US Patent 6906714 Accelerated visualization of surface light fields

A technique for accelerated visualization of surface radiance characteristics of an object based on acquired images of the object includes selecting a vertex of a mesh component for which surface radiance is to be visualized and determining texture coordinates for the selected vertex based on the lighting point and the view point. Surface, light and view maps associated with the texture coordinates corresponding to the selected vertex of the mesh component are then recalled and a decoded reflectance function is decoded therefrom by combining the surface, light and view maps. A color of the selected vertex is then combined with the combination of the surface, light and view maps.