Visual distortion effects through translucent structures in design software

• US 9,245,381 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Armstrong Word Industries Incorporated, Armstrong World Industries Incorporated, Dirtt Environmental Solutions
• Original Assignee: ICE Edge Business Solutions Ltd.
• Inventors: Howell, Joseph S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Peter
• Application Number:
  US14/111,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20140362075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/503 Blending, e.g. for anti-aliasing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/04 Architectural design, interior design
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/62 Semi-transparency
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2012 Colour editing, changing, or manipulating; Use of colour codes

Abstract

System, methods, and apparatus allow for creating translucent surfaces within a three-dimensional model. One or more implementations render a three-dimensional model of a layout of a design space within an architectural design environment. Additionally, one or more implementations identify a first portion of the three-dimensional model that is positioned behind a translucent surface within the three-dimensional model. Furthermore, one or more implementations render a visual distortion effect for the identified first portion of the three-dimensional model. Further still, one or more implementations display on a display device the three-dimensional model comprising the translucent surface, such that the three-dimensional model is displayed behind the translucent surface in a distorted form based on the rendered distortion effect.

Claims

1. In a computerized architectural design environment in which a design program is loaded into memory and processed at a central processing unit, a computer-implemented method for creating translucent surfaces within a three-dimensional model, the method comprising:

receiving a surface placement instruction that comprises a computer instruction for placing a translucent surface within a three-dimensional model, wherein;

the translucent surface is selected from a list of defined surfaces that each comprise a particular type of translucent material, and

each particular type of translucent material is associated with pre-defined translucency characteristics;

rendering the three-dimensional model of a layout of a design space within an architectural design environment;

identifying a position of a user perspective within the three-dimensional model;

identifying a first portion of the three-dimensional model that is positioned on an opposite side of the translucent surface from the user perspective within the three-dimensional model;

rendering a visual distortion effect for the identified first portion of the three-dimensional model, wherein the visual distortion effect comprises a distortion algorithm that receives input variables from the pre-defined translucency characteristics; and

displaying on a display device the three-dimensional model comprising the translucent surface, wherein the three-dimensional model is displayed behind the translucent surface in a distorted form based on the rendered distortion effect.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein rendering a visual distortion effect for the identified first portion of the three-dimensional model comprises:

identifying a target pixel that is to be distorted; and

randomly selecting one or more other pixels to blur into the target pixel.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

masking a second portion of the three-dimensional model that surrounds the translucent surface.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

determining whether one of the randomly selected one or more other pixels originated from the masked second portion of the three-dimensional model; and

excluding the one of the selected one or more other pixels from being blurred into the target pixel.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein masking the second portion of the three-dimensional model comprises:

assigning a specific attribute to the second portion of the three-dimensional model.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein assigning a specific attribute to the second portion of the three-dimensional model comprises rendering the second portion in a specific uniform color.

7. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

identifying a material type associated with the translucent surface;

identifying an attribute associated with the material type; and

adjusting the visual distortion effect based upon the attribute.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

identifying a color that is associated with the material type; and

biasing the visual distortion effect to incorporate the color.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

identifying a magnitude of translucence that is associated with the material type; and

biasing the visual distortion effect to incorporate the magnitude of translucence.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

loading the first portion of the three-dimensional model into a stencil buffer, wherein the first portion is not initially rendered.

11. In a computerized architectural design environment in which a design program is loaded into memory and processed at a central processing unit, a computer-implemented method for creating visual distortions effects through translucent structures, the method comprising:

receiving a surface placement instruction that comprises a computer instruction for placing a translucent surface within a three-dimensional model, wherein;

the translucent surface is selected from a list of defined surfaces that each comprise a particular type of translucent material, and

each particular type of translucent material is associated with pre-defined translucency characteristics;

rendering the three-dimensional model of a layout of a design space within an architectural design environment;

performing a distortion effect on the translucent surface, wherein performing the distortion effect comprises;

masking at least a portion of the three-dimensional model from the translucent surface; and

blurring with a distortion algorithm one or more of the pixels of the translucent surface, wherein the distortion algorithm receives input variables from the pre-defined translucency characteristics; and

displaying to a user the three-dimensional model, including the translucent surface.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein blurring one or more of the pixels of the translucent surface comprises:

identifying a target pixel that is to be distorted; and

selecting one or more other pixels to blur into the target pixel.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether one of the selected one or more other pixels originated from the masked portion of the three-dimensional model; and

excluding the one of the selected one or more other pixels from being blurred into the target pixel.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein masking the portion of the three-dimensional model from the translucent surface comprises:

assigning a specific attribute to the masked portion of the three-dimensional model.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein assigning a specific attribute to the masked portion of the three-dimensional model comprises rendering the masked portion in a specific uniform color.

16. The method as recited in claim 11,

wherein the one or more translucency attributes associated with the translucent material comprise a color.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising

biasing the distortion effect to incorporate the color.

18. The method as recited in claim 16,

wherein the one or more translucency attributes associated with the translucent material comprise a magnitude of translucence.

19. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

loading the translucent surface into a stencil buffer, wherein the translucent surface is not initially rendered.

20. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method for creating translucent surfaces within a three-dimensional model, the computer program product comprising one or more computer hardware storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed at a processor, cause the computer system to perform the method, including the following:

receiving a surface placement instruction that comprises a computer instruction for placing a translucent surface within a three-dimensional model, wherein;

the translucent surface is selected from a list of defined surfaces that each comprise a particular type of translucent material, and

each particular type of translucent material is associated with pre-defined translucency characteristics;

rendering the three-dimensional model of a layout of a design space within an architectural design environment;

identifying a position of a user perspective within the three-dimensional model;

identifying a first portion of the three-dimensional model that is positioned on an opposite side of the translucent surface from the user perspective within the three-dimensional model;

rendering a visual distortion effect for the identified first portion of the three-dimensional model, wherein the visual distortion effect comprises a distortion algorithm that receives input variables from the pre-defined translucency characteristics; and

displaying on a display device the three-dimensional model comprising the translucent surface, wherein the three-dimensional model is displayed behind the translucent surface in a distorted form based on the rendered distortion effect.