High dynamic range image texture mapping based on VRML

In this paper, we describe a technique for representing and displaying high dynamic range image (HDRI) as a texture map in VRML structure. To do this, we designed and implemented extended texture nodes for supporting HDRI in VRML and developed HDRI-based mapping tool that can be used for authoring objects with HDR image as a texture data. Even though the authoring result of our tool is not identical with standard VRML format exactly, it is good enough to be used in virtual world. To verify this, we developed an extended VRML browser that supports a parsing and viewing of our new texture nodes related to HDRI and allows the exposure to be adjusted continuously and arbitrarily at the time of navigation.