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Showing papers in "IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications in 2007"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work investigates studio capture technology with the objective of creating models of real people that accurately reflect the time-varying shape and appearance of the whole body with clothing and solves two key problems in performance capture: scene capture from a limited number of camera views and efficient scene representation for visualization.
Abstract: Creating realistic animated models of people is a central task in digital content production. Traditionally, highly skilled artists and animators construct shape and appearance models for digital character. They then define the character's motion at each time frame or specific key-frames in a motion sequence to create a digital performance. Increasingly, producers are using motion capture technology to record animations from an actor's performance. This technology reduces animation production time and captures natural movements to create a more believable production. However, motion capture requires the use of specialist suits and markers and only records skeletal motion. It lacks the detailed secondary surface dynamics of cloth and hair that provide the visual realism of a live performance. Over the last decade, we have investigated studio capture technology with the objective of creating models of real people that accurately reflect the time-varying shape and appearance of the whole body with clothing. Surface capture is a fully automated system for capturing a human's shape and appearance as well as motion from multiple video cameras to create highly realistic animated content from an actor's performance in full wardrobe. Our system solves two key problems in performance capture: scene capture from a limited number of camera views and efficient scene representation for visualization

507 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The goal is to make the rainbow color map as rare in visualization as the goto statement is in programming - which complicates the task of analyzing and verifying program correctness.
Abstract: In this article, we reiterate the characteristics that make the rainbow color map a poor choice, provide examples that clearly illustrate these deficiencies even on simple data sets, and recommend better color maps for several categories of display. The goal is to make the rainbow color map as rare in visualization as the goto statement is in programming - which complicates the task of analyzing and verifying program correctness

398 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Simulation-based training using VR techniques is a promising alternative to traditional training in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) that lets the trainee touch, feel, and manipulate virtual tissues and organs through the same surgical tool handles used in actual MIS while viewing images of tool-tissue interactions on a monitor.
Abstract: Simulation-based training using VR techniques is a promising alternative to traditional training in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Simulators let the trainee touch, feel, and manipulate virtual tissues and organs through the same surgical tool handles used in actual MIS while viewing images of tool-tissue interactions on a monitor as in real laparoscopic procedures

172 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This interactive system for garment creation determines a garment's shape and how the character wears it based on a user-drawn sketch and uses distances between the 2D garment silhouette and the character model to infer remaining distance variations in 3D.
Abstract: This interactive system for garment creation determines a garment's shape and how the character wears it based on a user-drawn sketch. The system then uses distances between the 2D garment silhouette and the character model to infer remaining distance variations in 3D

142 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Methods for automatically extracting descriptors from 3D objects are key to searching and indexing techniques in their growing repositories and two recently proposed approaches are presented.
Abstract: Methods for automatically extracting descriptors from 3D objects are key to searching and indexing techniques in their growing repositories. The authors present two recently proposed approaches and discuss methods for benchmarking the 3D retrieval systems' qualitative performance.

120 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A manual design paradigm for optical splitting trees and a computer-assisted design tool to create efficient splitting-tree cameras are introduced and Automatically designed trees appear comparable to those designed by hand; some cases where they are superior.
Abstract: In this article, we consider the design of monocular multiview optical systems that form optical splitting trees, where the optical path topology takes the shape of a tree because of recursive beam splitting. Designing optical splitting trees is challenging when it requires many views with specific spectral properties. We introduce a manual design paradigm for optical splitting trees and a computer-assisted design tool to create efficient splitting-tree cameras. The tool accepts as input a specification for each view and a set of weights describing the user's relative affinity for efficiency, measurement accuracy, and economy. An optimizer then searches for a design that maximizes these weighted priorities. Our tool's output is a splitting-tree design that implements the input specification and an analysis of the efficiency of each root-to-leaf path. Automatically designed trees appear comparable to those designed by hand; we even show some cases where they are superior. With the help of the optimizer, the system demonstrates high dynamic range, focusing, matting, and hybrid imaging implemented on a single, reconfigurable camera containing eight sensors

99 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A pen-based modeling system for the styling design of 3D objects that is tailored toward the rapid and intuitive design of styling features such as free-form curves and surfaces is described.
Abstract: While recent decades have seen significant progress in CAD software, current state of the art still appears insufficient when it comes to the styling design of products. This is evidenced by the fact that a-significant portion of early design activities such as concept development and style generation occurs almost exclusively in 2D environments - be it the traditional pen-and-paper environment or its digital equivalents. The authors describe a pen-based modeling system for the styling design of 3D objects. Their system is tailored toward the rapid and intuitive design of styling features such as free-form curves and surfaces. Basic wireframe and surfaces are constructed and modified using the strategy of curve creation, curve modification, surface creation, and finally surface modification

94 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A nonphotorealistic algorithm for retargeting images adapts large images so that important objects in the image are still recognizable when displayed at a lower target resolution.
Abstract: A nonphotorealistic algorithm for retargeting images adapts large images so that important objects in the image are still recognizable when displayed at a lower target resolution. Unlike existing image manipulation techniques such as cropping and scaling, the retargeting algorithm can handle multiple important objects in an image. To identify the important objects in an image, we must first segment the image. We use mean-shift image segmentation to decompose an image into homogeneous regions.

85 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: These machine-adjustable photographs can offer interactivity that might improve images' expressiveness and help us investigate the influence of boundary sharpness on the perception of object-to-object contact, as well as understand how humans assess shadows to estimate object height above a ground plane.
Abstract: In this article, we develop tools for shadow modification in images where a shadowed region is characterized by soft boundaries with varying sharpness along the shadow edges. Modeling shadow edges presents an interesting challenge because they can vary from infinitely sharp edges for shadows produced by a point light source to extremely soft edges for shadows produced by large area light sources. We propose an entirely image-based shadow editing tool for a single-input image. This technique for modeling, editing, and rendering shadow edges in a photograph or a synthetic image lets users separate the shadow from the rest of the image and make arbitrary adjustments to its position, sharpness, and intensity. These machine-adjustable photographs can offer interactivity that might improve images' expressiveness and help us investigate the influence of boundary sharpness on the perception of object-to-object contact, as well as understand how humans assess shadows to estimate object height above a ground plane

83 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Child tracking is just one of a host of mobile-phone applications that use GPS technology that let farmers survey and navigate their land, hikers create routes and download maps, and skiers check snow conditions and reserve seats on backcountry helicopters.
Abstract: Child tracking is just one of a host of mobile-phone applications that use GPS technology. Other applications include those for tracking the whereabouts of friends, pets, and employees, and those that let farmers survey and navigate their land, hikers create routes and download maps, and skiers check snow conditions and reserve seats on backcountry helicopters. Although consumers have yet to embrace such products en masse, application vendors who follow market predictions are no doubt hopeful. In its September 2006 US Wireless Business Location-Based Services 2006-2010 Forecast report, IDC predicted that more than half of US mobile-phone users will begin using location-based services within four years. The report also notes, however, that fewer than 2 percent of US mobile-phone users currently take advantage of such applications

78 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: To improve the visualization of large 3D landscapes and city models in a network environment, the authors use two different types of hierarchical level-of-detail models for terrain and groups of buildings and leverage the models to implement progressive streaming in both client-server and peer-to-peer network architectures.
Abstract: To improve the visualization of large 3D landscapes and city models in a network environment, the authors use two different types of hierarchical level-of-detail models for terrain and groups of buildings. They also leverage the models to implement progressive streaming in both client-server and peer-to-peer network architectures. Visualizing large photorealistic 3D landscapes and city models has received significant attention over the last 10 years in the computer graphics community. More recently, the availability of broadband Internet access and Web-based visualization techniques is paving the way for large-scale 3D landscapes and city models for a variety of professional and mass-market services. To make such services appealing to a large audience, these 3D models must reach a sufficient level of realism and accuracy. Many solutions are now available to automatically generate 3D models of huge urban environments. Geographic information system (GIS) databases (such as terrain elevation grids, orthophotographs, and a building's footprint and height) provide a good basis for generating such models at affordable cost with minimum human intervention. In the future, the accuracy and realism of 3D city models will be improved thanks to recent progress in data capturing techniques.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a brief overview of their activities and current results in regard to each of these issues and present new user interaction paradigms for taking full advantage of the virtual data, while overlaid onto the real scene.
Abstract: During the past three years, we've tried to develop integrated AR solutions in the context of minimally invasive surgery. We have therefore focused on four main issues: recovery and monitoring of surgical workflow, integrating preoperative and intraoperative anatomic and functional data, improving visual perception in a mixed environment, and developing new user interaction paradigms for taking full advantage of the virtual data, while overlaid onto the real scene. Each of these issues is the subject of many existing and future publications. Here, we provide a brief overview of our activities and current results in regard to each of these issues.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The definition of the type species of the genus Globoreticulina iranica is emended and its age discussed in relation to those of 17 associated taxa of larger foraminifera, all from restricted shallow environments, and the following new Linnaean names are introduced.
Abstract: The definition of the type species of the genus Globoreticulina Rahaghi, 1978, G. iranica Rahaghi, 1978, is emended and its age discussed in relation to those of 17 associated taxa of larger foraminifera, all from restricted shallow environments. These taxa represent porcelaneous groups of spiroline habit including Rhabdorites malatyaensis, archaiasines (Archaias operculiniformis and A. diyarbakirensis), agglutinated conicals (Coskinolina and Dictyoconus) and some rotaliids (Medocia and others). These taxa were revised where necessary and their biostratigraphic ranges discussed. In addition to the establishment of a new subfamily of the Alveolinidae, the Malatyninae, the following new Linnaean names are introduced in order to conform with the revisions: Austrotrillina eocaenica n. sp., Neotaberina neaniconica n. gen. n. sp., Neorhipidionina spiralis n. gen. n. sp., Penarchaias n. gen. and Rotaliconus persicus n. gen. n. sp. The species Praerhapydionina huberi Henson is transferred to the genus Haymanella Sirel and the genus Praearchaias Sirel is suppressed. The age of the type level of Globoreticulina iranica is interpreted to be SBZ 18 (Late Bartonian) according to the available local data but the possibility that its stratigraphic position is actually level SBZ 17 or SBZ 16 can not be excluded with certainty.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article presents a sketch-recognition framework, which uses data to automatically learn the object orderings that commonly occur when people sketch and then uses the orderings for sketch recognition, and presents an efficient graphical model implementation of this approach.
Abstract: Sketching is a natural input modality that has received increased interest in the computer graphics and human-computer interaction communities. The emergence of hardware such as tablet PCs and handheld PDAs provides easy means for capturing pen input. These devices combine a display, pen tracker, and computing device, making it possible to capture and process sketches online, as they are drawn. In this article, we present our sketch-recognition framework, which uses data to automatically learn the object orderings that commonly occur when people sketch and then use the orderings for sketch recognition. The key features that make this framework novel include learning object-level patterns from data, handling objects comprising multiple strokes (multistroke objects) and objects that share strokes (multiobject strokes), and supporting continuous observable features. We also present an efficient graphical model implementation of our approach and report that a specialized inference algorithm known as the Lauritzen-Jensen stable conditional Gaussian belief propagation should be used to avoid numerical instabilities in recognition

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: VIAssist is a visualization framework based on a comprehensive cognitive task analysis of CND analysts, and so fits their work practices and operational environment.
Abstract: Computer network defense (CND) requires analysts to detect both known and novel forms of attacks in massive volumes of network data. It's through discovering the unexpected that CND analysts detect new versions of mal ware (such as viruses and Trojan horses) that have passed through their antivirus products, new methods of intrusion that have breached their firewalls and intrusion detection systems (IDSs), and new groups of cyber-criminals pressing the attack. This paper presents visual assistant for information assurance analysis. VIAssist is a visualization framework based on a comprehensive cognitive task analysis of CND analysts, and so fits their work practices and operational environment.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe intelligent visualization designs for three different applications: (1) volume classification and visualization, (2) 4D flow feature extraction and tracking, (3) network scan characterization.
Abstract: Visualization has become an indispensable tool in many areas of science and engineering. In particular, the advances made in the field of visualization over the past 20 years have turned visualization from a presentation tool to a discovery tool. Machine learning has received great success in both data mining and computer graphics; surprisingly, the study of systematic ways to employ machine learning in making visualization is meager. Like human learning, we can make a computer program learn from previous input data to optimize its performance on processing new data. In the context of visualization, the use of machine learning can potentially free us from manually sifting through all the data. This paper describes intelligent visualization designs for three different applications: (1) volume classification and visualization, (2) 4D flow feature extraction and tracking, (3) network scan characterization.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A data model and a family of techniques to address mobile augmented reality's needs for georeferenced data and to address the needs of the client application.
Abstract: Mobile augmented reality requires georeferenced data to present world-registered overlays. To cover a wide area and all artifacts and activities, a database containing this information must be created, stored, maintained, delivered, and finally used by the client application. We present a data model and a family of techniques to address these needs.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An overview of output-sensitive rendering algorithms proposed to overcome the challenge of exponentially increasing size of 3D models prohibits rendering them using brute force methods.
Abstract: The currently observed exponentially increasing size of 3D models prohibits rendering them using brute force methods. Researchers have proposed various output-sensitive rendering algorithms to overcome this challenge. This article provides an overview of this technology.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Guest Editors discuss the key issues and challenges associated with discovering the unexpected, as well as introduce the articles that make up this Special Issue.
Abstract: The marriage of computation, visual representation, and interactive thinking supports intensive analysis. The goal is not only to permit users to detect expected events, such as might be predicted by models, but also to help users discover the unexpected—the surprising anomalies, changes, patterns, and relationships that are then examined and assessed to develop new insight. The Guest Editors discuss the key issues and challenges associated with discovering the unexpected, as well as introduce the articles that make up this Special Issue.

Journal ArticleDOI
M.T. Jones1
TL;DR: The motivations, approaches, and accomplishments in applying genus loci - the sense of place - to advance Google's mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful are reviewed.
Abstract: This article reviews the motivations, approaches, and accomplishments in applying genus loci - the sense of place - to advance Google's mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Delivering information in a meaningful spatial context has proven an ambitious undertaking. Ideas from philosophy, psychology, and sociology shaped the design, and technical and logistical challenges abounded in the implementation. For this project, the Google geospatial team wove long-standing wisdom, fresh technical thinking, and their vision of the future to create a global information landscape where people experience a uniquely real understanding of the answers to their questions. That the work is used millions of times per hour shows the result to be useful.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The purpose of this article is to highlight the research issues that impede the realization of the emerging research field of semantic 3D, to establish the notion of generalized 3D documents that are full members of the family of generalized documents.
Abstract: The rapid evolution of information and communication technology has always been a source for challenging new research questions in computer science. The vision of the emerging research field of semantic 3D is to establish the notion of generalized 3D documents that are full members of the family of generalized documents. This means that access would be content-based rather than based on metadata. The purpose of this article is to highlight the research issues that impede the realization of this vision today. The seven research challenges include: (1) '3D data set' can have many meanings, (2) a sustainable 3D file format, (3) representation-independent stable 3D markup, (4) representation-independent 3D query operations, (5) documenting provenance and processing history, (6) consistency between shape and meaning, and (7) closing the semantic gap

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Users can exploit this ability to dynamically adjust the array's configuration as well as the attribute blocks' size and origin in this new exploratory tool for discovering patterns of interest in multivariate data sets.
Abstract: Visualization of multiple attributes across a region is a complex problem for which several experimental tools have been developed. In some cases, the attributes correspond to events occurring at discrete locations; in others, the data are phenomena that vary continuously across a region. In the discrete case, the focus is often on using maps for geospatial referencing. Attribute blocks are a technique for visualizing continuously varying attributes across a region, letting you quickly locate patterns in large data sets. Attribute blocks can be displayed in a flat 2D projection without needing constant 3D dynamic rotations. This article describes a new technique based on attribute blocks, a dynamically configurable array of lenses through which users can visualize specific attribute values at given locations throughout a region. Users can exploit this ability to dynamically adjust the array's configuration as well as the attribute blocks' size and origin in this new exploratory tool for discovering patterns of interest in multivariate data sets

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The extent to which mixed reality (MR) and VR participants realistically respond to virtually generated sensory data is considered, and the similarity of their response with what the authors might observe or predict if the sensory data-the situation, place, or events-were real, rather than virtual.
Abstract: People who experience an immersive VR system usually report feeling as if they were really in the displayed virtual situation, and can often be observed behaving in accordance with that feeling, even though they know that they're not actually there. Researchers refer to this feeling as "presence" in virtual environments, yet the term has come to have many uses and meanings, all of which evolved from the notion of telepresence in teleoperator systems. In Presenccia, we take an operational approach to the presence concept. Our approach lets us assess the extent of presence using tools beyond traditional questionnaires, and therefore we avoid many of the problems involved with sole reliance on these. Instead, we consider the extent to which mixed reality (MR) and VR participants realistically respond to virtually generated sensory data. Specifically, we measure the similarity of their response with what we might observe or predict if the sensory data-the situation, place, or events-were real, rather than virtual. We consider this response on several levels.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Students should learn by doing, either using one tool or a variety of tools, depending on the course's focus, and acquire skills by doing.
Abstract: Defining visualization education is still a work in progress. Visualization education is not just a subject within computer science. Computer scientists are not always the appropriate choice to teach visualization courses on their own. Visualization is not just mastering a set of concepts but acquiring skills. Student should learn by doing, either using one tool or a variety of tools, depending on the course's focus.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The HydroVR project both changed work processes and increased revenue for petroleum E&P in general and how and why the project has sustained its extensive activity over the past 10 years is described.
Abstract: Finding oil is always a difficult and expensive task, and moving exploration and production (E&P) offshore quickly drives those costs sky-high. Because most easy oil has already been found, any new discoveries are often subtle and relatively small. Once a company does find a reservoir, deciding where and how to drill to maximize production - and thus return of investment - is a major task. The wrong approach or small inaccuracies can easily ruin an entire reservoir's ROI. Clearly, we need good tools to complete these difficult E&P tasks. In 1992, the University of Chicago's Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) introduced the CAVE, a room-sized, multiperson projector-based immersive VR environment. CAVE laid the foundation for a new paradigm: using VR for petroleum E&P. The HydroVR project both changed work processes and increased revenue for petroleum E&P in general. In this paper, we describe the project's major application milestones and summarize how and why the project has sustained its extensive activity over the past 10 years.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Three trends dominate online mapping today: the bringing together of more data sources, whether from public-domain sources, community input, or extrapolation from multiple, diverse sources, and increasing the resolution and timeliness of those sources, particularly those relating to site photography.
Abstract: Wherever computers are commonplace, free online mapping systems such as MapQuest and Yahoo! Maps are among the Web's most popular reference sites. Consumer sites such as these compete to improve their interfaces and data relevance to better appeal to the browsing public. But innovation in online mapping isn't limited to these household names. Three trends dominate online mapping today: 1) the bringing together of more data sources, whether from public-domain sources, community input, or extrapolation from multiple, diverse sources. 2) Increasing the resolution and timeliness of those sources, particularly those relating to site photography. 3) Combining those sources in useful and easy-to-navigate ways. Recent pushes in these areas have opened up interesting new opportunities for computer graphics professionals. For example, Google's SketchUp program provides a direct way to create 3D models of real-world objects for placement in Google Earth. Such models could be marketable to companies seeking to catalog, manage, and develop their real-estate holdings. At the same time, other geographic data take on greater value, as they can now be placed in a larger context within online mapping systems and promoted via the shared world of online map sites

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: MobileVis, the authors' interactive, illustrative 3D graphics and text rendering system that lets users explore 3D models' interior structures, display parts annotations, and visualize instructions, such as assembly and disassembly procedures for mechanical models, is presented.
Abstract: Scientists, engineers, and artists regularly use illustrations in design, training, and education to display conceptual information, describe problems, and solve those problems. Researchers have developed many advanced rendering techniques on desktop platforms to facilitate illustration generation, but adapting these techniques to mobile platforms has not been easy. We discuss how advanced illustrative rendering techniques, such as interactive cutaway views, ghosted views, silhouettes, and selective rendering, have been adapted to mobile devices. We also present MobileVis, our interactive, illustrative 3D graphics and text rendering system that lets users explore 3D models' interior structures, display parts annotations, and visualize instructions, such as assembly and disassembly procedures for mechanical models

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The virtualized reality system serves as an example on the general problem of digitizing dynamic events and the details of the system's details are presented from a historical perspective.
Abstract: Digitally recording dynamic events, such as sporting events, for experiencing in a spatio-temporally distant and arbitrary setting requires 4D capture: three dimensions for their geometry and appearance over the fourth dimension of time. Today's computer vision techniques make 4D capture possible. The virtualized reality system serves as an example on the general problem of digitizing dynamic events. In this article, we present the virtualized reality system's details from a historical perspective

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: lnterviews3D confronts the CAD data explosion problem with new approaches that let users process fully detailed 3D models in real time, even on standard PCs or 32-bit laptops.
Abstract: lnterviews3D confronts the CAD data explosion problem with new approaches that let users process fully detailed 3D models in real time, even on standard PCs or 32-bit laptops. It has demonstrated efficiency in real-time rendering and clash detection for automotive, aerospace, and construction models too large for previous systems.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A GPU-based method for generating and verifying cutter paths for numerically controlled milling and a CAM system based on this technology is now employed in production at Mazda Motor Corporation for manufacturing stamping dies.
Abstract: The authors present a GPU-based method for generating and verifying cutter paths for numerically controlled milling. A CAM system based on this technology is now employed in production at Mazda Motor Corporation for manufacturing stamping dies. This system can compute cutter paths more than 20 times faster than previous methods