Portal Rendering With Count Maps for Crossing Content
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rendering scenes with portals is inefficient due to the need for multiple rendering passes, especially when multiple portals are involved, leading to increased computational resources and time.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of portal count and portal cross maps to identify pixel locations for rendering, allowing for a single pass to combine first and second content while accounting for portal overlap, followed by a depth test for transparent content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple rendering passes are used to render content crossing portals, then rendering accuracy is improved, but rendering time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing portal-related data (portal count maps, portal cross maps, depth maps) before the actual rendering process. These pre-computed data structures enable the rendering system to quickly determine which pixels require portal rendering and from which environments, eliminating the need for multiple trial rendering passes and reducing rendering time while maintaining accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the rendering process by separating portal-related calculations from the main rendering pipeline. By using portal count maps to identify portal pixels and portal cross maps to determine environment selection, the complex multi-pass rendering problem is divided into independent, parallelizable steps that can be executed more efficiently
2Reliability
If multiple rendering passes are used to handle portal overlap, then correctness of portal rendering is improved, but computational resources and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediary data structures (portal count maps, portal cross maps, and depth maps) that act as mediators between the scene geometry and the final rendered image. These intermediate representations encode portal relationships in a simplified form, allowing the rendering system to correctly handle portal overlap and environment selection without requiring complex multi-pass rendering logic
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters used for rendering decisions from complex geometric calculations to pre-computed map data. By storing portal information as 2D maps with specific pixel values indicating portal counts and environment identifiers, the system simplifies the rendering decision process and reduces computational complexity while maintaining rendering correctness
Data Source
AI summary
In one implementation, a method of rendering a scene including a portal is performed by a device including one or more processors and non-transitory memory. The method includes obtaining a rendering of first content having a plurality of first pixels at respective pixel locations having respective first pixel color values. The method includes obtaining a portal count map having a plurality of portal count pixels at the respective pixel locations having respective pixel portal count values indicating whether the corresponding pixel location corresponds to a portal. The method includes obtaining a rendering of second content having a plurality of second pixels at the respective pixel locations having respective second pixel color values. The method includes obtaining a portal cross map having a plurality of portal cross pixels at the respective pixel locations having respective pixel portal cross values indicating whether the corresponding pixel location corresponds to second content outside the portal. The method includes identifying an overwrite set of the respective pixel locations including pixel locations indicated by the portal count map as corresponding to the portal and including pixel locations indicated by the portal cross map as corresponding to the second content outside the portal. The method includes replacing the first pixel color values of pixels in the rendering of the first content at the overwrite set of the respective pixel locations with the corresponding second pixel color values.