Arid Zone Journal of Engineering, Technology and Environment, March, 2018; Vol.

14(1):153-161
Copyright © Faculty of Engineering, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
Print ISSN: 1596-2490, Electronic ISSN: 2545-5818, www.azojete.com.ng

NON-PHOTOREALISTIC IMAGE RENDERING USING CYLINDRICAL PROJECTION

A. I. Audu* and D. Mustapha

Department of Computer Engineering, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria
*Corresponding author’s e-mail address: lm324fairchild@yahoo.com

Abstract
This paper presents the formulation and validation of a novel method for non-photorealistic image rendering (NPR).
Realistic rendering using cylindrical projection requires computational methods to predict the radius of the imaginary
cylinder which must be a constant. This constant is usually equal to the camera focal length with which the image is
acquired. In this work, cylinder radius modulation is proposed. The radius of the imaginary cylinder is allowed to
vary in value as the azimuthal length of the cylinder increases. This implies that the radius of the cylinder can be
represented by a mathematical expressing which is dependent on the azimuthal length of the cylinder. This paper
demonstrates that the use modulated cylindrical projection can effectively be used in the creation of non-
photorealistic scenes and can find immense application in movie and gaming industry. Some shapes have been
rendered to confirm the validity of the proposed method.

Keywords: Image rendering; cylindrical projection; cylinder radius; radius modulation.

1. Introduction
The creation of non-photorealistic image has been the area of influence of artists. The resultant image does
not aspire to realism (Hertzmann et al., 2006; Gooch et al., 1998). With advancement in semiconductor
technology, it is now highly possible to explore the use of computer graphic in the creation of non-
photorealistic images. This has led to the widespread use of non-photorealism in science fiction movies and
gaming entertainment.
A great leap forward is that, starting from a few image samples from several viewpoints of a scene, a new
image can be synthesize with respect to another viewpoint. This is commonly referred to as image-based
rendering (IBR), (Fitzgibbon et al., 2005; Shum and Kang, 2000; Kauff et al., 2007; Fehn, 2003; Kang
etal., 2006; shum et al., 2008). With this strategy, it is possible to find and engage suitable creative idea
generation methods that can be used to develop guideline for experts who ultimately use them in the
process of synthetic scene construction (Raskar et al., 2004).

In the work proposed in (Lu et al., 2002), there exists a framework for an interactive direct volume
illustration system that simulates traditional stipple drawing. It combines the principles of artistic and
scientific illustration to explore several feature enhancement techniques to create effective, interactive
visualizations of scientific and medical datasets. It also features a rendering mechanism that generates
appropriate point lists at all resolutions during an automatic preprocess, and modifies rendering styles
through different combinations of these feature enhancements. The system exhibits an effective way to
interactively preview large, complex volume datasets in a concise, meaningful, and illustrative manner
Strategically positioned multiple flashes connected to a single camera is used to cast shows along depth
discontinuities in the scene (Raskar et al., 2004). Advantage is taken of the projective-geometric
relationship of the camera-flash setup to detect depth discontinuities and distinguish them from intensity
edges due to material discontinuities. It is characterized with depiction methods that utilize the detected
edge features to generate stylized static and animated images. It can highlight the detected features,
suppress unnecessary details or combine features from multiple images, thereby resulting in images that
more clearly convey the 3D structure of the imaged scenes.

Non-photorealism templates (NP-templates) are proposed in (Hamel & Strothotte, 1999). NP-templates are
structured to facilitate the use of a complex non-photorealistic rendering system. NP-templates in non-
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photorealistic rendering describe the attributes of a rendition with respect to features of the underlying
geometric model and can be extracted automatically. This makes it possible to apply the template to other
models. Procedurally, the template that has been extracted from the first rendition is refined using the
second, and so on. At the end of several iterations, a template results that can be used to generate pictures
with a common style, and—ideally—collect a library of templates for different applications, like modern or
medieval architectural drawings, medical drawings, modern or historical technical illustrations. Use is
made of a hierarchical view-dependent clustering algorithm to regulate the number and placement of a
system of particles to represent a model (Comish, et al., 2001). The algorithm unifies several tasks common
in artistic rendering, such as placing strokes, regulating the screen-space density of strokes, and ensuring
inter-frame coherence in animated or interactive rendering. The view-dependent callback functions
determine which particles are rendered and how to render the associated strokes. The developed framework
is interactive and extremely flexible, letting users easily produce and experiment with many different art-
based rendering styles.

The contribution from (Semet, et al., 2004), demonstrates an artificial ant NPR system that is based on ants
that navigate and sense the environment of a reference image. Ink marks are deposited by ants on an output
picture according to where they are, what they sense and their short term memory which gives each its turn
history for a few prior steps. The user is able to interact at a colony level to choose navigation and mark
parameters. Then, the colony lives out its life on the image. These steps are repeated until the user is
satisfied with the output picture. The approach launches the user and ant colony into an emergent, non-
linear design process.
This paper proposes to use modified cylindrical projection (CP) which, is widely applied in panorama
image generation to render a non-photorealistic image. A panoramic view is a synthetic wide-angle camera
realized mostly in software. Its generation is realized by when multiple images are projected onto an
imaginary cylinder of radius equal to the camera focal length. In the proposed method the imaginary
cylinder radius is not constant. It varies along the azimuthal length of the cylinder. In terms of
implementation, radius is represented as a polynomial expression. Hence, a non-photorealistic image can be
created.

2. Methodology: Length Dependent Cylinder Radius

Cylindrical projection used in IBR can be considered as the mapping of the features on the surface of a
sphere onto a cylinder that is wrapped around it, Figure 1. Parallelism of both the axis of the inscribed
sphere and the cylinder is required for all the longitude lines to become straight and vertical, and for all the
latitude lines to become straight and horizontal. This is widely used in image processing, specifically, for
composition of panoramic view where a camera is considered to be at the center of the sphere (single-point
criteria).

Figure 1: Cylindrical projection surface.

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ISSN 1596-2490; e-ISSN 2545-5818; www.azojete.com.ng

Equation (1) defines a cylinder function. The base of the cylinder is considered to be in the - plane. The
radius of the cylinder is a constant, .

√( )
( ) { } (1)
√( )

Consider as a surface bounded by the cylinder and the planes and and . It is
possible to show the dependency of the surface area of the cylinder on the radius , by assuming an
arbitrary vector field
. (2)

Gaussian divergence theorem can be called upon since it relates volume integrals and surface integrals. It
states that

∬ ∭ (3)
and represent small change in surface area and volume respectively.

The divergence of the field vector is expressed in (4)

(4)

In cylindrical coordinate system, , , and . , , and are the coordinate axis

labels. The radius of the cylinder is and is an angle formed with respect to -axis by a vector defined
between a point and the origin of the coordinate axis. Hence surface integral is obtained as in (5)

∬ (5)

It can be noted in (5) that the cylinder surface area in cylindrical projection is directly proportional to the
sixth power of the cylinder radius. Therefore, it can be observed that the achievement of any cylindrical
projection has to satisfy the direct proportionality condition of (5). However, the power of the radius will
depend on the vector field considered. In the implementation of the proposed method, the sample images of
figure 1, captured using Nikkon-7000 camera, are projected on an imaginary cylinder whose radius is
defined by the chosen mathematical expression. Different mathematical expressions based on the idea
described in (1) to (5) have been used for different expected non-phorealistic shapes. These expressions are
defined in the Matlab code that has been developed. The different non-phorealistic shapes are generated
when the developed Matlab code is run with sample images shown in figure 1 as inputs, one at a time. That
is, the Matlab codes describes an imaginary cylinder, take as input one of the sample images shown in
Figure 1, wrap the image on the imaginary cylindrical surface, and finally modulates the surface of the
cylinder.

3. Result
The high resolution sample images used in this work are shown in figure 2. The images were captured
using Nikkon-7000 camera. In simulation, the images are warped on an imaginary cylinder, one at a time.
The radius of the cylinder is then modulated. The modulation then results in the creation of non-
photorealistic images shown in figure 3.

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ISSN 1596-2490; e-ISSN 2545-5818, www.azojete.com.ng

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

(e) (f)

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(g) (h)

Figure 2: Input image samples to the methodology pipeline.

(a) (b)

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(b) (d)

(e) (f)

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(g) (h)

(i) (j)

Figure 3: Non-photorealistic images

4. Discussion
Traditionally, the goal of computer graphics has been to simulate the physics of light in order to produce
photorealistic images. In contrast, the field of (NPR), in recognition that realism is not always effective or
superior, has the contradictory goal to develop traditional and novel pictorial rendering styles.
A Matlab program is written based on the concept discussed in section 2, in which the surface of a cylinder
is defined using different geometric mathematical expressions. The expressions are such that the radius of

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the cylinder is made to change as the axis of the cylinder is transversed. The images shown in figure 2 are
used as inputs, one at a time, to the program. The simulated results of figure 3 are obtained. These images
are the results of modulation the cylinder surface on which the images of figure 2 were initially warped.
For this reason, the created non-photorealistic images shown in figure 3, can be said to be motivated by
artistic, comprehensibility and clarity, aesthetics, and technique overview. They are representative of the
kind of objects and foregrounds which have characterized most of the science fiction movies and computer
games.

5. Conclusion
Non-photorealistic image rendering using modified cylindrical projection has been presented. Ordinarily,
the conventional cylindrical projection will produce a panorama if the camera focal length is known. Using
the proposed method, the radius of an imaginary cylinder is modulated using a mathematical expression of
choice in the azimuthal direction. Consequently, impressive non-photorealistic images are created. The
proposed method can yield more fascinating result when the imaginary projection surface is not a cylinder.

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