Use of computer graphic simulation to explain color histogram structure.

In Proceedings of the Fifth Color Imaging Conference, Society for Imaging Science and Technology, November 1997.

In this paper, we discuss the use of computer graphics tech­ niques to model and explain the structures commonly ob­ served in color histograms of images. This includes an accurate simulation of the physical reflection and transport behavior of light energy within 3D environments, the pre­ cise modeling of an image capturing system, and an in­ teractive visualization module to display color histograms. Based on the fundamental rendering equation that describes light reflection and transport in the 3D world, we classify the color histogram structures of color images, and relate them to various physical components in image formation, including scene illumination, material reflectance proper­ ties, and the surface geometry of objects. We further show how these histogram structures can be effected by the arti­ facts caused by the limitation of image capturing systems. Our results demonstrate that the use of accurate simulation procedures under a precisely controlled computer graphic environment can clearly illustrate the causes of the struc­ tures observed, and can provide unique insights and expla­ nations of image formation.

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