Stereoscopic modeling based on maximum ocular divergence of a viewer

1. A computer-implemented method for computing an effective inter-ocular distance for a modeled viewer based on a maximum ocular divergence angle, the method comprising:

obtaining the maximum ocular divergence angle for the modeled viewer, wherein the maximum ocular divergence angle is based on a maximum angle between a left or right optical path of the modeled viewer diverging outward from center and a plane perpendicular to a modeled viewing screen;

obtaining a viewing distance from the modeled viewer to the modeled viewing screen;

obtaining an inter-ocular distance between a left perspective position and a right perspective position for the modeled viewer;

computing the effective inter-ocular distance based on the viewing distance, the inter-ocular distance, and the maximum ocular divergence angle, the effective inter-ocular distance representing a maximum parallax condition;

composing a computer-generated scene having a computer-generated object in view of a pair of stereoscopic cameras based on the effective inter-ocular distance; and

creating a stereoscopic image of the computer-generated object within the computer generated scene.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 ,

wherein the stereoscopic image has a positive parallax between left and right views of the computer-generated object that is greater than the inter-ocular distance of the modeled viewer.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using the effective inter-ocular distance in a stereoscopic modeling system in place of the inter-ocular distance, the stereoscopic modeling system relating a set of parameters in a camera space to a set of parameters in viewer space.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein computing the effective inter-ocular distance includes adding the inter-ocular distance to twice the viewing distance times a tangent of the maximum outward ocular divergence angle.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the inter-ocular distance represents a typical distance between an actual viewer's left and right eye.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the maximum ocular divergence angle is less than 0.25 degree.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-readable instructions that when executed on a computer processor cause the computer processor to compute an effective inter-ocular distance for a modeled viewer based on a maximum ocular divergence angle, the instructions for:

obtaining the maximum ocular divergence angle for the modeled viewer, wherein the maximum ocular divergence angle is based on a maximum angle between a left or right optical path of the modeled viewer diverging outward from center and a plane perpendicular to a modeled viewing screen;

obtaining a viewing distance from the modeled viewer to the modeled viewing screen;

obtaining an inter-ocular distance between a left perspective position and a right perspective position for the modeled viewer;

computing the effective inter-ocular distance based on the viewing distance, the inter-ocular distance, and the maximum ocular divergence angle, the effective inter-ocular distance representing a maximum parallax condition;

composing a computer-generated scene having a computer-generated object in view of a pair of stereoscopic cameras based on the effective inter-ocular distance; and

creating a stereoscopic image of the computer-generated object within the computer generated scene.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 ,

wherein the stereoscopic image has a positive parallax between left and right views of the computer-generated object that is greater than the inter-ocular distance of the modeled viewer.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , further comprising:

using the effective inter-ocular distance in a stereoscopic modeling system in place of the inter-ocular distance, the stereoscopic modeling system relating a set of parameters in a camera space to a set of parameters in viewer space.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein computing the effective inter-ocular distance includes adding the inter-ocular distance to twice the viewing distance times a tangent of the maximum ocular divergence angle.

11. A computer system for computing an effective inter-ocular distance for a modeled viewer based on a maximum ocular divergence angle, the system comprising:

a memory for storing non-transitory computer-readable instructions;

a processor for executing the computer-readable instructions, the instructions for:

obtaining the maximum ocular divergence angle for the modeled viewer, wherein the maximum ocular divergence angle is based on a maximum angle between a left or right optical path of the modeled viewer diverging outward from center and a plane perpendicular to a modeled viewing screen;

obtaining a viewing distance from the modeled viewer to the modeled viewing screen;

obtaining an inter-ocular distance between a left perspective position and a right perspective position for the modeled viewer; and

computing the effective inter-ocular distance based on the viewing distance, the inter-ocular distance, and the maximum ocular divergence angle, the effective inter-ocular distance representing a maximum parallax condition;

composing a computer-generated scene having a computer-generated object in view of a pair of stereoscopic cameras based on the effective inter-ocular distance; and

creating a stereoscopic image of the computer-generated object within the computer generated scene.

12. The system of claim 11 ,

wherein the stereoscopic image has a positive parallax between left and right views of the computer-generated object that is greater than the inter-ocular distance of the modeled viewer.

13. A computer-implemented method for computing one or more stereoscopically transformed vertices based on a maximum ocular divergence angle for a modeled viewer, the method comprising:

obtaining the maximum ocular divergence angle for the modeled viewer, wherein the maximum ocular divergence angle is based on a maximum angle between a left or right optical path of the modeled viewer diverging outward from center and a plane perpendicular to a modeled viewing screen;

obtaining a viewing distance from the modeled viewer to the modeled viewing screen;

obtaining an inter-ocular distance between a left perspective position and a right perspective position of the modeled viewer;

computing an effective inter-ocular distance based on the viewing distance, the inter-ocular distance, and the maximum ocular divergence angle;

obtaining one or more surface vertices for a computer-generated object in a stereoscopically filmed, computer-generated scene; and

computing the one or more stereoscopically transformed vertices based on the one or more surface vertices and the effective inter-ocular distance.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , further comprising creating transformed geometry based on the stereoscopically transformed vertices, the transformed geometry being representative of a stereoscopic shape distortion of the computer-generated object.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , further comprising creating a stereoscopic image of the computer-generated object within the computer-generated scene.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein computing the effective inter-ocular distance includes adding the inter-ocular distance to twice the viewing distance times a tangent of the maximum ocular divergence angle.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the effective inter-ocular distance represents a maximum positive parallax for the modeled viewer having said inter-ocular distance and maximum ocular divergence angle.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the inter-ocular distance represents a typical distance between an actual viewer's left and right eye.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the maximum ocular divergence angle is less than 0.25 degree.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more surface vertices includes vertices that are visible from at least one camera of a pair of cameras used for creating a stereoscopic view of the computer-generated scene.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20 , wherein computing the one or more transformed vertices includes computing a stereoscopic transformation of the one or more surface vertices based on the effective inter-ocular distance.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21 , wherein the stereoscopic transformation is based on, in part, a convergence distance, wherein the convergence distance is a distance from the pair of cameras to a point in the computer-generated scene that results in zero parallax.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 21 , wherein the stereoscopic transformation is based on, in part, a location, within the computer-generated scene, of the pair of cameras used to create the stereoscopic view of the computer-generate object.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 23 , wherein the location of the pair of cameras is defined by one or more of the following:

a location of an optical center of the at least one camera of the pair of cameras;

an offset of an optical sensor with respect to the optical center of the at least one camera of the pair of cameras; and

a convergence angle between the pair of cameras.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-readable instructions that when executed on a computer processor cause the computer processor to compute one or more stereoscopically transformed vertices based on a maximum ocular divergence angle for a modeled viewer, the instructions for:

obtaining the maximum ocular divergence angle for the modeled viewer, wherein the maximum ocular divergence angle is based on a maximum angle between a left or right optical path of the modeled viewer diverging outward from center and a plane perpendicular to a modeled viewing screen;

obtaining a viewing distance from the modeled viewer to the modeled viewing screen;

obtaining an inter-ocular distance between a left perspective position and a right perspective position of the modeled viewer;

computing an effective inter-ocular distance based on the viewing distance, the inter-ocular distance, and the maximum ocular divergence angle;

obtaining one or more surface vertices for a computer-generated object in a stereoscopically filmed, computer-generated scene; and

computing the one or more stereoscopically transformed vertices based on the one or more surface vertices and the effective inter-ocular distance.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25 , further comprising creating transformed geometry based on the stereoscopically transformed vertices, the transformed geometry being representative of a stereoscopic shape distortion of the computer-generated object.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26 , further comprising creating a stereoscopic image of the computer-generated object within the computer-generated scene.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25 , wherein computing the effective inter-ocular distance includes adding the inter-ocular distance to twice the viewing distance times a tangent of the maximum ocular divergence angle.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the effective inter-ocular distance represents a maximum positive parallax for the modeled viewer having the defined inter-ocular distance and maximum ocular divergence angle.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the one or more surface vertices includes vertices that are visible from at least one camera of a pair of cameras used for creating a stereoscopic view of the computer-generated scene.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25 , wherein computing the one or more transformed vertices includes computing a stereoscopic transformation of the one or more surface vertices based on the effective inter-ocular distance.

32. A computer system for computing one or more stereoscopically transformed vertices based on a maximum ocular divergence angle for a modeled viewer, the system comprising:

a memory for storing non-transitory computer-readable instructions;

a processor for executing the computer-readable instructions, the instructions for:

obtaining the maximum ocular divergence angle for the modeled viewer, wherein the maximum ocular divergence angle is based on a maximum angle between a left or right optical path of the modeled viewer diverging outward from center and a plane perpendicular to a modeled viewing screen;

obtaining a viewing distance from the modeled viewer to the modeled viewing screen;

obtaining an inter-ocular distance between a left perspective position and a right perspective position of the modeled viewer;

computing an effective inter-ocular distance based on the viewing distance, the inter-ocular distance, and the maximum ocular divergence angle;

obtaining one or more surface vertices for a computer-generated object in a stereoscopically filmed, computer-generated scene; and

computing the one or more stereoscopically transformed vertices based on the one or more surface vertices and the effective inter-ocular distance.