Abstract

An exciting new area in computer graphics is the synthesis of novel images with photographic effect from an initial database of reference images. This is the primary theme of imagebased rendering algorithms. This research extends the light field and lumigraph image-based rendering methods and greatly extends their utility, especially in scenes with much depth variation. First, we have added the ability to vary the apparent focus within a light field using intuitive camera-like controls such as a variable aperture and focus ring. As with lumigraphs, we allow for more general and flexible focal surfaces than a typical focal plane. However, this parameterization works independently of scene geometry; we do not need to recover actual or approximate geometry of the scene for focusing. In addition, we present a method for using multiple focal surfaces in a single image rendering process.

Citations