Hierarchical Instancing for 3D Scene Data Variation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current computer-generated animation techniques struggle to create realistic and varied virtual three-dimensional scenes efficiently, as replicating identical objects in a scene is computationally cheaper but aesthetically undesirable, and existing methods lack a systematic approach to manage and vary multiple elements in a scene.
Innovation Solution
The use of hierarchy trees for instancing scene description data, where a hierarchy is accessed, and instancing instructions are read to merge instances of nodes, allowing for variations and conflicts to be resolved, enabling the rendering of realistic and varied scenes with reduced data storage and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the same pine tree is reproduced repeatedly to form a forest, then computational cost is reduced and scene creation time is reduced, but the forest becomes homogeneous and loses realism
Solution Approach 1:
The scene description data is segmented into hierarchical nodes representing different aspects of objects (geometry, material, texture, etc.). This allows selective variation of specific nodes while reusing others, enabling efficient creation of varied forests by modifying only certain properties of instanced trees rather than recreating entire tree models.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by allowing different variations at different levels of the hierarchy. Specific nodes can be overridden with unique values for individual instances while maintaining shared nodes for common properties. This enables realistic variation in forests by applying local modifications to specific tree properties (color, texture, branch placement) while maintaining computational efficiency through shared structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If variations are applied to multiple pine trees to enhance realism, then the forest becomes more photorealistic, but data storage requirements and maintenance complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hierarchical scene description structure serves multiple functions: it enables data reuse through shared nodes, supports variation through override mechanisms, and facilitates efficient management through the hierarchy. This universal structure allows the same data framework to handle both identical instancing and varied instances, reducing overall data management complexity while maintaining realism capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges identical or similar data into shared hierarchical nodes, combining multiple tree definitions into a single parent node with variations stored as overrides. This merging reduces data storage requirements and simplifies maintenance by consolidating common properties while preserving instance-specific variations through the override mechanism.
3Manufacturing precision
If hundreds of different trees are designed and maintained to form a forest, then the forest achieves realism through diversity, but computational cost and artist time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses copying through instancing, where a single parent tree definition is copied multiple times to create forest instances. Rather than designing hundreds of unique trees, the artist creates one or a few parent trees and generates numerous instances with automated variation applied through the hierarchy override mechanism, dramatically reducing scene creation time while maintaining realism.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves realism through parameter changes rather than structural redesign. By modifying parameters (color, texture, scale, branch placement) of instanced trees through hierarchical overrides, the system creates diverse-looking forests from identical base models, eliminating the need to design hundreds of different tree structures while maintaining visual variety and realism.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
Systems and methods for rendering three-dimensional images by instancing scene description data using a hierarchy are provided. A hierarchy is accessed. The hierarchy comprises a first node and an instance node. The first node is a predecessor to a subtree of one or more nodes and the first node is associated with a first scene description data object. The instance node is a leaf of the hierarchy. The instance node has a parent node and the instance node is associated with a second scene description data object. The parent node has successor nodes other than the instance node. An instancing instruction of the instance node is read. The instancing instruction comprises information identifying the first node. An instance of the subtree of one or more nodes is merged at a location in the hierarchy of the instance node. An image is rendered based on the merged instance of the subtree.