Pixar

Christopher R Schoeneman

Timothy S Milliron

Scott Clark

Robert G Podesta

A method and system for rendering a three-dimensional (3D) scene by excluding non-contributing objects are disclosed. A preliminary object analysis using relatively few rays can be performed to determine which off-camera objects are to be excluded or included in the rendering process. The preliminary object analysis may involve performing an initial ray path tracing to identify intersections between a plurality of rays and one or more objects in the 3D scene. The object analysis can include identifying whether a first object in the 3D scene can be identified as an off-camera object. When the first object is identified as an off-camera object, a number of intersections between the plurality of rays and the first object can be counted. If the number of intersections is less than a corresponding threshold, the first object can be identified as being excluded from a future rendering process to render the first frame.

Efficient rendering based on ray intersections with virtual objects

A computer-implemented method for displaying animation splines includes receiving a source spline formed of paths between a sequence of knots to define a path between a first and a second end knot, where the knots are mapped to first second axes, identifying one or more pose knots and one or more timing knots between the first and the second end knot, thereafter producing a modified spline wherein second axes through at least one of the one or more pose knots are reversed, and displaying the modified spline evaluation and to allow adjustment of the source spline.

Sawtooth spline display

A method and system for displaying, an animation spline produced from a sequence of knots is disclosed. In one embodiment, a user may flip the vertical axis of selected 'pose' knots to visually enhance anomalies in the animation spline trajectory on a display screen. Visually exaggerating the trajectory of the animation spline provides a display that facilitates a user in detecting and correcting such anomalies in the animation spline.

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Berkeley, CA, United States of America

Christopher R Schoeneman