We present a review of the state of the art of segmentation and partitioning techniques of boundary meshes. Recently, these have become a part of many mesh and object manipulation algorithms in ...computer graphics, geometric modelling and computer aided design. We formulate the segmentation problem as an optimization problem and identify two primarily distinct types of mesh segmentation, namely part segmentation and surface‐patch segmentation. We classify previous segmentation solutions according to the different segmentation goals, the optimization criteria and features used, and the various algorithmic techniques employed. We also present some generic algorithms for the major segmentation techniques.
Effective resizing of images should not only use geometric constraints, but consider the image content as well. We present a simple image operator called
seam carving
that supports content-aware ...image resizing for both reduction and expansion. A seam is an optimal 8-connected path of pixels on a
single
image from top to bottom, or left to right, where optimality is defined by an image energy function. By repeatedly carving out or inserting seams in one direction we can change the aspect ratio of an image. By applying these operators in both directions we can retarget the image to a new size. The selection and order of seams protect the content of the image, as defined by the energy function. Seam carving can also be used for image content enhancement and object removal. We support various visual saliency measures for defining the energy of an image, and can also include user input to guide the process. By storing the order of seams in an image we create
multi-size
images, that are able to continuously change in real time to fit a given size.
Video, like images, should support content aware resizing. We present video retargeting using an improved seam carving operator. Instead of removing 1D seams from 2D images we remove 2D seam ...manifolds from 3D space-time volumes. To achieve this we replace the dynamic programming method of seam carving with graph cuts that are suitable for 3D volumes. In the new formulation, a seam is given by a minimal cut in the graph and we show how to construct a graph such that the resulting cut is a valid seam. That is, the cut is monotonic and connected. In addition, we present a novel energy criterion that improves the visual quality of the retargeted images and videos. The original seam carving operator is focused on removing seams with the least amount of energy, ignoring energy that is introduced into the images and video by applying the operator. To counter this, the new criterion is looking forward in time - removing seams that introduce the least amount of energy into the retargeted result. We show how to encode the improved criterion into graph cuts (for images and video) as well as dynamic programming (for images). We apply our technique to images and videos and present results of various applications.
Multi-operator media retargeting Rubinstein, Michael; Shamir, Ariel; Avidan, Shai
ACM transactions on graphics,
07/2009, Letnik:
28, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Content aware resizing gained popularity lately and users can now choose from a battery of methods to retarget their media. However, no single retargeting operator performs well on all images and all ...target sizes. In a user study we conducted, we found that users prefer to combine seam carving with cropping and scaling to produce results they are satisfied with. This inspires us to propose an algorithm that combines different operators in an optimal manner. We define a
resizing space
as a conceptual multi-dimensional space combining several resizing operators, and show how a path in this space defines a sequence of operations to retarget media. We define a new image similarity measure, which we term Bi-Directional Warping (BDW), and use it with a dynamic programming algorithm to find an optimal path in the resizing space. In addition, we show a simple and intuitive user interface allowing users to explore the resizing space of various image sizes interactively. Using key-frames and interpolation we also extend our technique to retarget video, providing the flexibility to use the best combination of operators at different times in the sequence.
Mesh partitioning and skeletonisation are fundamental for many computer graphics and animation techniques. Because of the close link between an object’s skeleton and its boundary, these two problems ...are in many cases complementary. Any partitioning of the object can assist in the creation of a skeleton and any segmentation of the skeleton can infer a partitioning of the object. In this paper, we consider these two problems on a wide variety of meshes, and strive to construct partitioning and skeletons which remain consistent across a family of objects, not a single one. Such families can consist of either a single object in multiple poses and resolutions, or multiple objects which have a general common shape. To achieve consistency, we base our algorithms on a volume-based shape-function called the shape-diameter-function (SDF), which remains largely oblivious to pose changes of the same object and maintains similar values in analogue parts of different objects. The SDF is a scalar function defined on the mesh surface; however, it expresses a measure of the diameter of the object’s volume in the neighborhood of each point on the surface. Using the SDF we are able to process and manipulate families of objects which contain similarities using a simple and consistent algorithm: consistently partitioning and creating skeletons among multiple meshes.
Effective resizing of images should not only use geometric constraints, but consider the image content as well. We present a simple image operator called seam carving that supports content-aware ...image resizing for both reduction and expansion. A seam is an optimal 8-connected path of pixels on a single image from top to bottom, or left to right, where optimality is defined by an image energy function. By repeatedly carving out or inserting seams in one direction we can change the aspect ratio of an image. By applying these operators in both directions we can retarget the image to a new size. The selection and order of seams protect the content of the image, as defined by the energy function. Seam carving can also be used for image content enhancement and object removal. We support various visual saliency measures for defining the energy of an image, and can also include user input to guide the process. By storing the order of seams in an image we create multi-size images, that are able to continuously change in real time to fit a given size.
We use a data-driven approach to study both style and abstraction in sketching of a human face. We gather and analyze data from a number of artists as they sketch a human face from a reference ...photograph. To achieve different levels of abstraction in the sketches, decreasing time limits were imposed -- from four and a half minutes to fifteen seconds. We analyzed the data at two levels: strokes and geometric shape. In each, we create a model that captures both the style of the different artists and the process of abstraction. These models are then used for a portrait sketch synthesis application. Starting from a novel face photograph, we can synthesize a sketch in the various artistic styles and in different levels of abstraction.
We introduce a co-analysis method which learns a
functionality model
for an object category, e.g., strollers or backpacks. Like previous works on functionality, we analyze object-to-object ...interactions and intra-object properties and relations. Differently from previous works, our model goes beyond providing a functionality-oriented descriptor for a single object; it prototypes the functionality of a category of 3D objects by co-analyzing typical interactions involving objects from the category. Furthermore, our co-analysis localizes the studied properties to the specific locations, or surface patches, that support specific functionalities, and then integrates the patch-level properties into a
category
functionality model. Thus our model focuses on the
how
, via common interactions, and
where
, via patch localization, of functionality analysis.
Given a collection of 3D objects belonging to the same category, with each object provided within a scene context, our co-analysis yields a set of
proto-patches
, each of which is a patch prototype supporting a specific type of interaction, e.g., stroller handle held by hand. The learned category functionality model is composed of proto-patches, along with their pairwise relations, which together summarize the functional properties of all the patches that appear in the input object category. With the learned functionality models for various object categories serving as a knowledge base, we are able to form a functional understanding of an individual 3D object, without a scene context. With patch localization in the model, functionality-aware
modeling
, e.g, functional object enhancement and the creation of functional object hybrids, is made possible.
Given the current profusion of devices for viewing media, video content created at one aspect ratio is often viewed on displays with different aspect ratios. Many previous solutions address this ...problem by retargeting or resizing the video, but a more general solution would re-edit the video for the new display. Our method employs the three primary editing operations: pan, cut, and zoom. We let viewers implicitly reveal what is important in a video by tracking their gaze as they watch the video. We present an algorithm that optimizes the path of a cropping window based on the collected eyetracking data, finds places to cut, and computes the size of the cropping window. We present results on a variety of video clips, including close-up and distant shots, and stationary and moving cameras. We conduct two experiments to evaluate our results. First, we eyetrack viewers on the result videos generated by our algorithm, and second, we perform a subjective assessment of viewer preference. These experiments show that viewer gaze patterns are similar on our result videos and on the original video clips, and that viewers prefer our results to an optimized crop-and-warp algorithm.
Traditional image resizing methods usually work in pixel space and use various saliency measures. The challenge is to adjust the image shape while trying to preserve important content. In this paper ...we perform image resizing in feature space using the deep layers of a neural network containing rich important semantic information. We directly adjust the image feature maps, extracted from a pre-trained classification network, and reconstruct the resized image using neural-network based optimization. This novel approach leverages the hierarchical encoding of the network, and in particular, the high-level discriminative power of its deeper layers, that can recognize semantic regions and objects, thereby allowing maintenance of their aspect ratios. Our use of reconstruction from deep features results in less noticeable artifacts than use of imagespace resizing operators. We evaluate our method on benchmarks, compare it to alternative approaches, and demonstrate its strengths on challenging images.