Automated generation of intent-based 3D Illustrations

This paper describes an automated intent-based approach to illustration. An illustrution is a picture that is designed to fulfill a communicative intent such as showing the location of an object or showing how an object is manipulated. An illustration is generated by implementing a set of stylistic decisions, ranging from determining the way in which an individual object is lit, to deciding the general composition of the illustration. The design of an illustration is treated as a goal-driven process within a system of constraints. The goal is to achieve communicative intent; the constraints are the illustrative techniques an illustrator can apply.We have developed IBIS (Intent-Based Illustration System), a system that puts these ideas into practice. IBIS designs illustrations using a generate-and-test approach, relying upon a rule-based system of methods and evaluators. Methods are rules that specify how to accomplish visual effects, while evaluators are rules that specify how to determine how well a visual effect is accomplished in an illustration. Examples of illustrations designed by IBIS are included.