pose of the set of hairs and determining the set of optical properties of the set of hairs from the set of collective attribute values includes:

transforming the normal vector assigned to the portion of the hair to a new orientation in accordance with the deformation of the hair from its default position to a current position.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein transforming the normal vector assigned to the portion of the hair to a new orientation includes:

using a set of parallel transport frames associated with the hair to define a series of transformations from a root of the hair to the portion of the hair; and

applying the series of transformations to the normal vector.