Multi-Perspective Modelling, Rendering and Imaging

A perspective image represents the spatial relationships of objects in a scene as they appear from a single viewpoint. In contrast, a multi-perspective image combines what is seen from several viewpoints into a single image. Despite their incongruity of view, effective multi-perspective images are able to preserve spatial coherence and can depict, within a single context, details of a scene that are simultaneously inaccessible from a single view, yet easily interpretable by a viewer. In computer vision, multi-perspective images have been used for analysing structure revealed via motion and generating panoramic images with a wide field-of-view using mirrors. In this STAR, we provide a practical guide on topics in multi-perspective modelling and rendering methods and multi-perspective imaging systems. We start with a brief review of multi-perspective image techniques frequently employed by artists such as the visual paradoxes of Escher, the Cubism of Picasso and Braque and multi-perspective panoramas in cel animations. We then characterize existing multi-perspective camera models, with an emphasis on their underlying geometry and image properties. We demonstrate how to use these camera models for creating specific multi-perspective rendering effects. Furthermore, we show that many of these cameras satisfy the multiperspective stereo constraints and we demonstrate several multi-perspective imaging systems for extracting 3D geometry for computer vision. The participants learn about topics in multi-perspective modelling and rendering for generating compelling pictures for computer graphics and in multi-perspective imaging for extracting 3D geometry for computer vision. We hope to provide enough fundamentals to satisfy the technical specialist without intimidating curious digital artists interested in multi-perspective images. The intended audience includes digital artists, photographers and computer graphics and computer vision researchers using or building multi-perspective cameras. They will learn about multi-perspective modelling and rendering, along with many real world multi-perspective imaging systems.