A Simple Method for 3-Dimensional Modeling and Application to Complex Objects

The process of creating photorealistic 3-dimensional computer graphic (3DCG) images is divided into two stages, i.e., modeling and rendering. Automatic rendering has gained popularity, and photorealistic rendering is generally used to render different types of images. However, professional artists still model characters manually. Moreover, not much progress has been achieved with regard to 3-D shape data acquisition techniques that can be applied to complex object modeling; this is an important problem hampering the progress of 3DCG. Generally, a laser and a highly accurate camera are used to acquire 3-D shape data. However, this technique is time-consuming and expensive. Further, the eyes may be damaged while measuring by this method. In order to solve these problems, we have proposed a simple method for 3-D shape data acquisition using a projector and a Web camera. This method is economical, and simpler than conventional techniques. In this paper, we describe the setup of the projector and Web camera, shape data acquisition process, image processing, and generation of a photorealistic model. We also propose a method for application to complex objects using several cameras.