US Patent 7199793 Image-based modeling and photo editing

The invention provides a variety of tools and techniques for adding depth information to photographic images, and for editing and manipulating images that include depth information. The tools for working with such images include tools for “painting” in a depth channel, for using geometric primitives and other three-dimensional shapes to define depth in a two-dimensional image, and tools for “clone brushing” portions of an image with depth information while taking the depth information and lighting into account when copying from one portion of the image to another. The tools also include relighting tools that separate illumination information from texture information.