Virtual Environment Rendering Using Precomputed Static Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process of rendering and determining lighting for virtual environments is complex and computationally expensive, particularly when using light probes, which often require frequent updates and large numbers of computations.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for rendering virtual environments that involves a two-stage process: a geometry stage where the geometry of static elements is determined and stored for reuse, and a lighting stage where lighting is determined based on the stored geometry, allowing for efficient reuse of computations between frames.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If light probes are used to provide realistic lighting effects in virtual environments, then the quality of lighting effects is improved, but the computational cost and hardware requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-computes and stores light probe data during an offline process, so that during the online rendering phase, the system only needs to sample from pre-computed data rather than performing expensive real-time computations. This preliminary action enables realistic lighting effects without the full computational burden during actual rendering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified representation (copy) of the complex lighting computation process by using pre-computed light probe data structures. Instead of copying the entire complex rendering pipeline, the system copies only the essential lighting information into a compact format that can be efficiently sampled during runtime, reducing computational requirements while maintaining visual quality.
2Measurement precision
If light probes are updated frequently to maintain realism in changing virtual environments, then the lighting accuracy is improved, but the rendering time and processing speed decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the computationally intensive light probe generation and updates during an offline or pre-processing phase, before the actual rendering occurs. By preparing all necessary lighting data in advance, the system achieves high lighting accuracy without sacrificing rendering speed during the actual display frame generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the rendering process into distinct phases: an offline light probe generation phase that handles all computational heavy lifting, and an online rendering phase that only performs simple sampling and interpolation. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high accuracy while achieving fast rendering speeds during the critical display period.
3Productivity
If a two-stage process is used with geometry determination followed by lighting determination, then the rendering efficiency is improved through reuse, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the rendering process into two distinct stages: a geometry determination stage that computes and stores geometric data, and a lighting determination stage that uses the stored geometry to calculate lighting. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently and enables efficient reuse of geometry data across multiple frames, improving overall rendering efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The first stage of the two-stage process performs preliminary computation of geometry data that will be needed for subsequent lighting calculations. By completing this preliminary action beforehand and storing the results, the second lighting stage can proceed more quickly without needing to recompute geometry, thereby improving rendering efficiency despite the added process structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided a method for rendering a virtual environment. The method comprises identifying one or more static elements in the virtual environment, determining, for a first frame having a first virtual camera position, a geometry of the static elements in the virtual environment, storing the geometry of the static elements for the first frame, determining, for a second frame having the first virtual camera position, a geometry of at least part of the virtual environment based, at least in part, on the stored geometry of the static elements for the first frame, and determining, for the second frame, lighting for the at least part of the virtual environment at least in part based on the geometry of the at least part of the virtual environment determined for the second frame, to render the at least part of the virtual environment