Biharmonic diffusion curve images from boundary elements

Abstract

There is currently significant interest in freeform, curve-based authoring of graphic images. In particular, "diffusion curves" facilitate graphic image creation by allowing an image designer to specify naturalistic images by drawing curves and setting colour values along either side of those curves. Recently, extensions to diffusion curves based on the biharmonic equation have been proposed which provide smooth interpolation through specified colour values and allow image designers to specify colour gradient constraints at curves. We present a Boundary Element Method (BEM) for rendering diffusion curve images with smooth interpolation and gradient constraints, which generates a solved boundary element image representation. The diffusion curve image can be evaluated from the solved representation using a novel and efficient line-by-line approach. We also describe "curve-aware" upsampling, in which a full resolution diffusion curve image can be upsampled from a lower resolution image using formula evaluated orrections near curves. The BEM solved image representation is compact. It therefore offers advantages in scenarios where solved image representations are transmitted to devices for rendering and where PDE solving at the device is undesirable due to time or processing constraints.