Abstract: Many sophisticated solutions have been proposed to reduce the geometric complexity of 3D meshes. A less studied problem is how to preserve on a simplified mesh the detail (e.g. color, high frequency shape detail, scalar fields, etc.) which is encoded in the original mesh. We present a general approach for preserving detail on simpli-fied meshes which is completely independent on the simplification technique adopted to reduce mesh size. The detail (or high frequency information) lost after simplification is encoded through texture or bump maps. The original contribution is that preservation is performed after simplification, by building set of triangular texture patches that are then packed in a single texture map. Each simplified mesh face is sampled to build the associ-ated triangular texture patch; different methods for storing this set of texture patches into a standard rectangular texture are presented and discussed. The solution is very general, because it can be applied to the output of any simplification code and because it allows preservation of any attribute value defined on the high resolution mesh. Moreover, the produced mesh de-couples shape from detail (the latter is encoded with texture maps) and allows highly efficient rendering. We also describe an alternative application: the conversion of 3D models with 3D procedural textures (which generally force the use of a software renderers) into standard 3D models with 2D bitmap textures, which con-versely can be rendered on any standard HW/SWgraphics subsystem. EMAIL:: r.scopigno@cnuce.cnr.it

Abstract: In this paper we present a technique for generating three-dimensional wood textures using a regular texture array. Currently three-dimensional wood textures are generated using procedural textures. Procedural textures are flexible and require little memory, however the modeling of local artifacts such as knots is difficult using the procedural approach. By representing the wood as a texture array and growing the wood in this array we can easily simulate local phenomena such as knots. Our growth model is an approximation to the biological model and assumes that there are several similar wood cells per array element. This means that we can model artifacts that are defined by groups of similar cells. In particular our model is well suited for the modeling of soft-woods.

Abstract: An apparatus (34) for texture mapping in a computer graphics system, using a predetermined set of standardised textures. Each texture of the standardised set is a procedural texture, and is supplied to the apparatus (34) as one or a sequence of program commando (44) the execution of which will result in the generation of the respective procedural texture. In a preferred embodiment, the means for processing the program commands (4) comprises a processor operable to implement only those input program commands or sequences of input program commands as are required to generate the procedural textures of the standardised set.

Abstract: We propose an efficient method for creating accurate and controllable textures. In the past, procedural textures have been used to cover every point of an object uniformly, although their behaviour could not be controlled locally, as is frequently needed. In order to provide local control, texture-attribute control points are inserted in the model, and the behaviour of the texture at every point is defined through interpolation of the control-point attributes. The texturing algorithm proposed behaves as a texture controller and can be applied to any kind of procedural texture.