ZIPMAPS: Zoom-Into-Parts Texture Maps

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a method for rendering highly detailed close-up views of arbitrary textured surfaces. Our hierarchical texture representation can easily be rendered in real-time, enabling zooming into specific texture regions to almost arbitrary magnification. To augment the texture map locally with high-resolution information, we describe how to automatically, seamlessly merge unregistered images of different scales. Our method is useful wherever close-up renderings of specific regions shall be provided, without the need for excessively large texture maps.