Image creating method, image creating apparatus, and program

Abstract

To provide an image creation method and the like capable of easily creating a high-definition CG image from design data.SOLUTION: An image creation method includes acquiring design data of an architectural structure (S10), estimating first material information representing surfaces of members constituting the architectural structure based on the design data (S30), and creating a ComputerGraphics (CG) image by replacing the estimated first material information with second material information corresponding to the first material information and having a larger amount of information representing the surfaces than the first material information (S100).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an image creation method, an image creation device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are various methods for creating CG (Computer Graphics) images. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a CG image generating device that generates a CG image based on CG data of characters and the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-072859 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Virtual interior spaces based on the actual floor plans of buildings such as houses are now being recreated using CG images. These CG images are created from design data such as CAD (Computer Aided Design) data. However, the design data only contains simple information such as simple surface color information and low-resolution texture images. Therefore, to create high-resolution CG from the design data, it is necessary to create and add material information that expresses the surface texture. Currently, the creation of this material information is done manually, which is time-consuming and laborious.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides an image creation method, an image creation device, and a program that can easily create high-resolution CG images from design data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An image creation method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure acquires design data of a building, estimates first material information representing the surfaces of components constituting the building based on the design data, and creates a CG (Computer Graphics) image by replacing the estimated first material information with second material information corresponding to the first material information and having a greater amount of information representing the surface than the first material information.

[0007] An image creation device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires design data of a building, an estimation unit that estimates first material information that represents the surface of a component that constitutes the building based on the design data, and a replacement unit that creates a CG (Computer Graphics) image by replacing the estimated first material information with second material information that corresponds to the first material information and has a larger amount of information representing the surface than the first material information.

[0008] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute the image creation method described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to realize an image creation method or the like that can easily create a high-resolution CG image from design data. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a 3DCG creation system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conversion table according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating another example of a conversion table according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the 3DCG creation system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of replacing the material of an exterior wall according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] (Background to this disclosure) Before describing the embodiments of the present disclosure, the background to the present disclosure will be described.

[0012] Traditionally, 3DCG images (3DCG data) have been created from design data such as 3D CAD data (three-dimensional CAD data) for newly built houses. By displaying the created 3DCG images using VR (Virtual Reality) or on a display, it becomes possible to view the house before it is built.

[0013] High-resolution 3DCG images are desirable. However, because design data only contains simple information such as simple surface color information and low-resolution texture images, it is necessary to create and add material information to represent the surface. Currently, this material information is created manually each time, which is time-consuming and makes it difficult to easily create high-resolution CG images. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 does not disclose a technology for easily creating high-resolution CG images from design data. A high-resolution CG image is a CG image that can express the surface texture of a component from CAD data.

[0014] Therefore, the inventors of the present application have conducted extensive research into image creation methods etc. that can easily create high-resolution CG images from design data, and have devised the following image creation methods etc. Specifically, the inventors of the present application have devised a CG image creation method etc. that can easily create high-resolution CG images from design data by standardizing and automatically assigning material information.

[0015] An image creation method according to a first aspect of the present disclosure acquires design data of a building, estimates first material information representing the surfaces of components that make up the building based on the design data, and creates a CG (Computer Graphics) image by replacing the estimated first material information with second material information that corresponds to the first material information and has a larger amount of information representing the surface than the first material information.

[0016] This allows the first material information to be automatically replaced with the second material information, which contains more information about the surface. This means that there is no need to create material information individually. This makes it easy to create high-resolution CG images from design data.

[0017] Also, for example, the image creation method according to the second aspect may be the image creation method according to the first aspect, further comprising: acquiring first identification information that identifies a texture image referenced by the design data; and generating the CG image by replacing the first material information with the second material information based on the first identification information.

[0018] This allows a CG image to be generated using the second material information corresponding to the first identification information.

[0019] Also, for example, an image creation method according to a third aspect is the image creation method according to the second aspect, and the first identification information may include a hash value of the texture image.

[0020] This allows a CG image to be generated using the second material information corresponding to the hash value.

[0021] Furthermore, for example, an image creation method according to a fourth aspect may be the image creation method according to the first aspect, wherein, when there is no texture image referenced by the design data, first identification information that identifies at least one of the roughness of the surface and the transparency of the member including the surface is obtained, and the first material information is replaced with the second material information based on the first identification information.

[0022] This makes it possible to replace the first material information with the second material information by using the surface roughness or the like, even if there is no texture image to refer to.

[0023] Furthermore, for example, an image creation method according to a fifth aspect is an image creation method according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, in which the members include a first member and a second member, and if the first identification information is the same for the first member and the second member, the first material information on the surface of the first member and the first material information on the surface of the second member may be replaced with the same second material information.

[0024] In this way, when the first identification information is the same, it can be automatically replaced with the same second material information.

[0025] Furthermore, for example, an image creation method according to a sixth aspect may be an image creation method according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, in which the first material information is replaced with the second material information based on a conversion table showing the correspondence between the first material information and the second material information.

[0026] This makes it possible to easily create high-resolution CG images from design data by using a conversion table.

[0027] Also, for example, an image creation method according to a seventh aspect may be the image creation method according to the sixth aspect, wherein the conversion table associates identification information based on the design data with identification information that identifies the second material information.

[0028] This makes it possible to easily identify the second material information to be substituted by the two pieces of identification information.

[0029] Also, for example, an image creation method according to an eighth aspect may be an image creation method according to the seventh aspect, in which, if the conversion table includes second identification information corresponding to the acquired first identification information, the first material information may be replaced with the second material information.

[0030] This allows material information to be easily replaced using a conversion table.

[0031] Also, for example, an image creation method according to a ninth aspect may be an image creation method according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, and the conversion table may associate the first identification information with third identification information that identifies the first material information, and second identification information that identifies the second material information.

[0032] As a result, the conversion table contains the third identification information, and the user can easily understand which second material information will be substituted for which material information by looking at the conversion table.

[0033] Furthermore, for example, an image creation method according to a tenth aspect may be the image creation method according to the second or third aspect, in which the first material information is replaced with the second material information based on a conversion table indicating a correspondence relationship between the first material information and the second material information, and in the conversion table, fourth identification information included in the design data may correspond to second identification information that identifies the second material information.

[0034] This makes it possible to convert material information without using a hash value or the like when the fourth identification information included in the design data includes unique information, thereby reducing the amount of data in the conversion table.

[0035] Furthermore, for example, an image creation method according to an eleventh aspect may be an image creation method according to any one of the second, third, and tenth aspects, further comprising acquiring coordinate information indicating coordinates of a mesh included in the design data, and generating the CG image by replacing the first material information with the second material information based on the coordinate information.

[0036] This makes it possible to easily create high-definition CG images that reproduce the texture and other characteristics of a building or other structure depending on its position.

[0037] Also, for example, an image creation method according to a twelfth aspect may be an image creation method according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, in which the first material information is collectively replaced with the second material information on each surface of the design data.

[0038] This allows the first material information to be collectively replaced with the second material information.

[0039] Also, for example, an image creation method according to a thirteenth aspect is an image creation method according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, and the large amount of information may include an increase in the number of parameters that represent the surface.

[0040] This makes it possible to create a CG image using second material information with an increased number of parameters for expressing the surface.

[0041] Also, for example, the image creation method according to the 14th aspect is the image creation method according to any one of the 2nd to 13th aspects, and the large amount of information may include an increase in the amount of information for defining one parameter that represents the surface.

[0042] This makes it possible to create a CG image using second material information with an increased amount of information for defining one parameter that expresses the surface.

[0043] Also, for example, an image creation method according to a 15th aspect is an image creation method according to any one of the 1st to 14th aspects, wherein the second material information may include at least one of information indicating whether the surface is metallic or not, information regarding specular reflection on the surface, and normal information representing the unevenness of the surface.

[0044] As a result, the second material information includes information that is not generally included in design data, and therefore can express surface textures that cannot be expressed in design data.

[0045] Also, for example, the image creation method according to the 16th aspect may be the image creation method according to the 7th or 8th aspect, and if the conversion table does not contain the second identification information corresponding to the acquired first identification information, identification information corresponding to the first identification information may be acquired, and the acquired identification information may be used as the second identification information, and the conversion table may be updated by associating it with the first identification information.

[0046] This allows the conversion table to be automatically updated.

[0047] Also, for example, the image creation method according to the 17th aspect is an image creation method according to any one of the 2nd, 3rd, 10th, and 11th aspects, and the first identification information may include information indicating the material of the component including the surface.

[0048] This makes it possible to generate a CG image using second material information according to the material of the member including the surface.

[0049] An image creation device according to an eighteenth aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires design data of a building, an estimation unit that estimates first material information that represents the surface of a component that constitutes the building based on the design data, and a replacement unit that creates a CG (Computer Graphics) image by replacing the estimated first material information with second material information that corresponds to the first material information and has a larger amount of information representing the surface than the first material information.

[0050] This provides the same effect as the image creation method described above.

[0051] A program according to a nineteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute the image creation method according to any one of the first to seventeenth aspects.

[0052] This provides the same effect as the image creation method described above.

[0053] These general or specific aspects may be realized as a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM, or as any combination of the system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium. The program may be pre-stored in the recording medium, or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide area communication network including the Internet.

[0054] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0055] The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, components, component placement and connection configurations, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components not described in independent claims are described as optional components.

[0056] Furthermore, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily an exact illustration. Therefore, for example, the scales of the figures do not necessarily match. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially the same components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0057] Furthermore, in this specification, terms indicating relationships between elements, such as "coincidence," terms indicating the shapes of elements, such as "triangle," as well as numerical values ​​and numerical ranges, are not expressions that express only the strict meaning, but are expressions that also include a substantially equivalent range, for example, a difference of about a few percent (or about 10%).

[0058] Furthermore, in this specification, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" do not refer to the number or order of components unless otherwise specified, but are used for the purpose of avoiding confusion and distinguishing between components of the same type.

[0059] (Embodiment) Hereinafter, a 3DCG creation system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0060] [1.3DCG Creation System Configuration] First, the configuration of a 3DCG creation system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a 3DCG creation system 1 according to this embodiment. Note that Fig. 1 shows an exemplary functional configuration of the 3DCG creation system 1, and the functional configuration of the 3DCG creation system 1 is not limited to Fig. 1. In addition, an example in which the CG image is a 3DCG image will be described below, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0061] 1, the 3DCG creation system 1 includes a design device 10 and a 3DCG creation device 20. The design device 10 and the 3DCG creation device 20 are, for example, connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other. The 3DCG creation device 20 is also connected to a VR device (not shown) such as VR goggles, and a display device (not shown) such as a liquid crystal display device so that they can communicate with each other.

[0062] The design device 10 is a terminal device owned by, for example, a house builder, a construction company, or the like. The design device 10 is a personal computer (PC), but may also be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, or the like. The design device 10 includes a CAD creation unit 11. The design device 10 also includes a communication unit (not shown) for communicating with the 3DCG creation device 20. The communication unit includes, for example, a communication circuit (or a communication module).

[0063] The CAD creation unit 11 is a processing unit that creates CAD data of a building such as a house through operations by a designer or the like. CAD data is an example of design data. Note that, although the following mainly describes an example in which the design data is CAD data, the design data created by the CAD creation unit 11 is not limited to being CAD data.

[0064] The building is not limited to a residential facility such as a house, but may be, for example, a non-residential facility. Examples of residential facilities are a detached house and an apartment building. Each of the multiple dwelling units in an apartment building may be considered a "facility," or the entire apartment building may be considered a "facility." Examples of non-residential facilities include stores, office buildings, schools, welfare facilities, commercial complexes, hospitals, factories, etc. Below, an example in which the building is a house will be described.

[0065] The 3DCG creation device 20 is an information processing device that creates high-resolution 3DCG images from design data acquired from the design device 10. The 3DCG creation device 20 creates high-resolution 3DCG images from the design data by replacing material information (first material information) for each surface included in the design data with higher-resolution material information (second material information) using a conversion table (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, described later) stored in the storage unit 25. The conversion table indicates the correspondence between the material information to be replaced and the material information to be replaced.

[0066] Note that high definition means a large amount of information representing the surface. A large amount of information includes at least one of an increase in the number of parameters representing the surface and an increase in the amount of information required to define one parameter representing the surface. An increase in the amount of information includes, for example, an increase in the resolution of one parameter representing the surface (e.g., base color). An increase in resolution may mean, for example, that the appearance of the surface changes from a single color to a pattern.

[0067] In the following, for ease of identification, material information included in the design data (material information to be replaced) will be referred to as first material information, and material information for creating a high-definition 3DCG image (material information to be replaced) will be referred to as second material information. The second material information includes information that expresses the surface texture in order to achieve high-definition expression in the 3DCG image. The created 3DCG image may be a still image or a moving image. The 3DCG creation device 20 is an example of an image creation device.

[0068] The 3DCG creation device 20 includes, as its functional configuration, a CAD acquisition unit 21, a material estimation unit 22, a material conversion creation unit 23, a material replacement unit 24, a storage unit 25, and a post-processing unit 26. The 3DCG creation device 20 also includes, as its hardware configuration, a non-volatile memory storing a program, a volatile memory serving as a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, a communication interface, a processor for executing the program, and the like. The memory may be a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), and can store a program to be executed by the processor. The CAD acquisition unit 21, the material estimation unit 22, the material conversion creation unit 23, the material replacement unit 24, the storage unit 25, and the post-processing unit 26 are implemented by a processor or the like that executes a program stored in the memory. The 3DCG creation device 20 may be implemented by a desktop personal computer (PC), a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, a dedicated computer, a server (e.g., a cloud server), or a combination thereof.

[0069] The CAD acquisition unit 21 is a communication interface for acquiring CAD data created by the design device 10, and acquires the design data. The CAD acquisition unit 21 may acquire the CAD data directly from the design device 10, or may acquire the CAD data via another device. The CAD acquisition unit 21 is configured to include, for example, a communication circuit (or a communication module), but is not limited to this. The CAD acquisition unit 21 is an example of an acquisition unit.

[0070] The CAD data acquired by the CAD acquisition unit 21 is assigned a material (material information) that determines the surface texture of each mesh. The material information is, for example, information that represents the surface when rendering on a physical basis. The CAD data is assigned at least one of simple color information (base color) of the surface, a low-resolution texture image, transparency, and surface roughness. For example, the low-resolution texture image is a texture image composed of 128 × 128 pixels. Furthermore, since glass is transparent, it does not have a texture image, and instead information such as transparency and surface roughness is assigned. Transparency includes, for example, transparency (or opacity). Furthermore, the CAD data does not assign information indicating whether the material is metal, normal information that represents the surface irregularities, information about specular reflection on the surface, or parameters that indicate the amount of light emitted when the material itself emits light.

[0071] The mesh, also called a polygon mesh, represents each element when the surface of a component is divided into smaller elements. The shape of the mesh is, for example, a triangle, but is not limited to this. The component may be, for example, a fixed component such as a wall, floor, ceiling, pillar, or window (glass), or may be a movable component installed in a building, such as furniture or home appliances.

[0072] Materials that determine the surface texture include the above-mentioned Base Color, Roughness, Metallic (whether it is metal or not), Specular, Opacity, Normal (normal information), and Emissive (a parameter that determines how much light the object emits).

[0073] The material estimation unit 22 is a processing unit that estimates first material information that represents the surfaces of components that make up a building based on design data. The material estimation unit 22 estimates the first material information assigned to each mesh of the CAD data from the CAD data. The material estimation unit 22 is an example of an estimation unit.

[0074] The material conversion creation unit 23 is a processing unit that creates a conversion table for replacing first material information assigned to CAD data with second material information for creating high-resolution 3DCG images. When the material conversion creation unit 23 acquires first material information that is not registered in the conversion table, it acquires second material information corresponding to the first material information and updates the conversion table. The material conversion creation unit 23 stores the updated conversion table in the storage unit 25. The conversion table is commonly used when converting the CAD data of each building into a high-resolution 3DCG image.

[0075] The material replacement unit 24 is a processing unit that replaces the first material information, which has a small amount of information contained in the CAD data, with high-definition second material information based on the conversion table created by the material conversion creation unit 23. Here, replacement means changing the material information referenced to represent the surface of the component (the mesh) from the first material information to the second material information when creating a 3DCG image. The material replacement unit 24 is an example of a replacement unit.

[0076] The storage unit 25 is a storage device that stores information for replacing material information, such as a conversion table. For example, the storage unit 25 may store a conversion table in advance (before converting the material information). The storage unit 25 also stores a material list that is commonly used. The material list is a list that includes, for example, at least one of the roughness parameters and transparency parameters of the material, the names of the texture images of the material, and the hash values ​​of the texture images of the material. The storage unit 25 also stores, for each material, multiple pieces of high-definition material information that are replacement candidates.

[0077] In this embodiment, a material database (material DB in FIG. 1) is stored in the storage unit 25. For example, the storage unit 25 stores a database of conversion tables and the like. The storage unit 25 is realized by, but is not limited to, a semiconductor memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0078] The post-processing unit 26 is a processing unit that assigns appropriate lighting and the like to the CAD data replaced with second material information by the material replacement unit 24, performs rendering, generates a 3DCG image, and displays the generated 3DCG image on a screen or the like. The post-processing unit 26 outputs the rendered CG image information to a VR device, a display device, or the like. The post-processing unit 26 also functions as an output unit. The post-processing unit 26 may be configured to include, for example, a communication circuit (or a communication module).

[0079] It should be noted that the post-processing performed by the post-processing unit 26 is not limited to the allocation of lighting and the like and rendering.

[0080] The conversion table stored in the storage unit 25 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion table according to this embodiment. The conversion table may be CSV (Comma Separated Values) data. In addition, the conversion table associates, for example, identification information based on the design data with identification information that identifies the second material information.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 2, the conversion table may be a table in which the material name (before replacement) to be provisionally assigned to the design data, the high-resolution material name (after replacement), the roughness parameter in the material, the transparency parameter in the material, the name of the texture image in the material, and the hash value of the texture image in the material are associated with each other.

[0082] The material name (before replacement) provisionally assigned to the design data is a material name assigned to the design data so that the user can easily understand the components that make up a building. The material name (before replacement) provisionally assigned to the design data is, for example, unique information that can identify the material of the component. In the example of FIG. 2, "CAD_Outer wall," "CAD_Inner wall," and "CAD_glass1" are assigned. This makes it easy to see that the first line indicates the conversion content of the outer wall, the second line indicates the conversion content of the inner wall, and the third line indicates the conversion content of the glass (e.g., window). The material name (before replacement) provisionally assigned to the design data is an example of third identification information that identifies the first material information. Note that the material name (before replacement) provisionally assigned to the design data does not need to be included in the conversion table.

[0083] The high-definition material name (after replacement) is assigned to indicate which material information is used to create a high-definition 3DCG image. The high-definition material name (after replacement) is unique information that can identify which second material information is to be used among multiple pieces of high-definition second material information. The high-definition material name (after replacement) is an example of second identification information that identifies the second material information.

[0084] The roughness parameter in the material indicates the surface roughness of the mesh surface, and is an example of first identification information.

[0085] The transmission parameter in the material is information indicating the transparency of the member, such as, but not limited to, transparency, etc. The transmission parameter in the material is an example of first identification information.

[0086] The conversion table only needs to include at least one of the roughness parameters within the material and the transparency parameters within the material. If a hash value can be calculated, at least one of the roughness parameters within the material and the transparency parameters within the material (for example, both the roughness parameters within the material and the transparency parameters within the material) does not need to be included in the conversion table.

[0087] The name of a texture image in a material is unique information that can identify the texture image to be referenced in the CAD data.

[0088] The hash value of a texture image in a material is the output value of a hash function obtained by inputting the texture image into the hash function. If the hash values ​​of two surfaces are the same, it means that the two surfaces are made of the same material. The hash value of a texture image is information that identifies (or distinguishes) the texture image referenced by the design data, and is an example of first identification information. Note that the first identification information is not limited to a hash value, and may be, for example, information indicating the material of the components that include the surface (e.g., walls, floors, windows, etc.). Materials include, but are not limited to, wood, concrete, soil, tiles, wallpaper, glass, etc.

[0089] The material list (list) is made up of the roughness parameter in the material, the transparency parameter in the material, the name of the texture image in the material, and the hash value of the texture image in the material.

[0090] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing another example of a conversion table according to the present embodiment. A game engine is sometimes used when creating a high-resolution 3DCG image from CAD data, and Fig. 3 shows an example of a conversion table used when using such a game engine.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 3, the conversion table may be a table in which NewMaterialName, UeMaterialName, RGB, Roughness, Transparency, Texture, and Hash are associated with each other.

[0092] NewMaterialName corresponds to the material name (before replacement) temporarily assigned to the design data shown in FIG.

[0093] UeMaterialName indicates the name of the material to be replaced with in Unreal Engine, a game engine for creating 3DCG, and corresponds to the high-resolution material name (after replacement) shown in Figure 2.

[0094] RGB indicates the color of the mesh surface.

[0095] Roughness indicates the roughness of the surface and is expressed as the dispersion width of scattered light; for example, "0" indicates specular reflection and "1" indicates diffuse reflection.

[0096] Transparency is information indicating the transparency of a surface, for example, the degree of transparency.

[0097] Texture indicates identification information for identifying a texture image, and corresponds to the name of the texture image in the material shown in FIG.

[0098] Hash indicates the hash value of the texture image, and corresponds to the hash value of the texture image in the material shown in FIG.

[0099] In a house or the like, the materials used are limited. Furthermore, in the case of a wall surface, one of the high-resolution material information of multiple walls is used as the second material information. For example, in the case of a wall surface, a high-resolution texture image associated with the wall is used as the high-resolution material information. A high-resolution texture image has more pixels than a low-resolution texture image, and is composed of, for example, 4096 x 4096 pixels.

[0100] As described above, by using the conversion table, when it is determined from the material information included in the CAD data that a surface is a wall, it is possible to simply replace the surface with high-resolution material information for a wall prepared in advance, eliminating the need to create material information for each surface. This reduces the time required to create high-resolution 3DCG images from CAD data.

[0101] Furthermore, for example, in the conversion table shown in Figure 2, texture images (or hash values) are associated with high-definition material information, so that if the texture images included in the CAD data are the same, they can be converted into the same second material information. For example, even when generating high-definition 3DCG images for each of the CAD data for multiple buildings, the time required to create the high-definition 3DCG images can be effectively reduced. Furthermore, for example, in the conversion table shown in Figure 3, at least one of information indicating surface roughness and transparency is associated with high-definition material information, so that if at least one of information indicating surface roughness and transparency included in the CAD data is the same, they can be converted into the same second material information.

[0102] In this way, when the first identification information is the same for the first member and the second member, the 3DCG creation device 20 can replace the first material information on the surface of the first member and the first material information on the surface of the second member with the same second material information.

[0103] [2. Operation of the 3DCG creation system] Next, the operation of the 3DCG creation system 1 configured as above will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation (CG image creation method) of the 3DCG creation system 1 according to this embodiment. Steps S20 to S70 shown in Fig. 4 are processes for extracting and listing materials that are not included in the conversion table when the target CAD data contains such materials.

[0104] As shown in Fig. 4, the CAD acquisition unit 21 acquires CAD data (design information) of a building created by the design device 10 (S10). The timing at which the CAD acquisition unit 21 acquires the CAD data is not particularly limited, and the data may be acquired at any timing. The CAD data acquired here has first material information assigned to each mesh along with shape information. In other words, the CAD data includes multiple pieces of material information.

[0105] Next, the material estimation unit 22 extracts a list of all materials referenced by the CAD data and extracts one material from the list (S20). The material estimation unit 22 extracts first material information for any mesh in the CAD data. The first material information includes, for example, at least one of monochrome color information (base color), a texture image, and information indicating transparency such as transparency. The first material information may or may not include a texture image.

[0106] Next, the material estimation unit 22 determines whether or not the material refers to a texture image (S30). The material estimation unit 22 determines whether or not the first material information includes a texture image.

[0107] Next, if the material estimation unit 22 determines that the material references a texture image (Yes in S30), it calculates a hash value of the texture image (S40). The material replacement unit 24 replaces meshes having the same texture image with the same second material information. For example, the material replacement unit 24 replaces first material information of meshes made of the same material with the same second material information. The hash value is used to determine whether the conversion table contains the same texture image. Note that the material estimation unit 22 is not limited to calculating a hash value.

[0108] Furthermore, if the material estimation unit 22 determines that the material does not refer to a texture image (No in S30), it reads information within the material (S50). The material estimation unit 22 reads first material information other than the texture image to determine whether the same material exists in the conversion table. The information other than the texture image includes at least one of information indicating the transparency of a member including the surface and information indicating the surface roughness. Note that "the material does not refer to a texture image" means that there is no texture image for the surface referenced by the design data.

[0109] Next, the material estimation unit 22 adds the different material to a list (material list) (S60). The material estimation unit 22 determines whether or not the conversion table contains a hash value or information other than the texture image that matches the hash value of step S40 or the information other than the texture image read in step S50, and if it determines that the conversion table contains the hash value or information other than the texture image, it does not perform the processing of step S60 (i.e., does not add it to the list), but if it determines that the conversion table does not contain the hash value or information other than the texture image, it adds the hash value or information other than the texture image to the list.

[0110] Taking the conversion table of FIG. 2 as an example, for example, if the hash value calculated in step S40 is f44a47e9 or g2312e6, the material estimation unit 22 determines that the hash value is in the conversion table, but if the hash value is any other value, it determines that the hash value is not in the conversion table. Furthermore, the material estimation unit 22 determines that the hash value is in the conversion table if the roughness parameter is 0.1 and the transmission parameter is 0.3 or 0.0, or if the roughness parameter is 0.2 and the transmission parameter is 0.0, but otherwise determines that the hash value is not in the conversion table. Furthermore, if the transparency differs for each type of glass, for example, if the transparency is the same, it determines that the glass type is the same. Furthermore, if the surface roughness differs for each type of component, for example, if the surface roughness is the same, it determines that the material is in the conversion table. When the surface roughness is the same, the material estimation unit 22 determines that the type of the member is the same (for example, an exterior wall, etc.).

[0111] 4 again, next, the material estimation unit 22 determines whether all materials have been processed (S70). The material estimation unit 22 determines whether the processing of steps S20 to S60 has been completed for all meshes. If it is determined that all materials have been processed (Yes in S70), the process proceeds to step S80. If it is determined that all materials have not been processed (No in S70), the process proceeds to step S20, where the processing is performed on the next material.

[0112] Next, the material conversion creation unit 23 adds the material names before and after conversion to a list (material list) (S80). The material conversion creation unit 23 sets the material name to be renamed based on the hash value of the texture image or the information in the material, which are included in the material list, and the name of the material to be replaced in the conversion table.

[0113] The material conversion creation unit 23 may confirm the object from the values ​​in the material list, the name of the texture image, etc., enter the material name before replacement (the material name (before replacement) to be provisionally assigned to the design data) in the conversion table, and may infer the replacement material (high-definition material name (after replacement)) from the material name before replacement and enter it in the conversion table. Alternatively, the material conversion creation unit 23 may, for example, acquire the name of the material to be renamed and the name of the material to be replaced by input from the user, and add the acquired material name to be renamed and the material name to be replaced to the conversion table in association with the hash value of the texture image or information within the material. Note that if there is no material name to be renamed, the material conversion creation unit 23 may directly convert the material name to be renamed from the hash value of the texture image or information within the material.

[0114] Note that if the pre-conversion material name included in the CAD data contains unique information (e.g., a unique name for each material and a sequential number) and the material can be identified from the pre-conversion material name, the pre-conversion material name and the post-conversion material name may be linked using the pre-conversion material name instead of using the hash value of the texture image. For example, a similar process is possible even if part of the pre-conversion material name is expressed as unique information (e.g., a unique name for each material and a sequential number). For example, the material conversion creation unit 23 may first determine whether the pre-conversion material name is expressed as a unique name for each material and a sequential number, and if it is, use the pre-conversion material name instead of the hash value of the texture image. If it is not a unique name and a sequential number, use the hash value of the texture image. The pre-conversion material name included in the CAD data is an example of fourth identification information.

[0115] Next, the material conversion creation unit 23 renames the material names included in the CAD data to the material names before conversion based on the conversion table (S90). Based on the conversion table, the material conversion creation unit 23 collectively replaces the material names included in the CAD data with the material names shown in "Material names (before replacement) to be provisionally assigned to design data" shown in FIG.

[0116] Next, the material replacement unit 24 assigns the converted material to each mesh of the CAD data (S100). Based on the conversion table, the material replacement unit 24 replaces, for each surface of the design data, first material information having the material name before replacement with second material information having the material name after replacement. As a result, material information capable of creating a high-resolution 3DCG image is provided for each mesh included in the CAD data. Note that the replacement of the first material information with the second material information for each surface of the design data may be performed collectively. Here, "collectively" may mean that the replacement for each surface is performed within a predetermined time period, or that the replacement is reflected in the 3DCG image substantially simultaneously.

[0117] The second material information may include parameters not included in the first material information, and may include, for example, at least one of information indicating whether or not the material is metallic, information regarding specular reflection on the surface, normal information representing the unevenness of the surface, and a parameter indicating the amount of light emitted when the material itself emits light. The information indicating whether or not the material is metallic is set to 1 if it is metallic and 0 if it is non-metallic, and 0 may be set as the default. The information regarding specular reflection on the surface includes the amount of specular light specularly reflected on the surface, and may be set to, for example, 0.5 as the default.

[0118] When replacing first material information having a first material name before conversion with second material information having a replacement material name based on a conversion table, the material replacement unit 24 may change the material information based on the coordinate values ​​of the mesh included in the design data. For example, in a Z-UP coordinate system (often used in game engines) in which the Z axis is perpendicular to the ground, if the hash value of the texture image in the material determines that the material is CAD_Outer_Wall, the replacement CG_Wall1 may be automatically assigned to CG_1F_Wall1 if the building height is less than one floor, and to CG_2F_Wall1 if the building height is between one and two floors. Furthermore, by changing the assignment of high-resolution materials based on the coordinate values ​​of the mesh, it is possible to distinguish between the first and second floors, even if the exterior wall materials appear the same, and assign high-resolution materials accordingly.

[0119] In this case, for example, the coordinate values ​​of the mesh included in the design data may be included in the conversion table. The material replacement unit 24 uses, for example, a conversion table in which the material name provisionally assigned to the design data, the coordinate values ​​of the mesh included in the design data, and the name of the material after replacement are associated. For example, even if the material name provisionally assigned to the design data is the same, the conversion table associates different converted material names, texture images, and hash values ​​for each set of coordinates. The term "each set of coordinates" may refer to the height of a building (e.g., the number of floors) or to each room in a building.

[0120] The coordinate system is not limited to the Z-UP coordinate system, and may be any known coordinate system. The coordinate values ​​are an example of coordinate information indicating coordinates. The coordinate information is not limited to coordinate values, and may be the floor number of a building, a room name (e.g., living room, bedroom), etc.

[0121] Next, the post-processing unit 26 assigns appropriate lighting to the high-resolution 3DCG image, performs rendering, and outputs the image to the VR goggles or display device, thereby displaying the 3DCG image reflecting the influence of the lighting on the VR goggles or display device. Note that the processes of assigning appropriate lighting and performing rendering do not necessarily have to be performed.

[0122] In this way, if the conversion table contains the hash value of the texture image corresponding to the acquired first identification information, a process of replacing the first material information with the second material information is executed.

[0123] An example of replacing the material of a building exterior wall will now be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of replacing the material of an exterior wall according to this embodiment. (a) of FIG. 5 shows design data, (b) of FIG. 5 shows the material of the design data, and (c) of FIG. 5 shows high-resolution material. The material of the design data includes monochromatic color information, and the high-resolution material includes a brick-like appearance. In (a) and (b) of FIG. 5, the monochromatic color information is indicated by being filled in white.

[0124] When the hash value of the material in the design data shown in Fig. 5(b) is included in the conversion table, the material replacement unit 24 replaces the material in the design data with the high-resolution material indicated by the high-resolution material name (after conversion) associated with the hash value. As a result, a monochromatic exterior wall in the CAD data can be displayed as a brick-like exterior wall in the 3DCG image as shown in Fig. 5(c).

[0125] This reduces the time and cost required to apply materials compared to creating material information individually. For example, when done manually, material development typically takes one to two weeks, but with the present disclosure, this can be reduced to approximately three to sixteen hours.

[0126] (Other embodiments) While the CG image creation method according to one or more aspects has been described above based on the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. As long as it does not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure, various modifications conceivable by a person skilled in the art to the present embodiments and forms constructed by combining components of different embodiments may also be included in the present disclosure.

[0127] For example, in the above embodiment, a 3DCG image is used as the CG image, but the CG image may be a 2DCG image.

[0128] In the above embodiments, each component may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0129] The order in which the steps in the flowchart are executed is merely an example for specifically explaining the present disclosure, and an order other than the above may be used. Also, some of the steps may be executed simultaneously (in parallel) with other steps, or some of the steps may not be executed.

[0130] The division of functional blocks in the block diagram is an example, and multiple functional blocks may be realized as a single functional block, one functional block may be divided into multiple blocks, or some functions may be moved to another functional block.Furthermore, the functions of multiple functional blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or time-shared by a single piece of hardware or software.

[0131] Furthermore, the 3DCG creation device according to the above-described embodiment may be realized as a single device or may be realized by multiple devices. When the 3DCG creation device is realized by multiple devices, the components of the 3DCG creation device may be distributed in any manner among the multiple devices. When the 3DCG creation device is realized by multiple devices, the communication method between the multiple devices is not particularly limited, and may be wireless communication or wired communication. Furthermore, wireless communication and wired communication may be combined between the devices.

[0132] Furthermore, each component described in the above embodiments may be implemented as software or, typically, as an LSI, which is an integrated circuit. These components may be individually integrated into a single chip, or some or all of them may be integrated into a single chip. While LSI is used here, it may also be referred to as an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI depending on the level of integration. Furthermore, the integration method is not limited to LSI; it may be implemented using a dedicated circuit (a general-purpose circuit that executes a dedicated program) or a general-purpose processor. It is also possible to use a field programmable gate array (FPGA), which can be programmed after LSI fabrication, or a reconfigurable processor, which allows the connection or settings of circuit cells within an LSI to be reconfigured. Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or a derivative technology, that technology may naturally be used to integrate the components.

[0133] A system LSI is an ultra-multifunctional LSI manufactured by integrating multiple processing units on a single chip, and is specifically a computer system consisting of a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, etc. The ROM stores computer programs. The system LSI achieves its functions when the microprocessor operates in accordance with the computer programs.

[0134] Another aspect of the present disclosure may be a computer program that causes a computer to execute each of the characteristic steps included in the image creation method shown in FIG.

[0135] Furthermore, for example, the program may be a program to be executed by a computer. Another aspect of the present disclosure may be a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded. For example, such a program may be recorded on a recording medium and distributed or circulated. For example, the distributed program may be installed in a device having another processor, and the program may be executed by the processor, thereby causing the device to perform each of the above processes. [Industrial Applicability]

[0136] The present disclosure is useful for devices that create CG images from design data. [Explanation of symbols]

[0137] 1. 3DCG Creation System 10 Design equipment 20 3DCG creation device (image creation device) 21 CAD Acquisition Department (Acquisition Department) 22 Material Estimation Department (Estimation Department) 23 Material Conversion Creation Department 24 Material Replacement Section (Replacement Section) 25 Memory section 26 Post-processing section

Claims

1. Obtaining building design data, estimating first material information representing surfaces of components constituting the building based on the design data; creating a CG (Computer Graphics) image by replacing the estimated first material information with second material information corresponding to the first material information and having a larger amount of information expressing the surface than the first material information; How to create an image.

2. Furthermore, first identification information for identifying a texture image referred to by the design data is obtained; generating the CG image by replacing the first material information with the second material information based on the first identification information; The image creation method according to claim 1 .

3. the first identification information includes a hash value of the texture image; 3. The image creation method according to claim 2.

4. If there is no texture image referred to by the design data, first identification information is obtained that identifies at least one of the roughness of the surface and the transparency of the member including the surface; replacing the first material information with the second material information based on the first identification information; The image creation method according to claim 1 .

5. The member includes a first member and a second member, If the first identification information is the same between the first member and the second member, the first material information on the surface of the first member and the first material information on the surface of the second member are replaced with the same second material information. The image creating method according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. replacing the first material information with the second material information based on a conversion table indicating a correspondence relationship between the first material information and the second material information; The image creating method according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

7. In the conversion table, identification information based on the design data is associated with identification information for identifying the second material information.

7. The image creation method according to claim 6.

8. If the conversion table includes second identification information corresponding to the acquired first identification information, the first material information is replaced with the second material information.

8. The image creation method according to claim 7.

9. In the conversion table, the first identification information, third identification information for identifying the first material information, and second identification information for identifying the second material information are associated with each other.

7. The image creation method according to claim 6.

10. replacing the first material information with the second material information based on a conversion table indicating a correspondence relationship between the first material information and the second material information; In the conversion table, fourth identification information included in the design data is associated with second identification information that identifies the second material information.

3. The image creation method according to claim 2.

11. Furthermore, coordinate information indicating the coordinates of the mesh included in the design data is acquired, generating the CG image by replacing the first material information with the second material information based on the coordinate information; 3. The image creation method according to claim 2.

12. collectively replacing the first material information with the second material information for each surface of the design data; The image creating method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, 10 and 11.

13. The amount of information increases by increasing the number of parameters that describe the surface. The image creating method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, 10 and 11.

14. The amount of information is large, and includes an increase in the amount of information for defining one parameter that expresses the surface. The image creating method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, 10 and 11.

15. the second material information includes at least one of information indicating whether the surface is metallic, information regarding specular reflection on the surface, and normal information representing unevenness of the surface; The image creating method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, 10 and 11.

16. If the conversion table does not include the second identification information corresponding to the acquired first identification information, identification information corresponding to the first identification information is acquired, and the acquired identification information is associated with the first identification information as the second identification information, and the conversion table is updated.

9. The image creation method according to claim 8.

17. the first identification information includes information indicating a material of the member including the surface; 12. The image creating method according to claim 2, 3, 10, or 11.

18. an acquisition unit that acquires design data of a building; an estimation unit that estimates first material information that represents a surface of a component that constitutes the architectural structure based on the design data; a replacement unit that replaces the estimated first material information with second material information corresponding to the first material information and having a larger amount of information expressing the surface than the first material information, thereby creating a CG (Computer Graphics) image. Image creation device.

19. A program for causing a computer to execute the image creation method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, 10 and 11.

Images