An Approximate Shading Model for Object Relighting

Zicheng Liao, Kevin Karsch, David Forsyth; Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR), 2015, pp. 5307-5314

We propose an approximate shading model for image-based object modeling and insertion. Our approach is a hybrid of 3D rendering and image-based composition. It avoids the difficulties of physically accurate shape estimation from a single image, and allows for more flexible image composition than pure image-based methods. The model decomposes the shading field into (a) a rough shape term that can be reshaded, (b) a parametric shading detail that encodes missing features from the first term, and (c) a geometric detail term that captures fine-scale material properties. With this object model, we build an object relighting system that allows an artist to select an object from an image and insert it into a 3D scene. Through simple interactions, the system can adjust illumination on the inserted object so that it appears more naturally in the scene. Our quantitative evaluation and extensive user study suggest our method is a promising alternative to existing methods of object insertion.