Patent ID: 7239314
Filing Date: 2007-07-03
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A method for approximating the lighting of a 2-dimensional image, the 2-dimensional image having an interior defined by an edge, wherein the image is lit by a light source having a light vector resulting in the image having a lit portion, an unlit portion, and a boundary between the lit portion and the unlit portion, the method comprising: approximating a plurality of edge normal vectors along the edge of the image: approximating a plurality of interior normal vectors across the interior of the image: providing a tone matte having an edge that defines the boundary between the lit portion and the unlit portion of the image; adjusting the plurality of edge normal vectors and the plurality of interior normal vectors near the edge of the tone matte by projecting the plurality of edge normal vectors and the plurality of interior normal vectors onto a plane perpendicular to the light vector, renormalizing the plurality of edge normal vectors and the plurality of interior normal vectors; and rendering the image based on the plurality of edge normal vectors and the plurality of interior normal vectors to prepare a rendered image fixed in a tangible medium.