Three-Pass Image Rendering with Depthmap Blending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image rendering technologies face challenges in smoothly animating changes in viewing orientation in mapping applications, particularly due to the visibility of hidden surfaces and problem areas when transitioning between different camera poses, which affect the quality of the animation.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that renders intermediate images in three passes by blending initial and final images with associated depthmaps, using varying opacities to minimize the visual impact of problem areas, such as hidden surfaces, by fading out or increasing the opacity of polygons based on their aspect ratios and camera poses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single-pass rendering method is used to generate intermediate images, then the rendering process is simple and fast, but the animation quality deteriorates due to visible hidden surfaces and problem areas during camera pose transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The rendering process is divided into three separate passes: (1) rendering the initial image with polygons visible, (2) rendering the final image with polygons invisible, and (3) blending the two images with intermediate opacity values. This segmentation allows each pass to optimize for specific quality aspects while maintaining overall rendering efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The initial image is rendered in advance with all polygons visible, and the final image is rendered with polygons invisible. These pre-rendered images are then blended with intermediate opacity values to produce smooth transitions, avoiding the need to re-render intermediate states.
2Reliability
If opacity adjustments are applied to minimize hidden surfaces, then animation quality improves, but the rendering complexity increases due to multiple rendering passes
Solution Approach 1:
Different opacity values are applied to different polygons based on their aspect ratios and visibility characteristics. Polygons with high aspect ratios that are likely to be visible during transitions are rendered with higher opacity, while other polygons use lower opacity values. This localized quality adjustment optimizes animation quality without uniformly increasing complexity across all rendering operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The opacity parameter of polygons is dynamically adjusted based on their aspect ratios and camera pose transitions. By changing this single parameter across different rendering passes, the system achieves improved animation quality without fundamentally altering the rendering pipeline architecture.
3Reliability
If multiple rendering passes are used with opacity adjustments, then the visual impact of problem areas is reduced, but the rendering time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The initial and final images are rendered in advance with their respective opacity settings. This preliminary rendering allows the system to avoid re-rendering intermediate states, as the blending of pre-rendered images with intermediate opacity values produces the same effect as multiple incremental renders, but more efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of rendering every intermediate frame with full polygon visibility, the system uses partial rendering by blending two extremal images (initial and final) with intermediate opacity values. This partial action approach achieves smooth transitions without the excessive time cost of rendering each intermediate state separately.
Data Source
AI summary
System and method for producing an intermediate image in three passes is provided. An initial image and a final image are identified, each image comprising an associated depthmap and corresponding to a respective camera pose from a respective angular heading. An intermediate image corresponding to an intermediate camera pose with an intermediate angular heading is rendered. A first intermediate image is rendered at a first opacity based on the final image and the associated final depthmap, a second intermediate image is rendered at a second opacity based on the initial image and the associated initial depthmap, and a third intermediate image is rendered at a third opacity based on the final image and the associated final depthmap. The rendered first, second, and third intermediate images, each of which correspond to the intermediate camera pose with the intermediate angular heading, are overlaid to produce a combined image for display.