Method for generating a shimmer view of a physical object

1 . A method for generating shimmer view information for a physical object, the method comprising the steps of:

generating image information for the physical object indicative of a plurality of photographs of the physical object associated with a plurality of camera poses;

generating shape information indicative of the shape of the physical object;

generating physical object reflection information indicative of a light reflective property of the physical object; and

processing the image information to determine the plurality of camera poses;

wherein for each point of a plurality of points of the physical object, a plane sweep algorithm is executed to associate a plurality of pixels defined by the image information corresponding to the point on the surface of the physical object and calculate a merit function comprising a gradient phase.

2 . The method defined by claim 1 , wherein the plurality of photographs of the physical object are also of a plurality of pose markers.

3 . The method defined by claim 1 , wherein the physical object reflection information comprises bidirectional reflection distribution information.

4 . The method defined by claim 3 , wherein the bidirectional reflection distribution information conforms to a bidirectional reflection distribution.

5 . The method defined by claim 4 , comprising rendering the shimmer view information using a WebGL shader model.

6 . A non-transitory processor readable tangible media including program instructions which when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the method defined by claim 1 .

7 . A processor for generating shimmer view information for a physical object, the processor comprising memory in which is stored program instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform the method defined by claim 1 .

8 . A method for generating shimmer view information for a physical object, the method comprising associating a plurality of pixels in a plurality of optical images of a physical object, wherein the plurality of optical images are associated with a plurality of camera poses with respect to the physical object;

disposing the physical object at a plurality of camera pose markers;

generating image information for the plurality of camera pose markers and the physical object disposed at the plurality of camera pose markers;

using the image information to determine camera pose information indicative of the plurality of camera poses associated with the image information;

determining physical object spatial information indicative of a three dimensional representation of the physical object using the image information and the camera pose information; and

using physical object spatial information to associate a plurality of pixels in the image information;

wherein associating the plurality of pixels in the plurality of optical images comprises comparing pixels using a merit function using a gradient phase of pixels within the image information.

9 . The method defined by claim 8 , wherein the associated plurality of pixels correspond to a same point on a surface of the physical object.

10 . The method defined by claim 8 , wherein the shimmer view of the physical object includes a visual representation of the object's external geometry and a representation of the reflection of an illuminating light from the object's surface.

11 . The method defined by claim 10 , further comprising rendering the shimmer view information to generate an interactive visual representation of the physical object on an electronic display.

12 . The method defined by claim 8 , further comprising generating texture map information indicative of a texture map of the physical object using the associated plurality of pixels in the plurality of optical images.

13 . The method defined by claim 12 , further comprising generating meshed physical object spatial information indicative of the surface using the texture map information and the physical object spatial information.

14 . The method defined by claim 8 , further comprising using an intermediate space in which gradient phases are calculated.

15 . A processor for generating shimmer view information of a physical object, the processor being operable to execute the method defined by claim 8 .

16 . A non-transitory processor readable tangible media including program instructions which when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the method defined by claim 8 .