Luminaire Rendering via Angle-Dependent Light Maps
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies face challenges in rendering realistic light effects for custom luminaire designs, particularly when using 3D printing, as real-time rendering of complex light interactions like refractions and specular reflections requires significant computational power, often resulting in less realistic visual representations due to hardware limitations.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize rotational symmetry and angle-dependent light maps to reduce the computational load, allowing for real-time rendering of luminaire visual representations with activated light sources by pre-rendering light values for multiple angles and interpolating between them, enabling faster loading and more realistic visualizations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If real-time rendering techniques are used to render realistic light effects, then the visual representation becomes more realistic, but the computational power required exceeds the capabilities of most devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores light values for multiple observation angles in advance, creating angle-dependent light maps before runtime. This preliminary computation allows the system to avoid performing complex real-time rendering calculations during user interaction, thereby reducing the computational power needed while maintaining realistic visual effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified copies of light effect data by storing pre-rendered light values for different angles in angle-dependent light maps. Instead of performing full real-time rendering, the system uses these copied light value data structures to quickly determine apparent luminance, significantly reducing computational requirements while preserving visual realism.
2Productivity
If static light maps are used to reduce computational load, then rendering becomes faster, but the visual representation becomes less realistic when camera location changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends traditional light maps by adding an angular dimension, creating angle-dependent light maps that store light values for multiple observation angles. This dimensional extension allows the system to quickly retrieve appropriate light values based on camera angle without performing complex real-time calculations, thereby maintaining both speed and realism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters stored in light maps from static single-angle values to multi-angle light values. By organizing light data according to observation angles and using interpolation between angles, the system adapts to different camera positions while maintaining rendering efficiency and visual accuracy.
3Illumination intensity
If light values are pre-calculated for all possible angles to maintain realism, then the visual representation remains accurate, but the dataset size becomes too large for practical use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent calculates light values for a discrete set of representative angles rather than all possible continuous angles. By selecting key angular positions and using interpolation to determine intermediate values, the system achieves sufficient accuracy with a manageable dataset, avoiding the need to store exhaustive angular information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the continuous parameter of observation angle into a discrete set of representative angles for data storage. By organizing light values around key angular positions and using interpolation methods, the system reduces dataset size while maintaining the ability to accurately represent light effects across the full range of viewing angles.
4Illumination intensity
If complex light interactions like refractions and specular reflections are rendered in real-time, then the visual representation becomes more realistic, but the rendering speed decreases due to hardware limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs complex light interaction calculations including refractions and specular reflections in advance during an offline preprocessing stage. The results are stored in angle-dependent light maps, allowing the runtime system to simply retrieve and interpolate pre-calculated values, thereby achieving both realism and speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified data representations by copying and storing the results of complex light interaction calculations in angle-dependent light maps. This copying approach allows the system to reuse pre-computed light values for refractions and reflections without repeating the computationally intensive calculations during real-time rendering.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of displaying a visual representation of a luminaire comprises obtaining a three-dimensional model of the luminaire and one or more texture maps associated with the three-dimensional model, determining a camera location and orientation based on user input, and determining observation angles on each of a plurality of surface positions of the three-dimensional model based on the camera location and orientation. The visual representation includes a representation of a light effect generated by one or more activated light sources in or on the luminaire, the one or more light sources and the luminaire are rotatably symmetric with respect to a central axis of the luminaire, and the surface of the luminaire comprises a plurality of repeating sections. The method further comprises determining, for each of the plurality of surface positions, an applicable light value for a respective surface position based on the observation angle determined for the surface position and a light value predetermined either for the surface position or for a corresponding surface position of a different section of the luminaire, and rendering the visual representation of the luminaire based on the three-dimensional model, the one or more texture maps, the applicable light values, and the camera location and orientation. At least some of the applicable light values are determined based on light values predetermined for corresponding surface positions of a different section of the luminaire.