Comparative Study of Web3D Standard Format to Determine the Base Format for A Web3D Framework

With the current Web3D document format, users are  forced  to  choose certain  document formats to  use,  either during development with a particular tool  or when it will be displayed in a browser. Only one format that can be processed by any browser at one given time. This raises the main problem of not allowing users to display a variety of objects with different formats in their browser. For this problem, a Web3D framework can be the solution, as it will provide format conversion for the browser. The conversion itself requires an appropriate base format as the conversion goal. Since there are many formats that have been implemented by users, a comparison has to be done for the purpose of choosing the suitable format. In this study, comparisons have been made to obtain some information. The information required is the complexity of each document in describing a 3D object in the browser, as well as the performance of the particular format. Web3D formats compared in this research are the standard ones: VRML and X3D. Various specific description of object formation have also been selected as sample representation for each format. Based on comparisons in the representation information of each standard format, X3D is the more suitable format for this need. As a standard format representation, the results obtained can be used for further comparisons with non-standard or proprietary formats. This information is needed to determine the final   base  format  for   the  framework  to   be   developed   in subsequent research.

Virtual Reality Games for Motor Rehabilitation

This paper presents a fuzzy logic based method to track user satisfaction without the need for devices to monitor users physiological conditions. User satisfaction is the key to any product’s acceptance; computer applications and video games provide a unique opportunity to provide a tailored environment for each user to better suit their needs. We have implemented a non-adaptive fuzzy logic model of emotion, based on the emotional component of the Fuzzy Logic Adaptive Model of Emotion (FLAME) proposed by El-Nasr, to estimate player emotion in UnrealTournament 2004. In this paper we describe the implementation of this system and present the results of one of several play tests. Our research contradicts the current literature that suggests physiological measurements are needed. We show that it is possible to use a software only method to estimate user emotion

Share - Publish - Store - Preserve. Methodologies, Tools and Challenges for 3D Use in Social Sciences and Humanities

Through this White Paper, which gathers contributions from experts of 3D data as well as professionals concerned with the interoperability and sustainability of 3D research data, the PARTHENOS project aims at highlighting some of the current issues they have to face, with possible specific points according to the discipline, and potential practices and methodologies to deal with these issues. During the workshop, several tools to deal with these issues have been introduced and confronted with the participants experiences, this White Paper now intends to go further by also integrating participants feedbacks and suggestions of potential improvements. Therefore, even if the focus is put on specific tools, the main goal is to contribute to the development of standardized good practices related to the sharing, publication, storage and long-term preservation of 3D data

Towards Predictive Rendering in Virtual Reality

The strive for generating predictive images, i.e., images representing radiometrically correct renditions of reality, has been a longstanding problem in computer graphics. The exactness of such images is extremely important for Virtual Reality applications like Virtual Prototyping, where users need to make decisions impacting large investments based on the simulated images. Unfortunately, generation of predictive imagery is still an unsolved problem due to manifold reasons, especially if real-time restrictions apply. First, existing scenes used for rendering are not modeled accurately enough to create predictive images. Second, even with huge computational efforts existing rendering algorithms are not able to produce radiometrically correct images. Third, current display devices need to convert rendered images into some low-dimensional color space, which prohibits display of radiometrically correct images. Overcoming these limitations is the focus of current state-of-the-art research. This thesis also contributes to this task. First, it briefly introduces the necessary background and identifies the steps required for real-time predictive image generation. Then, existing techniques targeting these steps are presented and their limitations are pointed out. To solve some of the remaining problems, novel techniques are proposed. They cover various steps in the predictive image generation process, ranging from accurate scene modeling over efficient data representation to high-quality, real-time rendering. A special focus of this thesis lays on real-time generation of predictive images using bidirectional texture functions (BTFs), i.e., very accurate representations for spatially varying surface materials. The techniques proposed by this thesis enable efficient handling of BTFs by compressing the huge amount of data contained in this material representation, applying them to geometric surfaces using texture and BTF synthesis techniques, and rendering BTF covered objects in real-time. Further approaches proposed in this thesis target inclusion of real-time global illumination effects or more efficient rendering using novel level-of-detail representations for geometric objects. Finally, this thesis assesses the rendering quality achievable with BTF materials, indicating a significant increase in realism but also confirming the remainder of problems to be solved to achieve truly predictive image generation

Interim research assessment 2003-2005 - Computer Science

This report primarily serves as a source of information for the 2007 Interim Research Assessment Committee for Computer Science at the three technical universities in the Netherlands. The report also provides information for others interested in our research activities

Synchronized Illumination Modulation for Digital Video Compositing

Informationsaustausch ist eines der Grundbedürfnisse der Menschen. Während früher dazu Wandmalereien,Handschrift, Buchdruck und Malerei eingesetzt wurden, begann man später, Bildfolgen zu erstellen, die als sogenanntes ”Daumenkino” den Eindruck einer Animation vermitteln. Diese wurden schnell durch den Einsatz rotierender Bildscheiben, auf denen mit Hilfe von Schlitzblenden, Spiegeln oder Optiken eine Animation sichtbar wurde, automatisiert – mit sogenannten Phenakistiskopen,Zoetropen oder Praxinoskopen. Mit der Erfindung der Fotografie begannen in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts die ersten Wissenschaftler wie Eadweard Muybridge, Etienne-Jules Marey und Ottomar Anschütz, Serienbildaufnahmen zu erstellen und diese dann in schneller Abfolge, als Film, abzuspielen. Mit dem Beginn der Filmproduktion wurden auch die ersten Versuche unternommen, mit Hilfe dieser neuen Technik spezielle visuelle Effekte zu generieren, um damit die Immersion der Bewegtbildproduktionen weiter zu erhöhen. Während diese Effekte in der analogen Phase der Filmproduktion bis in die achtziger Jahre des 20.Jahrhunderts recht beschränkt und sehr aufwendig mit einem enormen manuellen Arbeitsaufwand erzeugt werden mussten, gewannen sie mit der sich rapide beschleunigenden Entwicklung der Halbleitertechnologie und der daraus resultierenden vereinfachten digitalen Bearbeitung immer mehr an Bedeutung. Die enormen Möglichkeiten, die mit der verlustlosen Nachbearbeitung in Kombination mit fotorealistischen, dreidimensionalen Renderings entstanden, führten dazu, dass nahezu alle heute produzierten Filme eine Vielfalt an digitalen Videokompositionseffekten beinhalten. ...Besides home entertainment and business presentations, video projectors are powerful tools for modulating images spatially as well as temporally. The re-evolving need for stereoscopic displays increases the demand for low-latency projectors and recent advances in LED technology also offer high modulation frequencies. Combining such high-frequency illumination modules with synchronized, fast cameras, makes it possible to develop specialized high-speed illumination systems for visual effects production. In this thesis we present different systems for using spatially as well as temporally modulated illumination in combination with a synchronized camera to simplify the requirements of standard digital video composition techniques for film and television productions and to offer new possibilities for visual effects generation. After an overview of the basic terminology and a summary of related methods, we discuss and give examples of how modulated light can be applied to a scene recording context to enable a variety of effects which cannot be realized using standard methods, such as virtual studio technology or chroma keying. We propose using high-frequency, synchronized illumination which, in addition to providing illumination, is modulated in terms of intensity and wavelength to encode technical information for visual effects generation. This is carried out in such a way that the technical components do not influence the final composite and are also not visible to observers on the film set. Using this approach we present a real-time flash keying system for the generation of perspectively correct augmented composites by projecting imperceptible markers for optical camera tracking. Furthermore, we present a system which enables the generation of various digital video compositing effects outside of completely controlled studio environments, such as virtual studios. A third temporal keying system is presented that aims to overcome the constraints of traditional chroma keying in terms of color spill and color dependency. ..