Single-picture reconstruction and rendering of trees for plausible vegetation synthesis

State-of-the-art approaches for tree reconstruction either put limiting constraints on the input side (requiring multiple photographs, a scanned point cloud or intensive user input) or provide a representation only suitable for front views of the tree. In this paper we present a complete pipeline for synthesizing and rendering detailed trees from a single photograph with minimal user effort. Since the overall shape and appearance of each tree is recovered from a single photograph of the tree crown, artists can benefit from georeferenced images to populate landscapes with native tree species. A key element of our approach is a compact representation of dense tree crowns through a radial distance map. Our first contribution is an automatic algorithm for generating such representations from a single exemplar image of a tree. We create a rough estimate of the crown shape by solving a thin-plate energy minimization problem, and then add detail through a simplified shape-from-shading approach. The use of seamless texture synthesis results in an image-based representation that can be rendered from arbitrary view directions at different levels of detail. Distant trees benefit from an output-sensitive algorithm inspired on relief mapping. For close-up trees we use a billboard cloud where leaflets are distributed inside the crown shape through a space colonization algorithm. In both cases our representation ensures efficient preservation of the crown shape. Major benefits of our approach include: it recovers the overall shape from a single tree image, involves no tree modeling knowledge and minimal authoring effort, and the associated image-based representation is easy to compress and thus suitable for network streaming.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Reconfigurable phased microstrip antenna array with defected ground structure and defected microstrip structure for beam steering application

Beam steering is defined as the ability to electronically steer the beam maximum of an antenna electric field pattern to some predefined point in space. The performance of a phased antenna array for beam steering without moving the antennas is important to military and civil applications. A steerable antenna with tunable phase shifter continues to be a popular choice to provide such systems. However, this additional device makes the structure more complicated, bulky and it represent a great part of the production cost of a phased array antenna. Therefore, it creates new challenges to find an alternative approach. This work proposed two alternative approaches to steer the main beam. The first is based on a defected ground structure (DGS), while the second is a defected microstrip structure (DMS), which due to their slow wave effect and band-stop property, are able to disturb surface current distribution, then change the element phase and hence steer the main beam. This work started with investigating and applying new method for beam steering based on using DGS and DMS, where this reflects the first objective. As a second objective, this work proposed new approach for beam steering, where DGS is integrated between two patches for the bandwidth within X-band. The simulated results revealed the achievement of the target to steer the main beam to 50° along H-plane. For the third objective, a spiral antenna array (SAA) has been proposed, and it was observed that the best choice for selecting feed network for feeding circular antenna array is a common sequential feed network (SFN), which has a circular shape with four ports to feed four elements. In order to increase the number of ports and hence design suitable feed network for feeding SAA, this study proposed new spiral sequential feed network (SSFN). As a dual structure of DGS, and compared with DGS, DMS is of great advantage in design due to its reduced size and the feature of electromagnetic interference noise immunity. Furthermore, DMS has higher effective inductance compared to DGS. Therefore, this work proposed new reconfigurable SAA with DMS fed by SSFN within C-band. The simulated results showed the achievement of the target to steer the main beam to 61° and 84° along E-plane and H-plane, respectively. Furthermore, as the last objective, a new approach was proposed for extracting equivalent circuit model for DGS with dual patches, SSFN and SAA. Two prototypes of dual patches with and without DGS, SSFN and two prototypes of SAA with DMS were fabricated for scattering parameter and far-field radiation pattern measurements. The results showed close agreement with the predicted results, where array with DGS confirmed a beam steering of 36° along H-plane, while SAA with DMS displayed 45° beam steering along E-plane, respectively. Future works will focus on increasing the array gain and reducing the array beam width which will give a clear vision for beam steering of array

The Forking Paths revisited: experimenting on interactive film

Based on the triad film-interactivity-experimentation, the applied research project The Forking Paths, developed at the Centre for Research in Arts and Communication (CIAC), endeavours to find alternative narrative forms in the field of Cinema and, more specifically, in the subfield of Interactive Cinema. The films in the project The Forking Paths invest in the interconnectivity between the film narrative and the viewer, who is given the possibility to be more active and engaged. At same time, the films undertake a research on the development of audio-visual language. The project is available at an online platform, which aims to foster the creation and web hosting of other Interactive Cinema projects in its different variables. This article focusses on the three films completed up to the moment: Haze, The Book of the Dead, and Waltz.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Scheduling Algorithm for Mission Planning and Logistics Evaluation (SAMPLE). Volume 1: User's guide

An interactive computer program for automatically generating traffic models for the Space Transportation System (STS) is presented. Information concerning run stream construction, input data, and output data is provided. The flow of the interactive data stream is described. Error messages are specified, along with suggestions for remedial action. In addition, formats and parameter definitions for the payload data set (payload model), feasible combination file, and traffic model are documented

CalcHEP 3.4 for collider physics within and beyond the Standard Model

We present version 3.4 of the CalcHEP software package which is designed for effective evaluation and simulation of high energy physics collider processes at parton level. The main features of CalcHEP are the computation of Feynman diagrams, integration over multi-particle phase space and event simulation at parton level. The principle attractive key-points along these lines are that it has: a) an easy startup even for those who are not familiar with CalcHEP; b) a friendly and convenient graphical user interface; c) the option for a user to easily modify a model or introduce a new model by either using the graphical interface or by using an external package with the possibility of cross checking the results in different gauges; d) a batch interface which allows to perform very complicated and tedious calculations connecting production and decay modes for processes with many particles in the final state. With this features set, CalcHEP can efficiently perform calculations with a high level of automation from a theory in the form of a Lagrangian down to phenomenology in the form of cross sections, parton level event simulation and various kinematical distributions. In this paper we report on the new features of CalcHEP 3.4 which improves the power of our package to be an effective tool for the study of modern collider phenomenology.Comment: 82 pages, elsarticle LaTeX, 7 Figures. Changes from v1: 1) updated reference list and Acknowledgments; 2) 2->1 processes added to CalcHEP; 3) particles decay (i.e. Higgs boson) into virtual W/Z decays added together with comparison to results from Hdecay package; 4) added interface with Root packag