Programmed Chinese ancient building method for virtual shooting

Abstract

The invention discloses a programmed Chinese ancient building method for virtual shooting, and relates to the technical field of Chinese ancient building shooting methods.The method comprises the following steps that S110, building characteristics are researched and analyzed, and modules are classified according to the characteristics; s120, designing an algorithm framework in the houdini, and constructing a basic model white box; s130, building module type perfection, detail optimization and processing; s140, building module asset standardization and asset data list planning configuration; s150, associating an asset list with an algorithm, and performing tool performance test and parameter interaction optimization; through real-time interaction between data assets of an unreal engine and Sop and VEX networks of houdini, a closed-loop process of'parameter modification-model updating-rendering feedback 'is realized, a data asset path in the engine is called by using point attributes, the model is replaced by points, and the performance bottleneck is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of photographing ancient Chinese architecture, and in particular to a programmed ancient Chinese architecture method for virtual photographing. Background Art

[0002] Existing technical problems: Traditional three-dimensional modeling methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive, and it is difficult to quickly generate complex ancient Chinese architectural complexes with unified styles and diverse structures.

[0003] Procedural modeling technology originated from the need to generate complex geometry and animations. It achieves modularity and reusability through programming across different platforms, enabling artists to quickly build and produce complex 3D models or scenes. However, existing procedural generation tools fail to meet the requirements for real-time scene adjustments in virtual filming. Manual model modification is inefficient and limits creative flexibility. In virtual filming, procedural modeling is primarily used in the early stages of Unreal Engine scene creation, after set design, and during on-set previews or filming. Key requirements include tool convenience, structural accuracy, real-time generation, and realistic effects. It enables efficient object model generation and rapid scene construction during the pre-production or preview stages. However, current procedural modeling technology is primarily used in the gaming industry and cannot simultaneously address these requirements. Technical artists (TAs) typically develop procedural tools based on 3D software for a specific style. This is primarily due to technical limitations that make this approach unsuitable for direct application in the virtual filming industry, limiting its effectiveness and user experience in certain scenarios.

[0004] The main drawbacks are:

[0005] 1. Lack of accuracy in depicting ancient architectural structures: Current procedural building tools rarely display ancient Chinese architecture, and even fewer are suitable for displaying medieval architectural structures. This is primarily due to the vast span of Chinese history, encompassing different dynasties, ethnic groups, regions, cultures, and classes. Consequently, ancient Chinese architecture has a vast variety of sub-modules, which can be combined with each other. This makes it difficult for non-professional architects to accurately assess the structural rationality of various ancient buildings.

[0006] 2. Insufficient model details: Procedurally generated models are often not rich and realistic in microscopic details, such as the brick and stone texture on the building surface, moss and damage on roof tiles, etc., which affects the visual effect of virtual shooting.

[0007] 3. Performance bottleneck: When dealing with large-scale and complex scenes, procedural modeling may encounter performance issues, such as long calculation time and high memory usage, which makes real-time preview and interaction difficult and affects work efficiency.

[0008] 4. Complex parameter adjustment: Procedural modeling algorithms typically involve a large number of parameters, requiring users to manually adjust hundreds of them. These parameters also lack logical correlation, requiring specialized knowledge and experience to effectively adjust. This makes the operation difficult for non-professional users, limiting the widespread adoption and application of the technology. To address this, we propose a procedural method for virtual photography of ancient Chinese architecture. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for programming ancient Chinese architecture for virtual photography to solve the problems raised in the above background technology.

[0010] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a programmed ancient Chinese architectural method for virtual photography, comprising the following steps:

[0011] S110. Research and analyze building characteristics and classify modules according to their characteristics;

[0012] S120, design algorithm framework in Houdini and build white box of basic model;

[0013] S130, improve the types of building modules, optimize and process details;

[0014] S140, specification of building module assets, asset data list planning and configuration;

[0015] S150, asset list and algorithm association, tool performance testing and parameter interaction optimization.

[0016] Preferably, in said S110, the roof, pillars, fences, floors and ceiling modules are classified in detail according to architectural rules; and different module features are screened and classified by using descriptions of architectural features of various dynasties as criteria.

[0017] Preferably, in S120, based on the 3D software Houdini, SOP and VEX modules are used to apply architectural rules to build a procedural algorithm to generate a basic white box model, and after associating important parameters with the model size and shape, they are sorted and arranged to prepare for subsequent UI production.

[0018] Preferably, important parameters include building length, width, floor height, number of floors, whether to turn on the heavy eaves switch, whether to turn on the front, rear, and right reporting building structure switches, and the number of front, rear, and right reporting building floors.

[0019] Preferably, after completing step S120, based on the size framework of the white box, points are generated at corresponding appropriate positions for model replacement, and the scaling value, rotation value, and distance value of each point are set adaptively.

[0020] Preferably, the white box is divided into many modules, each module represents a type of model asset group, which is characterized by belonging to the same type in the building but different in size, proportion, pattern, material, shape and specifications. It is specifically classified into door, window, wall, eaves, double eaves, floor, corridor, column, ridge and roof modules.

[0021] Preferably, the specification of the building module assets in S140 is to document the production requirements of the module assets, define a modular asset tag system, and attach metadata to each asset. The Unreal Engine filters and dynamically replaces assets through tags.

[0022] Preferably, after completing S104, the modeler makes the building module according to the module asset specification, and determines the module coordinate information in the Unreal Engine and makes it according to the specification, and does some processing on the model asset. The same model is made into multiple different variations, and the architectural details and realism of the randomly generated multiple models will be higher.

[0023] Preferably, in S150, a director-friendly UI panel is designed in the Unreal Engine.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] 1. The generated ancient Chinese buildings are classified based on a large amount of powerful factual data for reference, and conform to the traditional structure of ancient Chinese buildings. The building modules produced based on algorithmic specifications are added to the asset library for management. The types of assets and styles that can be generated can be accumulated and reused infinitely.

[0026] 2. Through real-time interaction between Unreal Engine's data assets (DataAsset) and Houdini's Sop and VEX networks, a closed-loop process of "parameter modification → model update → rendering feedback" is implemented. The data asset path in the engine is called using point attributes, and the model is replaced by a point to solve the performance bottleneck.

[0027] 3. Call the asset library module metadata in Unreal Engine, replace or change the asset data table to change the generated architectural style in real time, or modify the UI parameters of a certain module to achieve the desired effect.

[0028] 4. Quickly generate the scenes required by the art department during the early stage of set design. At the same time, you can also quickly change the buildings according to the director's needs during the on-set preview or formal shooting to achieve user-satisfied results. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 It shows the basic flow chart of Chinese-style procedural building;

[0030] Figure 2Shows the schematic diagram of data exchange between Houdini and Unreal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] The present invention provides a technical solution: a method for programming ancient Chinese architecture for virtual shooting, such as Figure 1 , the basic process is:

[0033] S110, research and analyze building characteristics and classify modules according to characteristics;

[0034] S120, design algorithm framework in Houdini and build white box of basic model;

[0035] S130, building module types are improved, details are optimized and processed;

[0036] S140, specification of building module assets, asset data list planning and configuration;

[0037] S150, asset list and algorithm association, tool performance testing and parameter interaction optimization.

[0038] S110, in the early stage, find a lot of references and screen the available parts, and carefully classify the modules such as roofs, columns, fences, floors, ceilings, etc. according to the architectural rules in "Yingzaofashi"; use the description of architectural characteristics of each dynasty in "History of Chinese Architecture" as a guideline to screen and classify different module characteristics (such as dynasty, shape, material, etc.) (this step lays the foundation for subsequent production, and the white box is completed strictly according to the information such as structural subdivision, which can solve the first defect mentioned above).

[0039] Specifically, in step S120, based on the 3D software Houdini, SOP and VEX modules are used to apply the architectural rules in the "Yingzaofashi" to build a procedural algorithm to generate a basic white box model. After associating important parameters with the model's size and shape, they are sorted and arranged in preparation for subsequent UI production. Specific parameters include the building's length, width, floor height, number of floors, whether the double eaves switch is turned on, whether the front, rear, and right side wing structures are turned on, and the number of front, rear, and right side wing floors. (These parameters are only basic white box parameters and are slightly different from the subsequent UI control module.)

[0040] After completing step S120, based on the size framework of the white box, points are generated at corresponding appropriate positions for model replacement, and the scaling value, rotation value, distance value, etc. of each point are set adaptively. Here, the white box distinguishes many modules, each module represents a group of model assets, and their characteristics are that they belong to the same type in the building but are different in size, proportion, pattern, material, shape and specifications. They are specifically classified into modules such as doors, windows, walls, eaves, double eaves, floors, corridors, columns, ridges, and roofs. Among them, the roof module is more special, taking into account the different levels and different shapes of ancient buildings, which are mainly reflected in the roof, so the roof module classification is divided into hip roof, hip roof, and gable roof. The gable roof can meet the architectural needs of the hard roof. The above-mentioned roof modules can all open the double eaves.

[0041] In step S140, the specification of building module assets mainly documents the production requirements of module assets, such as which buildings require which modules and models, and the aspect ratio, coordinate orientation and other requirements of the model. The second important point is to define a modular asset tag system. Each asset is accompanied by metadata (such as "module type = hip roof", "building type = temple", "dynasty = Ming", "material = blue brick"), and the Unreal Engine uses tags to filter and dynamically replace assets.

[0042] After completing step S104, the modeler needs to create the building module according to the module asset specifications and determine the module coordinates and other information in Unreal Engine according to the specifications. Some details can be processed on the model assets. The same model can be made into multiple different variations, such as some scratches, aging, light and dark, texture offset and other traces. In this way, the randomly generated architectural details and realism of multiple models will be higher. After this step is completed, the asset data table is configured in Unreal Engine. The main function of the data table is to classify and reference all referenced asset models into modules and read the metadata information of the module assets. See Figure 2 Develop a real-time data synchronization interface. Houdini's output pointCloud embeds an UnrealInstanceID. Unreal Engine uses a Python script to parse the ID and call the corresponding asset, achieving "zero-latency" model updates. The data table primarily contains instance information for the referenced model. The referenced model asset is distinguished by module, named, and annotated with length, width, and height. The points with this information are then passed into Houdini for classification. The corresponding instance information is then assigned to the points in the corresponding module and output. In Unreal Engine, these points are automatically read and replaced with the corresponding instance model, ultimately resulting in the model generated in the UE engine (this step perfectly resolves the second and third defects mentioned above).

[0043] In step S150, after all the core work is completed, a director-friendly UI panel is designed in Unreal Engine. In the early stages of the whitebox design, we organized and categorized the parameter functions. Based on the basic functional parameters of the whitebox, we need to group the remaining variables that can be used to change details into parameters, group them by function, and set them in the tool's control panel. The parameters required for each module are organized to make them clear at a glance, allowing artists using the tool to quickly get started and achieve the desired effects. After completing this step, extensive testing is required to identify and fix any problems that may arise in the project.

[0044] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, etc., are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0045] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for programming ancient Chinese architecture for virtual photography, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S110. Research and analyze building characteristics and classify modules according to their characteristics; S120, design algorithm framework in Houdini and build white box of basic model; S130, improve the types of building modules, optimize and process details; S140, specification of building module assets, asset data list planning and configuration; S150, asset list and algorithm association, tool performance testing and parameter interaction optimization.

2. The method for virtual photography of ancient Chinese architecture according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the S110 , the roof, pillars, fences, floors, and ceiling modules are carefully classified according to architectural rules; and different module features are screened and classified by using the description of architectural features of each dynasty as a criterion.

3. The method for programming ancient Chinese architecture for virtual photography according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the S120, based on the 3D software Houdini, SOP and VEX modules are used to apply architectural rules to build a procedural algorithm to generate a basic white box model. After associating important parameters with the model size and shape, they are sorted and arranged to prepare for subsequent UI production.

4. The method for programming ancient Chinese architecture for virtual photography according to claim 1, characterized in that: Important parameters include building length, width, floor height, number of floors, whether the heavy eaves switch is turned on, whether the front, rear and right reporting building structure switches are turned on, and the number of front, rear and right reporting building floors.

5. The method for programming ancient Chinese architecture for virtual photography according to claim 1, characterized in that: After completing step S120, based on the size framework of the white box, points are generated at corresponding appropriate positions for model replacement, and the scaling value, rotation value, and distance value of each point are set adaptively.

6. The method for virtual photography of programmed ancient Chinese architecture according to claim 5, characterized in that: The white box distinguishes many modules, each of which represents a type of model asset group, which is characterized by belonging to the same type in the building but different in size, proportion, pattern, material, shape and specifications. It is specifically classified into door, window, wall, eaves, double eaves, floor, corridor, column, ridge and roof modules.

7. The method for virtual photography of ancient Chinese architecture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specification of the building module assets in S140 is to document the production requirements of the module assets and define a modular asset tag system. Each asset is accompanied by metadata, and the Unreal Engine filters and dynamically replaces assets through tags.

8. The method for virtual photography of ancient Chinese architecture according to claim 1, characterized in that: After completing S104, the modeler will make building modules according to the module asset specifications, and determine the module coordinate information in the Unreal Engine and make them according to the specifications. He will do some processing on the model assets and make multiple different variations of the same model. The randomly generated buildings with multiple models will have higher details and realism.

9. The method for programming ancient Chinese architecture for virtual photography according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the S150, a director-friendly UI panel is designed in the Unreal Engine.

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