Image processing apparatus and method therefor

摘要

Based on the refractive property and/or reflectance property of an object, it is determined which one of light, spectra, and channels is to be used as a target for tracing by the ray-tracing method. A pixel value of image data representing the object is determined by tracing at least one entity of the determined target for tracing from a view point in the virtual three-dimensional space to a light source.

主权项

1. An image processing apparatus for generating image data representing at least one object in a virtual three-dimensional space using a ray-tracing method, the apparatus comprising:
a first determiner configured to determine whether or not light to be traced strikes an object; a second determiner configured to determine, in a case where it is determined that the light strikes the object, a distance between the object and a view point in the virtual three-dimensional space so as to determine whether light or a plurality of entities of spectral light are to be used as a target for tracing by the ray-tracing method; and a third determiner configured to determine a pixel value of image data representing the object by tracing the target for tracing, determined by the second determiner, from the view point to a light source in the virtual three-dimensional space, wherein the second determiner determines the plurality of entities of spectral light as the target for tracing between the object and the view point, in a case where the distance is less than a first distance, (a) the target for tracing comprises a ray of one of a plurality of channels based on visual perception properties in a first case where the distance is less than the first distance and not less than a second distance, (b) the target for tracing comprises a ray of a single wavelength in a second case where the distance is less than the second distance, and (c) the second determiner determines the light as the target for tracing between the object and the view point, in a third case where the distance is not less than the first distance, wherein the third determiner calculates an attenuation factor of light in a path of the tracing in the third case, calculates a spectral attenuation factor in a path of the tracing in the second case, calculates a channel attenuation factor in a path of the tracing in the first case, and determines a pixel value of image data representing the object using those attenuation factors, and wherein the first to third determiners are implemented using a processor.