Material-Switched Voxel Meshes for Thin Surface Representation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional techniques struggle to express a thin outer shell portion of an object in a virtual space using voxel data, as they fail to differentiate between the surface and interior voxels effectively.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus generates a mesh based on voxel data, using first and second material data to set colors and patterns before and after a change event, allowing the expression of a thin surface by updating voxel data for removal or impact events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional voxel data techniques are used to generate meshes, then the object structure can be represented, but a thin outer shell portion thinner than one voxel length cannot be expressed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different material data (first material data for interior, second material data for surface) to different regions of the same voxel. This allows the voxel to simultaneously represent both the interior and thin surface shell with different visual properties, enabling expression of surface thickness thinner than one voxel length without increasing geometric complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses color and pattern changes through different material data to distinguish between interior and surface voxels. By assigning second material data with distinct color/pattern properties to surface voxels, the thin outer shell becomes visually distinguishable from the interior, solving the representation problem without requiring geometric subdivision
2Shape
If different appearances are assigned to surface and interior voxels, then visual differentiation is achieved, but a thin outer shell thinner than one voxel cannot be expressed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters (color, pattern) assigned to voxels based on their spatial position and event state. By dynamically switching between first and second material data for surface voxels during events, the system achieves precise control over surface appearance and thickness perception without being constrained by the one-voxel minimum thickness limitation
3Productivity
If voxel data is updated for removal events, then object portions can be removed, but the thin surface effect cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-associating second material data with surface voxels before events occur. When a removal or impact event happens, the system can immediately switch the material data from first to second type for affected surface voxels, maintaining the thin surface effect throughout the event process without requiring complex real-time calculations
Data Source
AI summary
An example of an information processing apparatus generates a mesh of an object in a virtual space based on voxel data. The information processing apparatus obtains first material data and second material data as material data that defines a color and/or pattern of the object for each voxel. Before a change event that changes an appearance of the object occurs, a color and/or pattern of a mesh of the object is set based on the first material data. After the change event occurs, the information processing apparatus sets, based on the second material data, a color and/or pattern of a mesh that is generated based on voxel data related to the change target voxels and that corresponds to a portion of a surface of the object.