2D Grid Rendering via Texture Mapping and Fragment Shaders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for rendering 2D grids in 3D views require excessive memory and processing time, making it difficult to render large grids at interactive speeds, especially for sparse grids like 3D seismic horizons, due to the need for extensive quad meshes and normal calculations.
Innovation Solution
The method involves selecting a sub-grid from the 2D grid, calculating its geometry, and using texture mapping and fragment shaders to render and shade each fragment, reducing memory requirements and processing time by applying fragment shaders to each fragment within the rendered geometry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional 3D rendering methods with quad meshes and normal calculations are used, then the 2D grid can be rendered in 3D views, but memory requirements and processing time increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the unnecessary quad mesh data structure and normal vector calculations from the rendering pipeline. Instead of building and storing extensive quad meshes with vertex normals, the invention directly renders 2D grid cells using their inherent geometric properties, eliminating the memory burden of storing mesh topology and normal data while preserving the visual rendering quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses texture mapping to create a visual copy of the 3D surface appearance on 2D grid cells. By mapping a terrain texture onto the 2D grid cell geometry, the system reproduces the visual effect of 3D rendering without requiring actual 3D mesh data, thus achieving realistic visualization with minimal memory consumption.
2Reliability
If conventional 3D rendering methods with extensive quad meshes are used, then the 2D grid can be rendered in 3D views, but processing time increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the time-consuming steps of building quad meshes and calculating vertex normals from the rendering process. By directly using 2D grid cell geometry without intermediate mesh construction, the system eliminates the computational overhead of mesh generation and normal calculation, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining rendering quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical process of mesh building and normal calculation with a simplified geometric transformation approach. Instead of performing extensive mathematical operations to construct 3D-like surfaces, the system uses direct 2D grid cell rendering with texture mapping, substituting complex computational mechanics with efficient graphical operations.
3Reliability
If the second method of building quads with subdivision is used, then points with sufficient neighbors are rendered, but memory requirements increase to 192 m2 bytes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for quad mesh data structures entirely. Instead of subdividing grids and building extensive quad meshes with vertex data, the system directly renders 2D grid cells using their original geometry, removing the memory requirement for storing mesh topology, vertex positions, and normal vectors while maintaining rendering completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by not building 3D-like surfaces from 2D grids, but rather rendering 2D grids with 3D-like visual effects through texture mapping. This inversion eliminates the need for intermediate mesh structures and normal calculations, achieving the desired visual effect with minimal memory consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for rendering 2D grids using texture mapping and fragment shaders.