Interpolation over Light Fields with Applications in Computer Graphics

We present a data structure, called a ray interpolant tree, or RI-tree, which stores a discrete set of directed lines in 3-space, each represented as a point in 4-space. Each directed line is associated with some small number of continuous geometric attributes. We show how this data structure can be used for answering interpolation queries, in which we are given an arbitrary ray in 3-space and wish to interpolate the attributes of neighboring rays in the data structure. We illustrate the practical value of the RI-tree in two applications from computer graphics: ray tracing and volume visualization. In particular, given objects defined by smooth curved surfaces, the RI-tree can produce high-quality renderings significantly faster than standard methods. We also investigate a number of tradeoffs between the space and time used by the data structure and the accuracy of the interpolation results.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2003
• Where: ALENEX
• Authors: F. Betul Atalay, David M. Mount
• Keywords: ALENEX 2003, ALENEX 2007, Data Structure, Directed Line, Ray Interpolant Tree