3D Mesh Outline Rendering for AR Sub-Mesh Highlighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing augmented reality (AR) systems struggle to effectively highlight and isolate specific portions of 3D models within virtual environments, limiting user interaction and visualization.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the generation of a first and second mask texture through triangle data extrusion, followed by rendering a 3D outline mesh using a custom multi-pass post-processing pipeline on a GPU, to highlight and isolate 3D models and sub-meshes in AR scenes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a standard rendering pipeline is used for 3D models in AR, then the rendering process is simple and fast, but specific portions of the 3D model cannot be effectively highlighted or isolated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the 3D model rendering into separate sub-meshes, allowing specific portions to be highlighted independently. The system segments the model geometry into multiple sub-meshes that can be selectively rendered with different properties, enabling precise highlighting of specific portions while maintaining efficient processing through GPU parallelization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a compute shader as an intermediary processing stage between the standard rendering pipeline and the final output. This compute shader performs the segmentation and selection logic, acting as a mediator that enables sophisticated highlighting capabilities without requiring complete redesign of the rendering pipeline, thus maintaining relative simplicity while achieving advanced functionality.
2Ease of operation
If a custom multi-pass post-processing pipeline is implemented to highlight specific portions, then highlighting capability is improved, but the rendering complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional CPU-based post-processing operations with GPU-based compute shaders. This substitution leverages the parallel processing power of the GPU to handle the complex multi-pass rendering operations, reducing CPU overhead and distributing the computational complexity across the GPU's many cores, thereby managing complexity more efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the highlighting logic from traditional 2D screen-space post-processing into 3D model space through the use of compute shaders that operate on the actual 3D geometry. This dimensional shift allows the system to perform sophisticated highlighting operations directly in 3D space, simplifying the overall pipeline by eliminating the need for complex 2D-to-3D coordinate transformations.
3Productivity
If the entire 3D model is rendered without segmentation, then the rendering process is efficient, but user interaction with specific portions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the 3D model into multiple sub-meshes that can be independently interacted with, while maintaining rendering efficiency through GPU-based processing. Each sub-mesh can be selectively highlighted and interacted with based on user input, enabling precise user interaction with specific portions without requiring separate rendering passes for each segment, thus preserving efficiency while enhancing interactivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic highlighting where sub-meshes are selectively activated or deactivated based on user interaction. The system dynamically adjusts which portions of the model are highlighted and rendered with enhanced visibility, allowing the rendering behavior to adapt in real-time to user needs while maintaining overall rendering efficiency through selective processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A system including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions, that when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: obtaining triangle data of a 3D model of an item; generating a first mask texture of the 3D model based on the triangle data; generating a second mask texture of the 3D model larger than the first mask texture by extruding the triangle data; and rendering a 3D outline mesh onto an image of the 3D model to highlight the 3D model, such that the 3D outline mesh subtracts the first mask texture for the second mask texture. Other embodiments are disclosed.