[Bf-committers] Volumetric update

[echelon at infomail.upr.edu.cu]

Hi all!

   I´ve being making some research about texture synthesis in orther to
handle
 volumetrics from images (2D samples) and the field are to broad to cover it.
 In principle there are unlimited ways to extend 2D to 3D since
transformations are not unique (the same could be the reverse problem)
and because of that I only implemented a few methods to extend 2D to 3D
that, although are not as complex as the patch based texture synth  and
the error minimizing methods (which could take hours according to some
papers), give interesting results that I will share the next time I get
connected. This will be an active field of development for volumetric
once it gets patched release because it offers incredible user controlled
results beyond procedural textures and are also relatively easy to
implement.
  In order to finish soon a patch I should not stop to much in that area.

Precisely the method I used are:
  Using the same image as a 3 axis proyections, multipliying the alpha
values for every proyections (user could choose alpha and color mapping
of the proyections) and this way for example the volumetric equivalent
of a circle will be a sphere, the equivalent for a brick texture will be
a blocky walln and so on. (Is also avaible the blender extend features:
repeat, checker,clip,etc to 3D) (This will be also an expandable area
implementing patch based methods, againg this are out of my priorities
now.)

 Everyday I get convinced of the unlimited power of volumetric image
sinthesys, sometimes I even waste hours exploring the render results!

  If you know any method of extending 2D images to 3D using only the
sample  and a 3D point as input please let me know before closing for
now the core dev and passing after my birthday (today) to code
so-long-waited UI  and patch release.

                                                Farsthary