IP Library Granted Patent US 12,731,328
Granted Patent B1
US 12,731,328 · App. 18/583,128 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Three-dimensional object illumination rendering

Inventors: David McKinley Cardwell (Toronto, CA); Kowsheek Mahmood (Concord, CA); Christophe Darphin (Lyons, FR); Salvador German Soto Gutierrez (Toronto, CA); Inigo Quilez les (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Adobe Inc.
G06T15/60G06T15/04G06T2200/24
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,731,328
App. No.
18/583,128
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Kind
B1
Abstract

Three-dimensional object edit and visualization techniques and systems are described. In a first example, a content navigation control is implemented by a content editing system to aid navigation through a history of how a three-dimensional environment and a three-dimensional object included in the environment is created. In a second example, the content editing system is configured to streamline placement of a three-dimensional object within a three-dimensional environment. The content editing system, for instance, generates a manipulation visualization in support of corresponding editing operations to act as a guide, e.g., as an alignment guide or an option guide. In a third example, the content editing system implements a shadow control that is usable as part of an editing and as a visualization to control rendering of illumination within a three-dimensional environment.

Claims (46)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a first user input via a user interface, the first user input specifying a first visual characteristic to be used as a highlight in illuminating a three-dimensional environment;

receiving, by the processing device, a second user input via the user interface, the second input specifying a second visual characteristic to be used as a midtone in illuminating the three-dimensional environment;

receiving, by the processing device, a third user input via the user interface, the third user input specifying a second visual characteristic to be used as a shadow in illuminating the three-dimensional environment;

controlling, by the processing device, rendering of the three-dimensional environment, the rendering including:

identifying a first portion of the three-dimensional environment that is to be a subject of the highlight, a second portion of the three-dimensional environment that is to be a subject of the midtone, and a third portion of the three-dimensional environment that is to be a subject of the shadow; and

illuminating the three-dimensional environment by applying the first visual characteristic to the first portion of the three-dimensional environment, the second visual characteristic to the second portion of the three-dimensional environment, and the third visual characteristic to the third portion of the three-dimensional environment.

2 . The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the first portion corresponds to a first surface of a three-dimensional object, the second portion corresponds to a second surface of the three-dimensional object, and the third portion corresponds to a shadow cast by the three-dimensional object in the three-dimensional environment.

3 . The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the first visual characteristic, the second visual characteristic, and the third visual characteristic are colors.

4 . The method as described in claim 3 , wherein the first, second, and third user inputs are received via corresponding selections from a color spectrum displayed in the user interface.

5 . The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the first visual characteristic, the second visual characteristic, and the third visual characteristic are patterns.

6 . The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the rendering causes:

the first portion of the three-dimensional environment to have the second visual characteristic which is unchanged as specified by the first user input;

the second portion of the three-dimensional environment to have the second visual characteristic which is unchanged as specified by the second user input; and

the third portion of the three-dimensional environment to have the third visual characteristic which is unchanged as specified by the third user input.

7 . The method as described in claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, a subsequent user input changing a location of a light source with respect to the three-dimensional environment; and

controlling, by the processing device, re-rendering of the three-dimensional environment based on the changed location of the light source.

8 . The method as described in claim 7 , wherein the re-rendering causes the three-dimensional environment to maintain the first portion of the three-dimensional environment as having the first visual characteristic, the second portion of the three-dimensional environment as having the second visual characteristic, and the third portion of the three-dimensional environment as having the third visual characteristic.

9 . The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the identifying is based on determining illumination within the three-dimensional environment based on a position of a light source defined in relation to the three-dimensional environment.

10 . A computing device comprising:

a processing device; and

a computer-readable storage device storing instructions that responsive to execution by the processing device, causes the processing device to perform operations including:

receiving user inputs via a user interface specifying a first color, a second color, and a third color; and

illuminating a three-dimensional object in a three-dimensional environment displayable in a user interface through execution of a rendering engine using;

the first color for a highlight associated with a first surface of the three-dimensional object based on a position of a light source defined in relation to the three-dimensional environment;

the second color for a midtone associated with a second surface of the three-dimensional object based on the position of the light source defined in relation to the three-dimensional environment; and

the third color for a shadow cast by the three-dimensional object based on the position of the light source defined in relation to the three-dimensional environment.

11 . The computing device as described in claim 10 , wherein the user inputs are received via corresponding selections from a color spectrum displayed in the user interface.

12 . The computing device as described in claim 10 , wherein the user interface includes a plurality of individually-configurable portions to receive the user inputs specifying a respective said color.

13 . The computing device as described in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of individually-configurable portions is displayed in the user interface concurrently with the three-dimensional object.

14 . The computing device as described in claim 12 , wherein the receiving and the illuminating are performed in real time as applied to the three-dimensional object in the user interface as the user inputs are received.

15 . One or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, responsive to execution by a processing device, causes the processing device to perform operations comprising:

outputting a three-dimensional environment rendered through execution of a rendering engine, the three-dimensional environment including a three-dimensional object as having:

a first color that is user specified for a highlight associated with a first surface of the three-dimensional object based on a position of a light source defined in relation to the three-dimensional environment;

a second color that is user specified for a midtone associated with a second surface of the three-dimensional object based on the position of the light source defined in relation to the three-dimensional environment; and

a third color that is user specified for a shadow cast by the three-dimensional object based on the position of the light source defined in relation to the three-dimensional environment.

16 . One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 15 , further comprising outputting a user interface for display that includes a plurality of individually-configurable portions to receive user inputs specifying a respective said color.

17 . One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a subsequent user input changing a location of the light source with respect to the three-dimensional environment; and

re-rendering the three-dimensional environment based on the changed location of the light source using the first, second, and third colors.

18 . One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 15 , wherein the first, second, and third colors are user specified individually using first, second, and third inputs received via a user interface.

19 . The computing device as described in claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, a subsequent user input changing a location of a light source with respect to the three-dimensional environment; and

controlling, by the processing device, re-rendering of the three-dimensional environment based on the changed location of the light source.

20 . The computing device as described in claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise determining illumination within the three-dimensional environment based on a position of the light source defined in relation to the three-dimensional environment.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 22, 2024
From: CARDWELL, DAVID MCKINLEY; MAHMOOD, KOWSHEEK; DARPHIN, CHRISTOPHE; SOTO GUTIERREZ, SALVADOR GERMAN; QUILEZ IES, INIGO
To: ADOBE INC.
Reel/Frame 066535/0304 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 63588822 · Oct 9, 2023
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