JPH0830669A - Image generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To generate a real image which is close to an actual object (picture) and used for a print through easy processing without photography, etc. CONSTITUTION:Outline data on the surfaces constituting a solid body are inputted from an image information input means (a) and the outline data are stored in a storage means (b) while classified into groups of walls, buildings, etc. For a coloring process, one surface in a group to be colored is selected through a color information input means (c) and a color is specified. An image processing means 8d) retrieves surfaces belonging to the same group with the color-specified surface in the storage means (b) and performs the coloring process for all the retrieved surfaces with the specified color.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for generating a color image of a three-dimensional object such as a building, a home electric appliance or furniture in the field of printing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Film originals photographed by photography have been widely used as a material for images used for producing printed matter. Further, as an apparatus capable of producing an image of a completed image of a product or the like without taking a photograph, an image producing apparatus using a computer such as computer graphics has come to be used.

[0003]

However, in the case of photography, it is necessary to take a photograph in a dedicated studio, and when the target is a building or the like, it is necessary to take aerial photography, which complicates the work. Moreover, there is a problem that unnecessary things such as electric wires and buildings not covered by aerial photography are also taken. On the other hand, if computer graphics are used, such a problem does not occur, but it is difficult to define shape data as a pre-processing and instruct coloring, and the amount of calculation is enormous depending on the type of computer graphics. There is a problem that it takes a lot of time.

[0004]

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an image generating apparatus according to claim 1 is a surface for inputting contour line data of a surface forming a three-dimensional object. Information input means a, storage means b for classifying and storing the input surface information in a designated group, and color information input means c for designating a color for the surface selected from the surface information. And an image processing means d for retrieving a surface belonging to the same group as the color-designated surface from the storage means b and performing coloring processing on the surface with a color designated by the color information input means. It is characterized by that.

In addition to the configuration of claim 1, the image generating apparatus according to claim 2 further comprises a layering means e for classifying the surface information into data for each layer according to the position of each surface, The image processing means d is characterized by performing coloring processing in accordance with the priority order of layers.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the image processing means d performs gradation processing on a surface at an angle according to the light source direction.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the color information is designated by Y (yellow) M.
It is characterized in that each component of (magenta) C (cyan) K (black) is designated and performed.

[0008]

According to the image generating apparatus of the present invention, the contour line data of the surface forming the three-dimensional object is input from the surface information input means a, and the contour line data is classified into groups such as walls and buildings and stored in the storage means b. Memorized in. When the coloring process is performed, one surface in the group to be colored is selected from the color information input means c and the color is designated. The image processing means d searches the storage means b for a surface belonging to the same group as the color-designated surface, and performs a coloring process with the specified color on all the searched surfaces.

In the layering means e, the surface information can be stored in the storage means b by classifying the data for each layer according to the position of each surface, whereby the image processing means d can prioritize the layers. The coloring process can be performed according to the order.

Further, the image processing means d can perform gradation processing on the surface at an angle according to the direction of the light source, and can create an image considering the influence of sunlight or illumination light.

Further, the designation of color information can be directly used for designation with process ink Y (yellow) M (magenta)
It is also possible to use C (cyan) and K (black).

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the present embodiment. Reference numeral 1 is a plotter, CAD or other figure forming device, and 2
Is an arithmetic unit comprising a computer, 3 is a storage device such as a hard disk, 4 is a display device such as a color display,
5 is an output device such as a color copy or an image setter, 6
Is a pointing device such as a mouse or a keyboard.

The graphic drawing device 1 inputs data of contour lines of a three-dimensional object such as a product or a building, and basically creates these data as CAD data. For example, a rough sketch of a three-dimensional object is used as a rough sketch, and the outline is traced to create data, but image data such as drawings is read with a scanner and raster / vector conversion processing is performed to create vector data. Good.

The arithmetic unit 2 is a personal computer, which controls peripheral devices and is grouped as described later.
Hierarchical processing, coloring processing, etc. are performed. The storage device 3 is preferably a hard disk or the like having a large capacity, and stores the contour line data created by the graphic creation device 1, the colored image, and the like. The display device 4 displays the input contour line data and the image subjected to the coloring process.
The output device 5 outputs a color-processed image as a color copy or the like, but may have a function of outputting data to another system or the like as necessary.

The process of creating an image of a building will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Creation of surface data Data representing the contour of the object is created by the graphic drawing device 1 (plotter or CAD) (S1). This is CAD
Data may be created by the drawing function of, or data may be created by plotting a design image such as a rough sketch with a plotter. In addition to this, data created by another drawing system may be taken in, or line drawing image data may be raster-vector converted into vector data. The data created in this way is input to this system.

In the input contour data, the closed area (closed area) is recognized as one surface in the arithmetic unit 2 (S2). For example, in the case of the building shown in FIG.
A total of 15 windows belonging to c, wall surface a and wall surface b are recognized as closed surfaces. The type of surface is not limited to a rectangle as described above, but may be a circle, a polygon, or the like.

Next, these surfaces are classified into a predetermined group (S3). As an example of the group, as shown in FIG. 3, the walls belonging to the building A are grouped as one group, and
The windows belonging to are grouped together as one group. This group may have a hierarchy, and the windows belonging to the building A may be grouped into one group, and the group of windows may be divided into groups of wall surfaces A and B constituting the building. By doing so, it is not necessary to select the windows one by one and give a coloring instruction in the coloring process described later.

The data of each surface is divided into a plurality of layers (hierarchies) and stored (S4). As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the surface (or a group of surfaces) closest to the viewpoint position is the first layer, the next closest surface (or group) is the second layer, and so on. By storing data in different layers depending on the position, it is possible to perform hidden surface removal (coloring from the surface close to the viewpoint, and not coloring the part behind the surface and the shadow of that surface) when coloring. Become. Similarly, a window-like relationship to a wall can also be described (window hierarchy → wall hierarchy). By specifying the priority of the window hierarchy to the upper level, the window on the screen exists. At the position, the window color is given priority, and the wall color is not colored.

As described above, certain surface data is stored in the storage device 3 with the group name and layer name specified (S5). Note that these groups and layers may be designated when CAD data is input or after the data is input.

Designation of Colored Surfaces and Colors Coloring is instructed to each of the surfaces set above (S
6). First, a surface to be colored is selected, which is designated by a cursor on the screen of the display device 4 to be colored. Then, the arithmetic unit 2 searches for a surface belonging to the same group as the instructed surface, and displays the searched surface on the screen by identifying it with a specific color or the like. In the case of the building shown in FIG. 3, when any one of the walls A to C is designated, the arithmetic unit 2 retrieves the data of the wall other than the designated wall from the storage device 3. When windows are specified, all windows included in the building A can be searched, or windows belonging to each wall (windows belonging to the wall A or windows belonging to the wall B) can be searched.

The operator confirms the selected surface and indicates the color if there is no problem. This is R (red) G
The primary color ratio of (green) B (blue) may be designated, or the halftone dot percentage of Y (yellow) M (magenta) C (cyan) K (black) may be input.

When the color indication is given by the halftone dot percentage, after the image is created on the monitor, the instruction data can be directly passed to the color printing process using the YMCK four-color process ink. In addition to this, a desired color may be selected from a preset color palette as a color designation method.

The area selected in the coloring process is colored (S7). The arithmetic unit 2 colors the surface data with the instructed color and displays it on the display unit 4. At this time, all the surfaces belonging to the same group as the surface selected in S2 are similarly colored.
By performing this coloring process, raster data having a gradation value for each pixel can be obtained from the vector data.

The operator repeats the coloring process by repeatedly selecting the face and instructing the color. At this time, if there are hierarchically different faces to be colored, the front layer is colored preferentially. , For the data of the layers after this layer, the coloring process is not performed on the part hidden in the front surface.
That is, when there is a pixel in which two or more colored regions overlap among the pixels of the display device 4, the color data designated by the layer having the higher priority is adopted as the pixel.

In the case of the image of the building shown in FIG. 3, if the window layer has a higher priority than the wall layer, the wall color will not be displayed in the area with the window. Also, FIG.
As in (a) to (c), the first building is the nth layer, the second building is the (n + 1) th layer, and the road is the (n + 2) th layer.
If the layers are stored as layers and the priority order of the layers is 1, 2, ... N, n + 1 ..., When the images of the above three layers are combined, an image as shown in FIG. 5D is obtained.

Gradation Processing In general, a certain surface is colored so as to cover it with a flat screen. However, in an actual object, the appearance of the object is different due to the light. Therefore, in order to reproduce the influence of light in a pseudo manner, gradation processing is performed on each surface (S8). The method of applying the gradation is arbitrary, but basically, a white line or point is provided in the center of the surface, and the gradation from the line or point to the designated color is applied. The angle (direction) to apply the gradation at this time may be appropriately determined depending on the position of the light source, but all the surfaces of the groups existing on the same wall surface have the same angle (direction).
In addition, by changing the angle of the other wall surface groups and applying gradation, an image closer to a natural image can be obtained.

Image Correction / Editing A desired correction / editing process is performed on the colored image (S9). This is for retouching / correcting CAD data, enlarging / reducing an image (partial enlarging / reducing is possible), and instructing a color again. When the CAD data is corrected, the colored area is automatically changed.

Image Output The image data thus created is output from the output device 5 (S10). As a form of output, color copy,
In addition to being output as a printing film, it can also be output as digital data to a computer such as a layout scanner. Further, it can be output to a creating device such as a CD-ROM or a CD-I.

[0029]

According to the present invention, it is possible to generate a realistic image used for printing close to an actual product (actual image) by a simple process without taking a photograph. In particular, grouping by the faces that make up the image,
Since layers can be created, it is possible to easily give instructions for coloring and change colors easily. Further, not only the image used for printing can be created, but also the color of any part of the image can be freely changed, so that the image of the finished product can be simulated from the rough design, the design drawing and the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image generation apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a device configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of grouping surface data.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of layering surface data.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of hierarchical processing of plane data.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of gradation processing.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Graphic creation device, 2 ... Calculation device, 3 ... Storage device, 4 ...
Display device, 5 ... Output device, 6 ... Indicator device

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI Technical display location G06T 15/00 9365-5H G06F 15/72 310 9365-5H 450 A

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A surface information input means for inputting contour line data of a surface forming a three-dimensional object, a storage means for classifying and storing the input surface information in a designated group, A color information inputting means for designating a color for the surface selected from the above, and a surface belonging to the same group as the color-designated surface is searched from the storage means and designated for the surface by the color information inputting means. And an image processing unit that performs coloring processing with different colors. 2. The surface information has a layering means for classifying data for each layer according to the position of each surface, and the image processing means performs coloring processing in accordance with the priority order of layers. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing means performs a coloring process in which gradation is applied to a surface at an angle according to a light source direction. 4. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the color designation is performed by designating each component of Y (yellow) M (magenta) C (cyan) K (black).