Department of Curriculum Studies and Education Management / MEDCS

Despite the importance of hair for characters in games, the process for creating realistic looking real-time hair is a highly difficult task that can only be performed by a few artists. As the industry is growing so does expectations of games graphics and the need for higher fidelity hairstyles. This paper sets out to explain current modeling techniques for hairstyling, and presents an alternate way for styling haircard models using curve deformers. Our Blende radd-on, based on this method is then previewed by industry professionals to evaluate their perception of the method’s effectiveness based on “control”, “time” and “preference”. Our conclusion is that per wisp curve based controls are easily learnt, relatively quick to use and gives adequate control over each haircard. The method therefore shows promise instream lining artists’ production pipelines. This test serves as a pilot for further exploration of curve based tools for production of real-time hair.

Conflict in cyberspace Abstract Analysis of conflict in cyberspace seeking to understand the conflict and communication culture in internet discussions with regard to the dynamics of argumentation conflicts. The analysis is hermeneutic understanding conflict on internet discussions and descriptions conversationally - argumentative dynamics of internet discussions below the news servers. The research uses qualitative methods of data analysis and interpretation. The conflict in cyberspace I divided the realistic and the nonrealistic. Communication on internet discussions is then characterized by conflict rather unrealistic, therefore, partly wasteful and ephemeral conflicts virtual self - presentation, based on sarcasm, invective, irony, cynicism and offensive reactions. Studying the structure and dynamics of internet discussions, also refutes the stereotype that internet discussions are mere "opinions cesspool" or meaningless "virtual gallery" demented posts.

Cora Diamond nous présente dans son œuvre L’Esprit Réaliste une méthode nous permettant de répondre à la question « comment vivre? ». Elle nous présente aussi une méthode nous permettant d’élargir notre raisonnement moral et sortir du vocabulaire limité d’une interprétation plus traditionnelle de la philosophie morale. Aux questions de jugements, d’évaluations, de dilemmes et de métaéthique, elle souhaite introduire des concepts comme ceux de l’imagination, de l’improvisation, de la perception morale, de la texture d’être et d’aventure. La possibilité est aussi ouverte pour chercher une éducation morale non édifiante par la littérature. En effet, élargir le raisonnement moral implique aussi de ne pas se limiter à la forme argumentaire traditionnelle en philosophie. Il s’agit de voir la pertinence dans des œuvres littéraires comme des romans de fiction et des œuvres poétiques, mais aussi dans des œuvres cinématographiques. Diamond nous présente donc avec une éthique qui ne nous apporte pas de connaissances prescriptives, mais plutôt une connaissance conceptuelle et sensible. Elle nous apprend à voir les différences entre différentes conceptions de la vie, à se connaître soi-même et à aller à la rencontre de l’autre. / Cora Diamond presents to us in her work The Realistic Spirit a method allowing us to answer the question “how to live?” It also presents us with a method by which we can broaden our moral reasoning and break out of the limited vocabulary of a more traditional interpretation of moral philosophy. To questions of judgments, evaluations, dilemmas and meta-ethics, she wishes to introduce concepts such as those of imagination, improvisation, moral perception, texture of being and adventure. The possibility is also opened for seeking a non-edifying moral education through literature. Indeed, expanding moral reasoning also implies not being limited to the traditional form of argument in philosophy. It is about seeing the relevance in literary works like fiction novels and poetic works, but also in cinematographic works. Diamond therefore presents us with an ethic that does not provide us with prescriptive knowledge, but rather conceptual and sensitive knowledge. It teaches us to see the differences between different conceptions of life, to know ourselves and to meet others.

V interaktivních aplikacích jsou stíny tradičně zobrazovány s pomocí algoritmu založeným na stínových mapách. Nevýhodou toho algoritmu je, že stínová mapa, reprezentovaná texturou, má pouze omezené rozlišení. To může vést k nepěkným vizuálním artefaktům objevujících se na hranách stínů. Tato práce představuje postup, který je založen na vylepšené deformaci textury. To umožní zobrazit scénu obsahující složité světelné zdroje, zredukovat artefakty na hranicích stínů a také vylepšit kvalitu stínů bez ohledu na typu scény a její konfiguraci.

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Obstacle avoidance is a well researched area, however most of the works only consider a 2D environment. Drones can move in three dimensions. It is therefore of interest to develop a system that ensures safe flight in these three dimensions. Obstacle avoidance is of highest importance for drones if they are intended to work autonomously and around humans, since drones are often fragile and have fast moving propellers that can hurt humans. This project is based on the obstacle restriction algorithm in 3D, and uses OctoMap to conveniently use the sensor data from multiple sensors simultaneously and to deal with their limited field of view. The results show that the system is able to avoid obstacles in 3D. / Hinderundvikande är ett utforskat område, dock för det mesta har forskningen fokuserat på 2D-miljöer. Eftersom drönare kan röra sig i tre dimensioner är det intressant att utveckla ett system som garanterar säker rörelse i 3D. Hinderundvikande är viktigt för drönare om de ska arbeta autonomt runt människor, eftersom drönare ofta är ömtåliga och har snabba propellrar som kan skada människor. Det här projektet är baserat på Hinderrestriktionsmetoden (ORM), och använder OctoMap för att använda information från många sensorer samtidigt och för att hantera deras begränsade synfält. Resultatet visar att systemet kan undvika hinder i 3D.

This dissertation focuses on the many issues that arise from the visual rendering problem. Of primary consideration is light transport simulation, which is known to be computationally expensive. Monte Carlo methods represent a simple and general class of algorithms often used for light transport computation. Unfortunately, the images resulting from Monte Carlo approaches generally suffer from visually unacceptable noise artifacts. The result of any light transport simulation is, by its very nature, an image of high dynamic range (HDR). This leads to the issues of the display of such images on conventional low dynamic range devices and the development of data compression algorithms to store and recover the corresponding large amounts of detail found in HDR images. This dissertation presents our contributions relevant to these issues. Our contributions to high dynamic range image processing include tone mapping and data compression algorithms. This research proposes and shows the efficacy of a novel level set based tone mapping method that preserves visual details in the display of high dynamic range images on low dynamic range display devices. The level set method is used to extract the high frequency information from HDR images. The details are then added to the range compressed low frequency information to reconstruct a visually accurate low dynamic range version of the image. Additional challenges associated with high dynamic range images include the requirements to reduce excessively large amounts of storage and transmission time. To alleviate these problems, this research presents two methods for efficient high dynamic range image data compression. One is based on the classical JPEG compression. It first converts the raw image into RGBE representation, and then sends the color base and common exponent to classical discrete cosine transform based compression and lossless compression, respectively. The other is based on the wavelet transformation. It first transforms the raw image data into the logarithmic domain, then quantizes the logarithmic data into the integer domain, and finally applies the wavelet based JPEG2000 encoder for entropy compression and bit stream truncation to meet the desired bit rate requirement. We believe that these and similar such contributions will make a wide application of high dynamic range images possible. The contributions to light transport simulation include Monte Carlo noise reduction, dynamic object rendering and complex scene rendering. Monte Carlo noise is an inescapable artifact in synthetic images rendered using stochastic algorithm. This dissertation proposes two noise reduction algorithms to obtain high quality synthetic images. The first one models the distribution of noise in the wavelet domain using a Laplacian function, and then suppresses the noise using a Bayesian method. The other extends the bilateral filtering method to reduce all types of Monte Carlo noise in a unified way. All our methods reduce Monte Carlo noise effectively. Rendering of dynamic objects adds more dimension to the expensive light transport simulation issue. This dissertation presents a pre-computation based method. It pre-computes the surface radiance for each basis lighting and animation key frame, and then renders the objects by synthesizing the pre-computed data in real-time. Realistic rendering of complex scenes is computationally expensive. This research proposes a novel 3D space subdivision method, which leads to a new rendering framework. The light is first distributed to each local region to form local light fields, which are then used to illuminate the local scenes. The method allows us to render complex scenes at interactive frame rates. Rendering has important applications in mixed reality. Consistent lighting and shadows between real scenes and virtual scenes are important features of visual integration. The dissertation proposes to render the virtual objects by irradiance rendering using live captured environmental lighting. This research also introduces a virtual shadow generation method that computes shadows cast by virtual objects to the real background. We finally conclude the dissertation by discussing a number of future directions for rendering research, and presenting our proposed approaches.

Portfolio optimisation has a number of constraints resulting from some practical matters and regulations. The closed-form mathematical solution of portfolio optimisation problems usually cannot include these constraints. Exhaustive search to reach the exact solution can take prohibitive amount of computational time. Portfolio optimisation models are also usually impaired by the estimation error problem caused by lack of ability to predict the future accurately. A number of Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithms are proposed to solve the problem with two objectives subject to cardinality constraints, floor constraints and round-lot constraints. Fuzzy logic is incorporated into the Vector Evaluated Genetic Algorithm (VEGA) to but solutions tend to cluster around a few points. Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm 2 (SPEA2) gives solutions which are evenly distributed portfolio along the effective front while MOGA is more time efficient. An Evolutionary Artificial Neural Network (EANN) is proposed. It automatically evolves the ANN¿s initial values and structures hidden nodes and layers. The EANN gives a better performance in stock return forecasts in comparison with those of Ordinary Least Square Estimation and of Back Propagation and Elman Recurrent ANNs. Adaptation algorithms for selecting a pair of forecasting models, which are based on fuzzy logic-like rules, are proposed to select best models given an economic scenario. Their predictive performances are better than those of the comparing forecasting models. MOGA and SPEA2 are modified to include a third objective to handle model risk and are evaluated and tested for their performances. The result shows that they perform better than those without the third objective.

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