Ray Tracing with Extended Cameras

Information

• Publication Type: Technical Report
• Workgroup(s)/Project(s): not specified
• Date: March 1995
• Number: TR-186-2-95-06
• Keywords: Ray Tracing, Camera Model, Projections, Image Distortions

Abstract

This paper presents an extension of the camera module for ray tracers. As an alternative to the standard pinhole camera an Abstract Camera Machine is introduced, which represents a generalization of the camera module at an abstract level. The Abstract Camera Machine itself is based on simple transformations and mappings, which are chosen from a large set of representatives. They are integrated as sub-modules to complete the camera mapping procedure, which generates rays out of image locations (pixels). Depending on what type of transformations are used, many different extended cameras can be built. The structure of the Abstract Camera Machine and an overview of the transformations and mappings are given. Some results, which were rendered by using a public domain ray tracer in combination with the extended cameras, are presented as well. They show the feasibility of this approach and give an impression of the areas of application for this extension to the camera module. Using extended cameras it is easily possible to produce special and artistic effects, e.g., a local zoom of especially interesting regions. Overviews of given scenes can be modelled and several views of the same object can be integrated into one picture, e.g., a building could be shown from the inside and the outside simultaneously.

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BibTeX

@techreport{Loeffelmann-1995-RTE,
  title =      "Ray Tracing with Extended Cameras",
  author =     "Helwig L\"{o}ffelmann and Eduard Gr\"{o}ller",
  year =       "1995",
  abstract =   "This paper presents an extension of the camera module for
               ray tracers.  As an alternative to the standard pinhole
               camera an Abstract Camera Machine is introduced, which
               represents a generalization of the camera module at an
               abstract level.  The Abstract Camera Machine itself is based
               on simple transformations and mappings, which are chosen
               from a large set of representatives. They are integrated as
               sub-modules to complete the camera mapping procedure, which
               generates rays out of image locations (pixels). Depending on
               what type of transformations are used, many different
               extended cameras can be built.  The structure of the
               Abstract Camera Machine and an overview of the
               transformations and mappings are given. Some results, which
               were rendered by using a public domain ray tracer in
               combination with the extended cameras, are presented as
               well.  They show the feasibility of this approach and give
               an impression of the areas of application for this extension
               to the camera module.  Using extended cameras it is easily
               possible to produce special and artistic effects, e.g., a
               local zoom of especially interesting regions. Overviews of
               given scenes can be modelled and several views of the same
               object can be integrated into one picture, e.g., a building
               could be shown from the inside 		 and the outside
               simultaneously.",
  month =      mar,
  number =     "TR-186-2-95-06",
  address =    "Favoritenstrasse 9-11/E193-02, A-1040 Vienna, Austria",
  institution = "Institute of Computer Graphics and Algorithms, Vienna
               University of Technology ",
  note =       "human contact: technical-report@cg.tuwien.ac.at",
  keywords =   "Ray Tracing, Camera Model, Projections, Image Distortions",
  URL =        "https://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/research/publications/1995/Loeffelmann-1995-RTE/",
}