Visible Surface Determination

D.Aju
School of Computing Science and Engineering

Visible Surface Determination

Realistic scenes: Closer objects occludes the others.

Several Approaches

More memory

More processing time

Special objects

Visible surface detection or hidden surface removal.

Have to really decide which method to go with.

Visible Surface Detection

Classification:

Object space methods

Image space methods

Object Space Methods

An object space method compares objects and parts of

objects to each other within the scene definition to determine
which surfaces, as a whole, should be labeled as visible.

Object Space Methods

Algorithms to determine which parts of the shapes are to be

rendered in 3D coordinates.
Methods based on comparison of objects for their 3D positions
and dimensions with respect to a viewing position.

For N objects, may require N X N comparison operations.

Efficient for small number of objects but difficult to implement.

Depth sorting, Area subdivision methods.

Image Space Methods

In an image space algorithm, visibility is decided as

point by point at each pixel position on the projection
plane.

Image Space Methods

Based on the pixels to be drawn on 2D.

Determine which object should contribute to that pixel.

Running time complexity is the number of pixels times number of

objects.
Space complexity is two times the number of pixels:

One array of pixels for the frame buffer

One array of pixels for the depth buffer

Coherence properties of surfaces can be used.

Depth-buffer and Ray casting methods.

Depth Cueing

Hidden surfaces are not removed but displayed with different

effects such as intensity, color, or shadow for giving hint for third
dimension of the object.
Simplest solution: Use different color-intensities based on the
distances of the shapes.

Algorithms

Back-Face Detection

Depth-Buffer Method

A-Buffer Method

Scan-Line Method

Depth-Sorting Method

BSP-Tree Method

Area-SubDivision Method

Octree Method

Ray Casting Method

Image-Space Method vs.

Object-Space Method
Image-Space Method

Depth-Buffer Method
A-Buffer Method

Scan-Line Method

Area-Subdivision
Method

Object-Space Method
Back-Face Detection
BSP-Tree Method
Area-Subdivision
Method
Octree Methods
Ray-Casting Method

Back-Face Detection
(Inside-outside Test)

The equation of the

Ax +By + Cz + D = 0;

plane

surface

is

expressed

(x,y,z) is any point in the plane.

A,B,C,D are constants describing the properties of the plane.

as

A point (x, y, z) is inside a surface with plane parameters A, B, C,

and D if

Ax +By + Cz + D < 0

Back-Face Detection
(Inside-outside Test)

The polygon is a back face if

V N 0

V is a vector in the viewing direction from the eye (camera)

N is the normal vector to a polygon surface

N = (A, B, C)

Back-Face Detection
(Inside-outside Test)

If the object descriptions have been converted to projection

coordinates,
The viewing direction is parallel to the viewing Zv axis. Then
V N VzC

Back-Face Detection

However after the viewing transformation, by looking

down the negative z-axis.
The polygon is a back face if:

(0,0,1) N 0
(or)
if C 0

Back-Face Detection

Back-face detection can identify all the hidden surfaces

in a scene that contain non-overlapping convex
polyhedra.
But we have to apply more tests that contain overlapping
objects along the line of sight to determine which objects
obscure which objects.

View of a concave polyhedron with

one face partially hidden by other surfaces

Depth-Buffer Method

Depth-Buffer Method

Also known as z-buffer method.

It is an image space approach

Each surface is processed separately one pixel position at

a time across the surface.

The depth values for a pixel are compared and the closest
surface determines the color to be displayed in the frame
buffer.

Applied very efficiently on polygon surfaces.

Depth-Buffer Method

Two buffers are used

Frame Buffer

Depth Buffer

The image buffer is used to store the color values of each

pixel position
z-buffer is used to store the depth values for each (x,y)
position

The z-coordinates (depth values) are usually normalized

to the range [0,1].

Depth-Buffer Method

Depth-Buffer Algorithm

Initialize the depth buffer and frame buffer so that for all buffer
positions (x,y),
depthBuff (x,y) = 1.0, frameBuff (x,y) =bgColor

Process each polygon in a scene, one at a time

For each projected (x,y) pixel position of a polygon, calculate

the depth z.

If z < depthBuff (x,y), compute the surface color at that position

and set

depthBuff (x,y) = z, frameBuff (x,y) = surfCol (x,y)

Calculating depth values efficiently

The

equation

of

the

plane

surface

is

Ax +By + Cz + D = 0;

The depth can be calculated using the polygon surface

equation:

Ax By D
z
C

Calculating depth values efficiently

For any scan line adjacent horizontal x positions or

vertical y positions differ by 1 unit.
The depth value of the next position (x+1,y) on the scan
line can be obtained using

A( x 1) By D
z
C

Depth-Buffer Method

Is able to handle cases such as

View from the
Right-side

Z-Buffer and Transparency

We may want to render transparent surfaces (alpha 1) with a z-buffer.

However, we must render in back to front order.

Otherwise, we would have to store at least the first opaque polygon

behind transparent one.
Front

Partially
transparent

3rd

Opaque

2nd

Opaque

1st

OK. No Problem

1st or 2nd
3rd: Need depth
of 1st and 2nd
1st or 2nd

Problematic Ordering

Must recall this

color and depth

A-Buffer Method

A-Buffer Method

An extension of the ideas in the depth-buffer method is

the A-buffer method.

The A-buffer method represents an antialiased, areaaveraged, accumulation-buffer method developed by

Lucasfilm for implementation in the surface-rendering
system called REYES (an acronym for "Renders
Everything You Ever Saw").

A-Buffer Method

Extends the depth-buffer algorithm so that each position

in the buffer can reference a linked list of surfaces.
More memory is required.
However, we can correctly compose different surface
colors and handle transparent surfaces.

A-Buffer Method

Each position in the A-buffer has two fields:

Depth field (stores a positive or negative real number).

Intensity field (stores surface-intensity information or a

pointer value).
(a) single-surface overlap
(b) multiple-surface overlap

A-Buffer Method

Data for each surface in the linked list includes

RGB intensity components

opacity parameter (percent of transparency)

depth

percent of area coverage

surface identifier

pointer to next surface

A-Buffer Method

If the depth field is positive

The number at that position is the depth.

The intensity field stores the RGB.

If the depth field is negative

Multiple-surface contributions to the pixel.

The intensity field stores a pointer to a linked list of
surfaces.

A-Buffer Method
The A-buffer can be constructed using methods similar to those in the
depth-buffer algorithm.
Scan lines are processed to determine surface overlaps of pixels across
the individual scan lines.
Surfaces are subdivided into a polygon mesh and clipped against the pixel
boundaries.
Using the opacity factors and percent of surface overlaps, we can calculate
the intensity of each pixel.

Scan line Method

Scan line Method

In this method, as each scan line is processed, all polygon surfaces
intersecting that line are examined to determine which are visible.
Across each scan line, depth calculations are made for each overlapping
surface to determine which is nearest to the view plane.
When the visible surface has been determined, the intensity value for that
position is entered into the image buffer.
B
E
yv
F
Scan line 1
A S
S2 Scan line 2
1
Scan line 3
H
C
D

xv

Scan line Method

Depth Sorting

Depth Sorting
(Painters Algorithm)

In creating an oil painting

First paints the background colors

The most distant objects are added
Then the nearer objects, and so forth
Finally, the foregrounds are painted over all objects

Each layer of paint covers up the previous layer

Depth Sorting

Process

Sort surfaces according to their distance from the view plane.

The intensities for the farthest surface are then entered into the
refresh buffer.

Take each succeeding surface in decreasing depth order.

Depth Sorting

First draw the distant objects than the closer objects.

Pixels of each object overwrites the previous objects.

1

2
3

51
3

2
3

5
1

1
4

51

26 4
3

Depth Sorting
(Overlapping Test - 1)

Tests for each surface that overlaps with S

The bounding rectangle in the xy plane for the two surfaces do

not overlap.
First check for overlap in the x
direction.
Then check for overlap in the y
direction.

Yv

zv

xv

Depth Sorting
(Overlapping Test - 2)

Tests for each surface that overlaps with S

Surface S is completely behind the overlapping surface

relative to the viewing position.

S
S

zv

xv

Depth Sorting
(Overlapping Test - 3)

Tests for each surface that overlaps with S

The overlapping surface is completely in front of S relative to

the viewing position.
S

S
zv

xv

Depth Sorting
(Overlapping Test - 4)

Tests for each surface that overlaps with S

The projections of the two surfaces onto the view plane do not
overlap.
S

S
zv

xv

Depth Sorting

If all the surfaces pass at least one of the tests, none of

them is behind S and no reordering is necessary.

Depth Sorting
(Surface Reordering)

If all four tests fail with S

Interchange surfaces S and S in the sorted list

Repeat the tests for each surface that is reordered in the
list

BSP Tree Method

BSP Tree Method

(Characteristics)

Binary Space-Partitioning(BSP) Tree

Determining object visibility by painting surfaces onto
the screen from back to front

Like the painters algorithm

Particularly useful

The view reference point changes

The objects in a scene are at fixed positions

BSP Tree Method

(Process)

Identifying surfaces

inside and outside the partitioning plane

Intersected object

Divide the object into two separate objects(A, B)

BSP Tree Method

(Examples)

BSP Tree Method

When the BSP tree is complete, we process the tree by

selecting the surfaces for display in the order back to
front, so that foreground objects are painted over the
background objects.

Area-Subdivision Method

Area-Subdivision Method - Characteristics

Takes advantage of area coherence

Locating view areas that represent part of a single

surface.

Successively dividing the total viewing area into smaller

rectangles until

it is a single pixel,

wholly by a part of a single visible surface

or no surface at all.

Area-Subdivision Method

Require tests

Identify the area as part of a single surface.

Tell us that the area is too complex to analyze easily.

Area-Subdivision Method - Process

Staring with the total view

Apply the identifying tests

If the tests indicate that the view is sufficiently complex

Apply the tests to each of the smaller areas

Subdivide
Until belonging to a single surface
Until the size of a single pixel

Example

With a resolution 1024 1024

10 times before reduced to a point

Area-Subdivision Method - Identifying Tests

Four possible relationships

Surrounding surface

Completely enclose the area

Overlapping surface

Partly inside and

Surrounding Surface

Overlapping Surface

partly outside the area

Inside surface

Outside surface

Inside Surface

Outside Surface

Area-Subdivision Method - Identifying Tests

No further subdivisions are needed if one of the following condition is true

All surface are outside surfaces with respect to the area

Only one inside, overlapping, or surrounding surface is in the area

A surrounding surface obscures all other surfaces within the area

boundaries.

Octree Method

Octree - Characteristics

Extension of area-subdivision method

Projecting octree nodes onto the viewplane

6
4

Front-to-back order

The nodes for the front sub-octants of octant 0 are

visited before the nodes for the four back suboctants
The pixel in the frame buffer is assigned that color
if no values have previously been stored

Only the front colors are loaded

5
0

Displaying An Octree

Map the octree onto a quadtree of visible areas

Traversing octree nodes from front to back in a recursive

procedure

The quadtree representation for the visible surfaces is loaded

into the framebuffer
6
4

0
7

1
2

Octants in Space

Ray Casting Method

Ray Casting Method - Characteristics

Based on geometric optics methods

Trace the paths of light rays

Line of sight from a pixel position on the viewplane through a scene

Determine which objects intersect this line

Identify the visible surface whose intersection point is closest to the

pixel

Infinite number of light rays

Consider only rays that pass through pixel positions

Trace the light-ray paths backward from the pixels

Effective visibility-detection method

For scenes with curved surfaces

Ray Casting Method - Characteristics

Comparison
Algorithm/ Methods

Memory

Speed

Issues in
Implementation

Remarks

Z-Buffer

Two Arrays

Depth
Complexity

Scan
Conversion,
Hardware

Commonly Used

Painters

One Array

Apriori Sorting
helps Sorting

Scan Conversion Splitting and

Sorting the major
bottleneck

Ray Casting

Object Database

0 (#pixels,
#surfaces or
objects)

Spatial data
structures help
speed up

Excellent for
CSG, Shadows,
Transparency

Hard

Cannot be
generalized for
non-polygonal
models

Scanline, AreaSubdivision