Nonphotorealistic Rendering by Q‐mapping
Peter M. Hall · Computer Graphics Forum · 1999
We present Q‐mapping which is a technique for rendering three‐dimensional objects using nonphotorealistic cues, by applying Q‐maps. Q‐maps are three‐dimensional textures that make marks on objects, and thus provide visual cues for shape, shade, and texture. Q‐maps adapt to light intensity, typically by making more marks in darker areas. Q‐maps can produce images with a very wide range of visual styles (e.g. half tone shading, and pen‐and‐ink colour wash). The primary contribution is that these styles reside in a single parametric space. Importantly this space includes photorealism as a style, which is therefore regarded as a special case of nonphotorealistic image rendering in general. We illustrate our explanation of Q‐mapping using examples from scientific visualisation and computer graphics – and provide a gallery of images to show the versatility of the approach.