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SUMMARY:Constraint Programming Techniques for Virtual Camera Control - Mar
 c Christie\, Nantes University
DTSTART:20061128T150000Z
DTEND:20061128T160000Z
UID:TALK5976@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Oliver Williams
DESCRIPTION:In computer graphics\, progress in modeling\, animation and re
 ndering means that rich\, high fidelity interactive virtual worlds are now
  commonplace. But as photographers and cinematographers know\, achievement
  of the intended informational and aesthetic goals is highly dependent on 
 the position and motion of the camera in relation to the elements of the s
 cene. \nIn this talk\, we explore a number of models and techniques that w
 e have proposed in order to assist the control of a camera in a virtual 3D
  environment. In particular\, we emphasize the use of interval constraint 
 techniques for computing camera configurations and paths both in declarati
 ve and interactive frameworks. \nWe will first concentrate on the problem 
 of declarative camera planning. Camera planning in computer graphics can b
 e considered as a specific complex instance of the classical PSPACE-hard p
 ath-planning problem. We will show how interval constraint techniques can 
 be used to provide reliable and guaranteed solutions in a declarative fram
 ework and then propose the integration of semantics in the solving process
  that lays the groundwork for further high-level interactive approaches. \
 nWe then will concentrate on the problem of interactive virtual cinematogr
 aphy. Virtual cinematography consists in positioning\, in a 3D scene\, the
  three major components of cinematography (characters\, camera\, lights) i
 n order to achieve given intended objectives (informative\, cognitive\, ae
 sthetic). Here we demonstrate how interval constraint techniques can be us
 ed to directly manipulate composition by relying on the Through-the-lens i
 nteraction metaphor extended to object and light manipulation. \nComplex i
 ssues pertaining to properties such as occlusion will be explored and disc
 ussed. We will finally see that enforcing higher level properties requires
  a better understanding of the users perception and cognitive models\, whi
 ch makes virtual camera control a key area for interdisciplinary research 
 by both computer scientists and cognitive psychologists. \n
LOCATION:Small public lecture room\, Microsoft Research Ltd\, 7 J J Thomso
 n Avenue (Off Madingley Road)\, Cambridge
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