A method of generating stone wall patterns

Recently, several kinds of mapping technology, such as texture mapping and bump mapping, have played a very important role in the realization of more realistic image synthesis. The textures to be mapped are often obtained by using an optical scanner or a video camera. However, it is not easy to obtain a suitable image by taking a photo. We consider it very important to be able to generate a variety of textures and patterns easily according to the requirements. This paper proposes a new method of generating stone wall patterns as a specific case of a generalized texture generator. The advantage of the method is that it allows the user to generate a variety of stone wall patterns by specifying a few simple parameters. We have applied it to a visual simulation system in order to represent such stone textures as walls, pavements, and steps. This paper also gives some examples of its applications.